Introduction to publishers of translations
India has more linguistic diversity than anywhere else in the world. In a country like ours, translated Literature is extremely important. It brings us closer to our culture and helps us learn the languages of our own country.
For decades, fiction and non-fiction from different languages have been translated into India. With Geetanjali Shree’s and Daisy Rockwell’s iconic winning of the Booker Prize, there is a growing enthusiasm for translations.
While writers and translators are central to this process, it is publishers of translations that facilitate it. These publishers of translations are the medium through which these otherwise unheard voices reach the masses. Imagine the number of classics we would have missed had they not been available for reading in English!
Unimaginable, right? Thanks to these brave publishers of translations, today we have a huge list of classics from various languages to choose from.
A growing number of publishers in India accept translated work, and we compiled a list of publishers of translations to make the search easier for you! This list is not exhaustive but is a good starting point. We have divided this list into two parts: publishers of translations based in India and publishers of translations based outside India.
We are doing a series on Translated Literature where in the first part we shared about the top translators in India. In this, we will share about the publishers of translations and in the next blog post, we will talk about the awards for translations.
Note: If you are a publisher of translations and want to be added to this list, please write to us at info@himalayanwritingretreat.com.
Publishers of Translations based in India
Seagull Books
Seagull Books focuses on publishing literature from all around the world, in English translation. It is known as a bastion for quality editions of some of the finest literature.
- Submission Guidelines: Translations must be in English, not from English. Two sample chapters along with a synopsis must be included in the book proposal. Only soft copies over email are accepted.
- Examples: Bedanbala by Mahasweta Devi translated by Sunandini Banerjee
Jaico Publishing House
Jaico Publishing House was India’s first publishing house to bring out paperbacks of English books. It has a translation division that translates English books into various Indian languages.
- Submission Guidelines: A form is provided on Jaico’s official website that must be filled out. A manuscript, along with this filled form is to be emailed to the publisher.
- Examples: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Penguin Random House India
Penguin Random House India is one of the country’s biggest traditional publishing houses. It also embraces translations, mainly from other languages into English.
- Submission Guidelines: Penguin has seven independent imprints. Each has its own submission guidelines. Details are available on the link below.
- Examples: Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree translated by Daisy Rockwell
Hachette India
Hachette is a renowned publishing house originally founded in the UK. Hachette India is a prestigious company and publishes a wide variety of genres.
- Submission Guidelines: Unsolicited material is not accepted. Hachette does not take responsibility for any manuscripts sent to them. However, unsolicited manuscripts for children’s literature and reference books are accepted.
- Examples: Tears of the Begums: Stories of Survivors of the Uprising of 1857 by Khwaja Hasan Nizami translated by Rana Safvi.
HarperCollins India
An international publishing house with a base in India, HarperCollins is a respected company. It has published some of the finest contemporary Indian literature, including translations.
- Submission Guidelines: A detailed synopsis as well as three chapters must be submitted. The email ID must also contain the author’s full name, contact number, and email ID.
- Example: Valli by Sheema Tomy translated by Jayasree Kalathi
Rupa Publications India
Rupa Publications is an Indian house with a burgeoning international presence. They pride themselves on publishing exceptional fiction and non-fiction works from Indian authors. In the process, they give them a larger reader base and platform.
- Submission Guidelines: A detailed synopsis and three sample chapters must be provided. Submissions can be sent to the address on the Rupa Publications website. They may also be emailed.
- Example: Satyajit Ray translated by Arunava Sinha
Roli Books
Roli Books publishes both fiction and nonfiction but is known for beautiful renditions of nonfiction books. They also accept translations.
- Submission Guidelines: A book proposal must be emailed to the publisher with a synopsis, three chapters, the contents of the book, and an author bio.
- Examples: The Best of Manu Bhandari: The Wise Woman and Other Stories translated by Vidya Pradhan
Srishti Publishers and Distributors
Srishti Publishers and Distributors are a reputed company. They publish fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, poetry, and translations.
- Submission Guidelines: A soft copy of the book proposal must be emailed. This should contain any three chapters, a detailed chapter-wise synopsis, and a detailed write-up about the author. There should also be a concept note. This contains the target audience, USP, word count, and other comparative titles. Other documents which the author feel are important can also be added.
- Examples: Dahan by Suchita Bhattacharya
Yoda Press
Founded in 2004, Yoda Press focuses on non-mainstream contemporary Indian literature. They also accept translations.
