Tamil writer and Rajya Sabha member Salma in conversation with journalist and translator Kavitha Muralidharan at the Hindu office in Chennai on October 16, 2025. | Photo credit: S. Shivaraj
The art of writing lies in the creation, while translation gives it a new voice in another language, Tamil writer and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Salma said on Thursday (Oct 16, 2025).
Ms. Salma spoke to journalist and translator Kavitha Muralidharan at the Hindu office in Chennai.
Talking about the difficulties of translation, Ms. Salma said that Tamil’s unique sounds, idioms and dialects pose a challenge to any translator. “Some cultural elements and metaphorical language are not easily translated,” she said. Despite this, she believed that readers around the world connected with the essence of her stories, which often explored the lives and struggles of Muslim women, a perspective rarely represented in mainstream literature.
Ms. Salma faced criticism and fear after her early works were published that spoke to the desire of a woman, especially from conservative groups in her community. Still, she believed that the translation of her books into Malayalam, English and other languages helped offer a wider audience an opportunity to engage with her voice.
Central to Ms. Salma’s experience as a writer is the complex relationship between writing and translation. “Translation is not just the transfer of words from one language to another,” she said. “Each translator brings his own feelings and understanding. So each version has his own voice. It also depends on his command of the language.”
“As an author, I hear my voice in translation. Yet translators must become writers themselves in the process – often working even harder. Their individuality, emotion and mastery of language deeply shape the final work,” she said.
Despite strong opposition and criticism in conservative circles for her debut novel Irandaam Jaamangalin Kadhai, the second English translation of which is now out as The Dark Hours of the Night, Ms. Salma said the fear she initially felt when publishing her first novel gradually faded as the translations widened her reach and allowed her voice to resonate beyond Tamil Nadu.
Ms Salma is working on the sequel to Irandaam Jaamangalin Kadhai and has some novellas lined up.
(This interview was part of The Hindu’s Out of Print series with writers)
Published – 16 Oct 2025 20:18 IST
