Muse India has officially announced the shortlist for its prestigious Translation Award for 2025, showcasing ten remarkable works that have made it through a competitive selection process. This year, the award received an impressive 104 submissions from a diverse range of 18 Indian languages and 11 literary genres, all contributed by 22 different publishers. The award aims to shine a light on lesser-known authors and translators, providing them with a platform to gain broader recognition in the literary world.

The selection committee comprised 11 esteemed scholars and writers who meticulously evaluated the entries to ensure that the shortlist reflects a rich tapestry of voices and narratives. The emphasis this year was on promoting works by authors who have not yet enjoyed widespread acclaim, aligning with the prize’s mission to rediscover and celebrate hidden literary gems.

The ten titles that have made it to this year’s shortlist offer a fascinating journey through various cultures and languages, eloquently translated to reach a wider audience. The books include the following:

• A Game of Fire by Nanak Singh, translated from Punjabi by Navdeep Suri (HarperCollins India)
• A Pulp Fiction Textbook by VM Devadas, translated from Malayalam by the author himself (Hachette India)
• Beggar’s Bedlam by Nabarun Bhattacharya, translated from Bengali by Rijula Das (Seagull Books)
• Kurinji Malar by Na Parthasarathy, translated from Tamil by Malini Seshadri (Hachette India)
• Lavanya Devi by Kusum Khemani, translated from Hindi by Banibrata Mahanta (Orient Black Swan)
• That’s A Fire-Ant Right There! by Mohammed Khadeer Babu, translated from Telugu by DV Subhasri (Speaking Tiger Books)
• The Bitter-Fruit Tree by Prakash Parienkar, translated from Konkani by Vidya Pai (Niyogi Books)
• The Last Bench by Adhir Biswas, translated from Bengali by V Ramaswamy (Westland)
• The World is Made-up Every Day by Alok Dhanwa, translated from Hindi by Saudamini Deo (Seagull Books)
• This Too is a Story by Mannu Bhandari, translated from Hindi by Poonam Saxena (Penguin Random House)

This year’s shortlist represents a significant attempt to diversify the Indian literary landscape, encouraging readers to explore narratives that may not have been part of mainstream discourse. By recognizing translations from various regional languages, the Muse India Translation Award aims to foster a greater appreciation for the richness of India’s linguistic heritage.

The awarded works not only promise to entertain but also provoke thought and reflection, offering insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of the regions from which they originate. As the literary community eagerly awaits the final results, this year’s shortlist stands as a testament to the power of storytelling across languages and borders, emphasizing the importance of translation in connecting diverse voices.