Publications

Thulika: A Literary Quarterly devoted to publishing English translations of Telugu fiction- Nidadavolu Malathi 


If you type in the keyword Telugu fiction, Thulika tops the list. First 5 or 6 sites on the list are Thulika [index] and various articles in Thulika! This can be interpreted in two ways : 

1) There is no other web site exclusively devoted to Telugu fiction; or
2) There are no  plausible sites that are dealing with Telugu fiction at a level our fiction deserves. Either way,I am content. To my knowledge, Thulika is the first electronic magazine committed to publishing English translations of Telugu fiction systematically on a regular basis. 

I started Thulika in June 2001 to bring Telugu fiction to English-speaking audience, particularly to western readers. My goal was to create an awareness of Telugu fiction among western readers. Generally speaking, Asian Indian Literatures are prominently featured across the world both in  the academy and on the Internet but Telugu literature has not received its due recognition. South Asian diaspora is strewn with the names of Indian writers-from R. K. Narain, V. S. Naipaul, to Bharati Mukherjee, to more recent Kamala Das, Arundhati Roy and Jhampa Lahiri-but Telugu names are hard to find.

Most web sites created by Telugu enthusiasts cater to the needs of Telugu people and the discussions on these sites are carried with an implicit knowledge of Telugu writers and culture. Some of the web sites created by non-Telugu authors included names misspelled and the data erroneous. One male writer was listed as female writer! 

While translations of Telugu fiction in print have been around for several decades, most of them are written first in British English and now in Indian English. My target, on the contrary, is western readers and so the diction accordingly is western reader-oriented. For the same reason, I would like submissions of translations from writers and translators to be in a language that is intelligible to western audience. 

It was a pleasant surprise to me that Thulika is attracting readers from Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India. I have been receiving messages from younger generation Indians, not only from Andhra Pradesh but also other parts of India. Readers of Thulika fall into three categories:

1] Older generation expatriates who are nostalgic for fiction of the past; 

2] Younger generation who attended English medium schools and whose Telugu language skills are marginal; and,  

3] Those who have gotten accustomed to English as their medium of communication probably because of their jobs and lifestyles. This is in addition to the western readers who are interested in Indian culture and values. They come from both the academy and general public. 

Our statistics are indicative that the fiction of 1950's and 60's is highly appreciated. Probably this is limited only to the readers from Andhra Pradesh-those who grew up with this particular period fiction. If anybody could prove my guess to be otherwise, I would say that it only proves that our writers are comparable to writers of world literatures. I am also receiving suggestions that I should post stories in Telugu which supports my belief that some of our readers are familiar with Telugu originals. 

On a final note, I am also receiving messages asking if Thulika is available in print and whether they could subscribe to Thulika. During my last visit to Andhra Pradesh (October 2002) several people asked me if I could bring out a print version. The suggestion/request/idea is flattering but the reality is I have neither the resources nor manpower to undertake such responsibility. In lieu, I am looking for ways to bring the translations in a book form or a series annually or bi-annually. If anybody out there is willing to undertake such venture, contact me (nmalathi@earthlink.net). By the way, I might as well add right now that money is not my motivation. I am only interested in making Telugu fiction available to western readers. And only those who share my interest may contact me. 

Nidadavolu Malathi
September 2003.
Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Back