So here I am back at blogging. It's time to celebrate, as my second self-published work is out. It's MeeTu, a Marathi novel translated into English by me and available both as a print book and a Kindle on Amazon.in. It's originally written by F M Shahajinde in 1984. That is over three decades ago. Set in the interior region of my state, Maharashtra, it unfolds the love relationship between two middle aged college teachers, a Hindu woman and a Muslim man.
There are several things that appealed to me about this work. First, there is no conventional ending either happy or sad. Secondly, the whole novel is a series of exchange of letters. The story unfolds and the reader has to be attentive to small shifts taking place in the relationship. Both of them know the affair has to end one day, as they are already respectively married and don't want to junk those conventional marriages. Thirdly there are references to social, cultural and historical contexts, which tell you about the way both have been moulded in their thought processes. I found that quite fascinating. Yet another aspect was that the protagonist comes out clearly owning up his sexuality and yet showing a sensitivity true to his poetic creativity. Poetry flows through the prose in this entire work and you can see it being used to convey some disowned emotions. Layers of convention weigh down on the woman, who finds it difficult to own up her love, driving her lover to desperation. So it's a story played out in the minds and conversations of the two adults in love. Nothing of the outer world seems to matter to them or move them.
I had started translating this novel way back in 1996, but then gave it up as I found it daunting to compile all the different references, without which a non-Marathi, non-Indian reader would find it difficult to appreciate the cultural gems strewn through the novel. After I returned to Pune in 2012, I renewed my efforts, yet it wasn't gathering momentum. In 2015 the whole family got together at Alexandria Va US at my son's place. I found time and space to work on the translation. Gathering references became so much easier with the Internet. I finished the translation and began search for publishers. I had told my friend Ashok Gopal that I would go for self-publishing if I don't get a positive response from three tries with publishers. That took some months and then another couple of months went in getting some reviewers' nods. Once they gave their go-ahead, I started the work of getting the book print-ready. The templates were very useful and so were the tips given by book designers on community forums.
Getting the cover design was an interesting experience, thanks to the artist Chandramohan Kulkarni. He wanted to know what I was trying to do by publishing the book. I told him that it was a labour of love. But the artist in him asked me a very direct question. He asked if the book was meant for anyone in the world. I told him about Indian diaspora and academics interested in South Asian literature being my intended audience. Then it was my turn to ask him if he would give me three or four alternative designs for the book cover. In his typical soft spoken drawl, he said that it was his practice to give only one design and that was final. I liked his forthright approach, which quite sits with me as well, whenever I am asked to do some creative stuff. So I gave him the technical specifications and he produced a superb cover design on the appointed day. It went through the print review process and was accepted by the Createspace guys at first go.
I was working on the text, adjusting the layout time and time again, making corrections all the time. I must have done this about ten times. Then one fine day it all looked set. So I uploaded it and then called the author, Prof Shahajinde. It took me some time to explain to him the whole thing about Print-on-demand model of self-publishing sites. I don't think he has got all bearings of this new way of doing books as yet. But slowly things are becoming clear to him. 'Get some 100 copies', he told me over the phone. I told him that copies came from US and the shipping charges were more than the cost of the books. So I won't get 100, but may be I will order some 25 copies. And those I have got by now. In times to come, Amazon will think of getting the books printed in India as well.
Now the publication date is set for 3 Aug 2016. Prof GK Ainapure would be the chief guest and the book will be published at the hands of the current president of Marathi Literary Meet, Dr Shripal Sabnis. The function will be held in the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad hall on Tilak Road at 6 pm.
There are several things that appealed to me about this work. First, there is no conventional ending either happy or sad. Secondly, the whole novel is a series of exchange of letters. The story unfolds and the reader has to be attentive to small shifts taking place in the relationship. Both of them know the affair has to end one day, as they are already respectively married and don't want to junk those conventional marriages. Thirdly there are references to social, cultural and historical contexts, which tell you about the way both have been moulded in their thought processes. I found that quite fascinating. Yet another aspect was that the protagonist comes out clearly owning up his sexuality and yet showing a sensitivity true to his poetic creativity. Poetry flows through the prose in this entire work and you can see it being used to convey some disowned emotions. Layers of convention weigh down on the woman, who finds it difficult to own up her love, driving her lover to desperation. So it's a story played out in the minds and conversations of the two adults in love. Nothing of the outer world seems to matter to them or move them.
I had started translating this novel way back in 1996, but then gave it up as I found it daunting to compile all the different references, without which a non-Marathi, non-Indian reader would find it difficult to appreciate the cultural gems strewn through the novel. After I returned to Pune in 2012, I renewed my efforts, yet it wasn't gathering momentum. In 2015 the whole family got together at Alexandria Va US at my son's place. I found time and space to work on the translation. Gathering references became so much easier with the Internet. I finished the translation and began search for publishers. I had told my friend Ashok Gopal that I would go for self-publishing if I don't get a positive response from three tries with publishers. That took some months and then another couple of months went in getting some reviewers' nods. Once they gave their go-ahead, I started the work of getting the book print-ready. The templates were very useful and so were the tips given by book designers on community forums.
Getting the cover design was an interesting experience, thanks to the artist Chandramohan Kulkarni. He wanted to know what I was trying to do by publishing the book. I told him that it was a labour of love. But the artist in him asked me a very direct question. He asked if the book was meant for anyone in the world. I told him about Indian diaspora and academics interested in South Asian literature being my intended audience. Then it was my turn to ask him if he would give me three or four alternative designs for the book cover. In his typical soft spoken drawl, he said that it was his practice to give only one design and that was final. I liked his forthright approach, which quite sits with me as well, whenever I am asked to do some creative stuff. So I gave him the technical specifications and he produced a superb cover design on the appointed day. It went through the print review process and was accepted by the Createspace guys at first go.
I was working on the text, adjusting the layout time and time again, making corrections all the time. I must have done this about ten times. Then one fine day it all looked set. So I uploaded it and then called the author, Prof Shahajinde. It took me some time to explain to him the whole thing about Print-on-demand model of self-publishing sites. I don't think he has got all bearings of this new way of doing books as yet. But slowly things are becoming clear to him. 'Get some 100 copies', he told me over the phone. I told him that copies came from US and the shipping charges were more than the cost of the books. So I won't get 100, but may be I will order some 25 copies. And those I have got by now. In times to come, Amazon will think of getting the books printed in India as well.
Now the publication date is set for 3 Aug 2016. Prof GK Ainapure would be the chief guest and the book will be published at the hands of the current president of Marathi Literary Meet, Dr Shripal Sabnis. The function will be held in the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad hall on Tilak Road at 6 pm.
