English translation of iconic Bangla kids' collection Thakurmar Jhuli

Sutapa Basu’s translation of Thakurmar Jhuli, an iconic work of children’s literature written more than 100 years ago by Dakshinarajan Mitra Majumdar has been released recently. The book has been published under Readomania’s children’s imprint, Reado Junior.

 Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumdar collected folktales from villages and towns across Bengal and rendered them into a unique Bengali collection of children’s fiction, titled Thakumar Jhuli. Enjoyed by children over the ages, the anthology became synonymous with the cultural heritage of the region.

Basu’s translation promises to take readers to an enchanting land sprinkled with flying horses, speaking birds, cunning foxes, indestructible monsters, bold princes, and even bolder, beautiful princesses.

The book reflects the region’s cultural heritage in its semi-realistic illustrations and icons reminiscent of the rice-paste alpona patterns, a familiar sight at all auspicious occasions in Bengal.

The translator says, "This edition subtitled Princesses, Monsters and Magical Creatures is a translation and not a transliteration. I intended to and have adhered strictly to the original narrative. Nevertheless, a few adjustments have been unavoidable, primarily due to differences in linguistic nuances between the two languages."

Sutapa Basu is a best-selling author. Her latest book, The Curse of Nader Shah won the Best Fiction Award by AutHer Awards, 2020 instituted by JK Papers and The Times of India.