BY Showkat shafi *
Noted broadcast journalist. Critic writer Peerzada Abdal Mehjoor shared the news about Han Kang, a South Korean writer on his Facebook wall, for being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2024. He referred to the Nobel Prize website, and said she was awarded the prize “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” Han is the first South Korean writer and female Asian writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
While sharing the big news for the litterateurs of Kashmir Mehoor asked a pertinent question.
Why do our Kashmiri poets fail to receive any international awards or recognition? He termed it as a question for introspection and asked his Facebook friends for feedback.
Shabir Ahmad Shah critic and writer asked whether poets or writers from other states have won such awards to which Mehjoor referred names like Rabindranath Tagore. Vikram Seth and Arundhati Roy.
Peerzada Mehjoor has triggered an important debate and people ask why is it that though so much is written in Kashmir and that too by some prolific writers we are still not able to achieve international recognition for our writings.
So again the same questions? How can good regional language Literature from Jammu and Kashmir reach to the world and get recognition in the form of awards and other recognitions.? Is international recognition necessary or good literature should speak for itself. ? What are the impediments to our translation?
Most observers believe that High-quality translations into widely spoken languages like English, Spanish, or French are essential. Collaborating with skilled translators who can capture the essence of the work without losing cultural nuances is crucial. Some people believe and perhaps rightly so that Global platforms such as Amazon, Google Books, etc make these works accessible.
I believe that lack of good translation is a major reason why even our greatest poets. short story writers, in Kashmir struggle to gain international recognition. I believe that a well-translated work can bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, making a poet’s ideas and emotions accessible to a global audience. Take Han Kang, for example—she was relatively unknown outside of Korea until skilled translators brought her work to the world stage, eventually leading to her receiving prestigious awards like the Nobel Prize. Quality translation is essential for literature to transcend borders and receive the appreciation it deserves.
Further other keen observers of Kashmir literature believe that Regional authors should participate in international literary festivals (e.g., Frankfurt Book Fair, Jaipur Literature Festival, London Book Fair) to showcase their work to publishers, critics, and readers from around the world.
Others think that partnering with literary agents who specialize in promoting regional literature can help secure foreign publishers and guide works toward international competitions.
Some of our university teachers are of the opinion that Writers can build an online presence to attract a global readership. Engaging with international readers and critics via platforms like Goodreads or literary forums can spark interest in the work. They are of firm belief that releasing works as e-books can provide instant global accessibility. Regional authors can reach a wider audience without the constraints of physical publishing.
In response to the same question of whether Kashmiri writers and their works have the potential for international recognition, noted Kashmiri poet, critic, and academician Prof. Shad Ramzan emphatically says, “Yes.” Referring to great poets from Lal Ded to Rehman Rahi, he explains that the main challenge lies in understanding the idiom of these renowned figures. Prof. Shad points out that no translations so far have accurately captured the idiomatic expressions used by poets like Lal Ded, Sheikh-ul-Alam, Rahi, and others, nor conveyed what they truly meant.
Prof. Shad further asserts that Kashmiri Sufi poetry holds immense potential for international acclaim, provided that it is translated without compromising its original meaning. He refers to the remarkable poetry and prose, including short stories, written in Kashmir during the latter half of the 20th century, particularly the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, as being of international quality. The key question, he says, is how to bring these works to the global stage. If they are presented to an international audience with the correct idiomatic interpretations, Prof. Shad believes international recognition will naturally follow.
He describes Rehman Rahi as a great poet of modern Kashmir, whose poetry is highly allusive, symbolic, allegorical, and idiomatic. Prof. Shad is confident that if translators can grasp Rahi’s idiom in its true sense and convey it as it is, Rahi’s work will undoubtedly reach international audiences. The same holds true, he believes, for Kashmir’s great Sufi poets. Understanding the idiom through which these poets and writers express their experiences, and then faithfully conveying it to an international audience, is a major challenge for translators.
In conclusion, it seems that most observers and critics zoom in on the fact that rendering Kashmir literature whether in Kashmiri, Urdu or other regional languages into internationally recognised languages like English, French etc is a must to take our literature out to the global audience. And we have for sure some distinguished translators with us who need to be approached by organisations like Adbi Markaz Kamraz, and jk Maraz Maraz Acadamy to do the task.
- The author is a freelance media professional, Academic, critic, editor and writer. He can be mailed at showketshafi@gmail.com. showkatshafiofficial@gmail.com. website:showkatshafi.com