Vivek Shanbhag's 'Ghachar Ghochar' set to go global

 Kannada author Vivek Shanbhag’s acclaimed novella ‘Ghachar Ghochar’ is all set to reach out to global audience through its English translation. This is the first Kannada book to find a publisher in the United States (Penguin Books USA), according to a release from Harper Collins Publishers India.

The book, a collection of short stories will be officially launched on January 19 at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore by litterateur Girish Karnad.

 A chapter from this book had appeared in the ‘Granta’ magazine, last year. Translated to English by Srinath Perur, the book narrates the story of a family’s shift from a cramped house to a spacious bungalow, which brings about transition at various levels for the members of the family. The story explores the various dynamics in the family, as a fallout of the situation.

While this is his first book to be translated into English, translations of Shanbhag's popular short stories have been published in several spaces.  The city-based author has published five short-story collections, three novels and two plays, edited two anthologies, one in English. Several stories penned by him have been adapted for the stage, and one of his stories,‘Nirvana’ was made into a short film.

Perur, who has translated the work into English is the author of the travelogue  ‘If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai’. He opined that Ghachar Ghochar was unique in its style. “When I read the book I felt that I had read nothing like it in Indian writing. I immediately felt that this book was definitely worth translating,” Perur said.