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Book Discussion on 'Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay: Tales of Early Magic Realism in Bengali' Translated by Sucheta Das Gupta, in conversation with Niladri R Chatterjee

Dive into enchanting discussions on 'Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay: Tales of Early Magic Realism in Bengali' with translator Sucheta Das Gupta and Niladri R. Chatterjee. Explore the magic.
on Dec 13, 2023

Niyogi Books takes pride in announcing the launch of its new title, Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay: Tales of Early Magic Realism in Bengali by Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay, a work of revisionist Bengali fantasy literature, combining homegrown myths and tales of absurdity with dark humour, providing a social commentary on contemporary issues. The book has been translated by journalist and internationally published author, Sucheta Dasgupta.

The book was launched at Kunzum Café, M Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi, where translator Sucheta Dasgupta was in conversation with Niladri R. Chatterjee, Professor, Department of English, University of Kalyani, West Bengal and recipient of Fulbright Scholarship.

Sucheta Dasgupta,when asked for her comments on the book, says, ‘Hugely underrated, Trailokyanath's world of whimsy and wonder simultaneously captures his unique, clear-eyed perspective on Bengali society, warts and all, in the form of these enormously entertaining tales that expand the mind while refreshing the soul. But they are also a treasure house of cultural facts that my work has retained alongside all of his jokes. I am grateful to Niyogi Books for sharing the love for Mr. T and his many, zany stories.’

During the conversation she also added, ‘I wanted to showcase and expose Trailokyanath’s body of work which delved into speculative fiction several years before the term was coined. His work is a product of his time. He wrote what he saw. Unfortunately, he was relegated to textbooks after he fell on the wrong side of the literary elite.’

When asked on her mode of translation, she said, ‘I chose to go with the Victorian style so as to complement Trailokyanath’s sneaky, irreverent sense of humour. Both formal and casual at once. The text was an anthropological goldmine. The process of translation introduced me to a wealth of cultural facts and wasn’t cumbersome at all. I even decided to treat certain Bengali words as legitimate nouns and refused to italicise them.’

On publishing the book Trisha De Niyogi, Director and COO, Niyogi Books says, 'Sucheta Dasgupta has managed to yoke together the linguistic registers of both English and Bengali literature to bring out a wonderful translation of one of the pioneering writers, thinkers and innovators of Bengal. Combining absurd humour, magic realism, and mythological folk tales from the salt of the earth through the vehicle of social satire, all the while championing the emancipation of women and the downtrodden, is no easy feat, especially for the times in which Trailokyanath lived. This visionary collection will be a sure treat for readers of all ages who are looking for innovative tales from India.

About the Book

Is virtue what is compromised in an arranged (coerced/’forced’) marriage? Is that every girl’s horror movie dream? For Little Kankabaty, however, it is a quickly impending reality even while the love of her life promises enlightenment but is a mama’s boy leading his life constantly circumspect and carefully. Yet now she is tasked with rescuing him from the clutches of scorned ghost woman Nakeshwari, of the beautiful nose and broken marriage alliance with Ghyanghon Bhoot, belonging to a community of cutesy spirits from which Lullu has spirited the comely but crafty wife of Aameer away. Will Aameer reunite with his wife either?

These, and other pressing concerns (who invented porcelain? Who was the king of Iran’s Nishapur and how was the monster of Sumiyoshi slain? What exactly is the politics of Neelambarbabu’s kitchen?), are suitably addressed in Trailokyanath’s zany tales, which do not disappoint the reader, grip their attention and always, always, entertain.

About the Author

Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay (22 July 1847–3 November 1919) was the curator of the Indian Museum in Kolkata and a classical Bengali writer. He published nine novels and over 24 short stories. Trailokyanath also wrote a travelogue, A Visit to Europe (1902), in English. Damrucharit, published posthumously in 1923, is his most famous work.

About the Translator

Sucheta Dasgupta is a journalist and an internationally published author. Her fiction is available on Goodreads and her memoir in Narratively Magazine. She lives in Noida with her spouse and dreams of driving a scooter to London to find Frogmore Gardens and sit by the lake. Head over to Substack to read her latest work.

About the Publisher

An internationally acclaimed publishing house, Niyogi Books, established in 2004, has more than 700 titles today. We not only specialize in textual context but also strive to give equal importance to visuals. We purvey a wide range of content on art, architecture, history, culture, spirituality, memoirs, and every aspect, which connects with our rich heritage. Under our umbrella, we have fiction and non-fiction that cover books on social science, cookery, and self-help as well as English Translations of modern classics from different Indian languages. Niyogi Books has recently launched five new Imprints: Olive Turtle (English fiction), Thornbird (English Translation), Paper Missile (English non-fiction), Bahuvachan (Hindi Translation: Fiction & Non-Fiction) and Perky Parrot (Children’s & YA Literature). Also, we have co-published a number of critically acclaimed books with reputed institutions like the British Library, Rietberg Museum Zurich, IGNCA, National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture (Govt. of India), National Manuscript Mission, Sahitya Akademi, among many others.