CHENNAI: Of the nearly 1,000 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed at the Chennai International Book Fair (CIBF) this January to translate Tamil books into other languages, only 270 have so far received translation grants from the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC).
To improve the conversion of MoUs into grants, the corporation recently held a meeting with publishers and writers.
“As per the data shared by officials, this year’s conversion rate is over 25%, which is better than last year. Around 100 applications are still under process. However, we requested officials to release a standard operating procedure (SOP) or clear guidelines for approving grants. This would clarify which books to pitch for and help raise the numbers further,” a publisher, who attended the meeting, said, adding that contemporary non-fiction and stories centred on marginalised communities are the most sought-after by foreign publishers and receive grants more easily.
According to data shared during the meeting, the corporation had sanctioned 120 translation grants in the past two years, of which only 30 books have been published. Of the 270 grants sanctioned this year, proposals have been received for just 55 titles. Publishers noted that translating books poses several challenges, including a shortage of qualified translators from Tamil to foreign languages and the need for constant follow-up with foreign publishers.
“Most translators are available only from English to other languages. Hence, we have requested the government’s support first to translate selected Tamil works into English,” said publishers present at the meeting. Officials have agreed to prepare, in consultation with writers, a list of 500 Tamil books to be translated into English over the next five years.
Officials also suggested that regularly updating the status of MoUs and grants on the CIBF website would improve transparency and help increase the conversion rate. During the meeting, the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India also agreed to ensure that the dates of the Chennai Book Fair coincide with the CIBF, allowing foreign publishers and writers to better explore the Indian book market.