2022 was a landmark year in the history of Indian literature. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, originally written in Hindi and translated into English by Daisy Rockwell, bagged the International Booker Prize, a first for an Indian author. It was also the first time that the shortlist for the JCB Prize for Literature, India’s most expensive literary prize, featured only translations. Does this mean a widening market for regional literature?
Here’s a look at the future of translations and other publishing trends in the New Year:
Found in Translation
Awards and accolades over the past years, particularly the Booker, seem to have set the ball rolling for translated literature, creating increased awareness among readers and an influx of such books in the market. “For a long time, writers in the English language had primacy in the pan-Indian market and translations were mostly of classics in vernacular languages. This brought the stories closer to our time and our concerns. The quality of translations and the growing number of committed translators have made a huge difference too,” says Karthika VK of Westland Books. Among the most anticipated works in the segment that will hit the stands in 2023 are Uttarayan: Bhishma as Witness by Ravindra Shobhane (from Marathi by Subha Pande), Ether Sena by Sirsho Banyopadhyay (from Bengali by Arunava Sinha), Magadh by Shrikant Verma (from Hindi by Rahul Soni), Entering the Maze by Krishnagopal Mallick (from Bengali by Niladri R Chatterjee and Assassin by KR Meera (from Malayalam by J Devika).
Persona Power
A market for inspirational stories has always existed, which is why biographies and memoirs of stalwarts from different fields continue to top publishing trends through the years. 2023 will be no different. “People are always interested in the hidden truths and learnings from the lives of the famous and successful––be it business leader Ratan Tata’s biography, actor Rani Mukerji’s memoir or spymaster A S Dulat’s memoir, all of which we are looking forward to publishing this year,” says Bushra Ahmed, senior commissioning editor at HarperCollins.
Tune in for Tales
The audiobook trend gathered momentum in the wake of the pandemic. Bibliophiles could multi-task around the house while listening to their favourite books. Though the end of the WFH syndrome might imply a diminishing interest in audio books, it seems buyers are looking for the space between information and entertainment. Arcopol Chaudhuri, executive editor-rights and new media at HarperCollins says, “Users (in 2023) will tune in to audio as a source of infotainment and knowledge rather than pure entertainment alone.” His claims are vindicated by market intelligence firm EMR’s latest report on audio books that predicts that the “global audiobooks market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24 percent during 2023-2028”, with Asia, North America and Europe as key markets. “We shall continue to see growth in audiobooks in categories such as self-development, wealth creation, careers, wellness and children’s stories,” Chaudhuri adds.
For One’s Own Sake
Self-help is a perpetually favourite genre among readers—a trend expected to continue. All leading publishing houses have a diverse list of self-help books coming out this year. From Hachette comes Nicole LePera’s How to be the Love You Seek. The Bee, the Beetle and the Money Bug by BankBazaar CEO Adhil Shetty, which deals with money management, will be published by Rupa Publications. “Self-help books consistently do well. Readers love to pick up life advice by experts. For example, we are publishing Jay Shetty’s 8 Rules of Love in February,” reveals Ahmed.