Suneetha Says...
November 4, 2008
by Suzan Abrams
My friend, the writer and professional translator, Suneetha B from Kerala, South India - please read an interview here on Chillibreeze - who writes in both English and Malayalam, tells me that she has had trouble getting hold of books published outside India since the British Council shut their library doors for the last time in Trivandrum - the capital city - earlier this year.
She says: "It was such a loss to us, now it's just buying on Amazon or a rather good book shop here, which burns a hole in everyone's pockets."
She suspects the books are languishing in "Government custody with no idea when they will once more see light". Where else after all, are they likely to find a new home.
Keralites formed a strong campaign earlier this year to try and save the British Council Library from being closed down but to no avail. However, they were touched to receive an unexpected but hearty response from blogs abroad.
Here is their link to SaveOurBritishCouncilLibrary where you can spot a picture or two.
Suneetha is currently translating the works of the well-known Keralite novelist Jaishree Misra who lives in London and has written five novels, todate. The latest offers a historical context on Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Janshi in North India (pictured above)... an interesting figure in 19th century India, in the country's struggle for independence. Suneeta is busy, re-creating this novel in Malayalam.
Suneetha B's website
by Suzan Abrams
My friend, the writer and professional translator, Suneetha B from Kerala, South India - please read an interview here on Chillibreeze - who writes in both English and Malayalam, tells me that she has had trouble getting hold of books published outside India since the British Council shut their library doors for the last time in Trivandrum - the capital city - earlier this year.
She says: "It was such a loss to us, now it's just buying on Amazon or a rather good book shop here, which burns a hole in everyone's pockets."
She suspects the books are languishing in "Government custody with no idea when they will once more see light". Where else after all, are they likely to find a new home.
Keralites formed a strong campaign earlier this year to try and save the British Council Library from being closed down but to no avail. However, they were touched to receive an unexpected but hearty response from blogs abroad.
Here is their link to SaveOurBritishCouncilLibrary where you can spot a picture or two.
Suneetha is currently translating the works of the well-known Keralite novelist Jaishree Misra who lives in London and has written five novels, todate. The latest offers a historical context on Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Janshi in North India (pictured above)... an interesting figure in 19th century India, in the country's struggle for independence. Suneeta is busy, re-creating this novel in Malayalam.
Suneetha B's website
Labels: Suneetha B
posted by Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk | 17:45
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