THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At the second edition of the Kovalam Literary Festival, there was a general sense of puzzlement when the name of Romanian-born German novelist Herta Muller was announced as this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.
Burmese writer Ma Tida first expressed familiarity, then immediately looked confused, and finally declared that she had not heard of Herta Muller. The pretty and articulate Ira Trivedi, the author of ‘The Great Indian Love Story’, shrugs her shoulders and says: “I have not heard of Muller. However, I am sure she must have written some fabulous books. The only problem may be that the English translation were not popular.’’
Delhi-based author Binoo John, the organiser of the Kovalam Literary Festival, expressed complete wonder at the name. “To be honest, I have not heard of her. So reading her writings is out of question,’’ he said.
Art Historian Christopher Pinney too, surprisingly, is utterly in the dark about the presence of a Romanian-born German writer with the name Herta Muller. “I have never heard of her,’’ he said. Malayalam’s greatest living poet, O N V Kurup, too, expressed similar sentiments. “I cannot really comment on her win,’’ he told Express.
DC Books publisher Ravi Deecee has been caught off-guard. The Nobel Prize has suddenly made him aware of a glaring gap in his collection. Till now, he had not thought of stocking his shelves with Muller’s books.
“Although Muller is not very well-known I am sure her books will do well here. I am arranging to get her novels within the next thirty days,’’ he said. However, there is one person at the festival who has read her book: Alexandra Buchler. Buchler, who represents Literature Across Borders, is an avid Muller fan. “I am very pleased to hear that she has won,’’ she says. “She represents the diversity of Europe. Muller comes from the German-speaking minority in Romania,’’ she said.
The book that catapulted Muller to fame was ‘Passport’. “In that novel, Muller expressed the difficulties of people living under a repressive regime. This was during the time of President Nicolae Ceausescu,’’ she said.
Author Shinie Antony, too, was familiar with Muller. “I am happy that Muller won. She writes about the dispossessed,’’ Shinie said.