- Submission Guidelines: Submissions must be made online, details can be found on the website.
- Examples: Because I Have a Voice: Queer Politics in India
Niyogi Books
Niyogi Books specialize in publishing books that have a connection with India. They have works published in both Indian and foreign languages. They work with both fiction and non-fiction, as well as illustrated works.
- Submission Guidelines: Submissions must include a synopsis, three chapters, and the author’s curriculum vitae. The target audience should be mentioned. A brief analysis of how the book stands in relation to competing titles should be included.
- Examples: A City in The Making by Ranabir Ray Choudhury
Blaft Publications
Blaft Publications is a Chennai-based company. They publish translations, graphic novels, as well as some fiction in English.
- Submission Guidelines: All submissions are to be made online via email to blaft@blaft.com. For other works samples and synopsis are acceptable, with the exception of comic books and graphic novels. For these, completed or near-complete works are preferred.
- Examples: The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction.
- Link: https://www.blaft.com/
Bee Books
Beebooks is a Kolkata-based publishing house. They publish fiction, non-fiction as well as coffee table books, and encourage any form that tells the story effectively.
- Submission Guidelines: Submissions are to be made online via email to query@beebooks.in. Submissions must include contact details, a synopsis, and 3 sample chapters. Please note that the book genre and country must be specified.
- Examples: Interrogation by Sunil Gangopadhyay
Aleph Books
Aleph Books is a Delhi-based publication house that publishes literature from and about India and other Southasian countries. They are widely recognized to be a hallmark for quality in fiction and nonfiction, including translations.
- Submission Guidelines: Aleph books does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. All work submitted must be through a literary agent only.
- Examples: The Greatest Gujarati Stories Ever Told by Rita Kothari
Zubaan
Zubaan is an independent publishing house. It has a strong social consciousness and focuses on feminist literature. It publishes both academic and non-academic books.
- Submission guidelines: Submission should include a cover letter, an author’s bio, a synopsis of the proposed project, and details of previously published work. All initial submissions must take place through the form available on their website.
- Examples: Freedom Fables: Satire and Political Writings by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain Translated by Kalyani Dutta
Speaking Tiger
Another independent publishing house, Speaking Tiger is especially known for its quality translations of international and Indian literature into English.
- Submission guidelines: Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted. A query letter with a brief synopsis of the work and three sample chapters must be sent. A detailed proposal with chapter outlines is also acceptable. Full manuscripts should not be sent as part of the initial submission.
- Examples: A Very Strange Man by Ismat Chugtai translated by Tahira Naqvi
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is one of the most renowned publishing houses in the industry, especially known for extensive academic resources. While it is an international organisation, they have a big operation in the country through OUP India. When it comes to translations, they have been lauded for translating work from not just common Indian languages but also nearly extinct ones.
- Submission guidelines: Academic writers must send a proposal of 5-10 pages containing a chapter outline, a brief description, the author’s bio, and potential readership of the book. This must be uploaded through a form available on their website.
- Examples: Ghalib: Life and Letters edited and translated by Khurshidul Islam and Ralph Russels
Publishers of Translations based Outside India
Amazon Crossing
Amazon Crossing is an imprint of Amazon Publishing dedicated to world literature. Many award-winning translations from all over the globe have been published by this publishing house.
- Submission Guidelines: Unsolicited original manuscripts are not accepted, and drafts must be submitted through an agency or agent. For more details, contact points are listed on the website.
- Examples: Nowhere To Be Found by Bae Suah
Oneworld Publications
Oneworld Publication was started as an independent publishing house by a couple. Now publishing over a hundred books a year that sell across various countries.
- Submission Guidelines: While submissions for the fiction category are temporarily closed, non-fiction is open for consideration. The book proposal must be carefully written and contain all the relevant information. A form available on the submissions page of their website must be filled out and emailed. The page with detailed instructions and the form is given below.
- Examples: The Colour of God by Ayesha S. Chaudhry
Recommended Read: Know the top Translators in India
And Other Stories
And Other Stories is a UK-based nonprofit that focuses on publishing contemporary, world-class literature. They encourage various genres of translated work from various parts of the globe.
- Submission Guidelines: Writers writing in English may be previously unpublished, but writers in other languages must also submit accounts of their previously published work. Submissions are not online and can only be sent in as hard copies. This may create difficulties for international submissions. Details are provided on the link below.
- Examples: Mister N by Najwa Barakat
Action Books
Action Books is a transnational independent publishing house that publishes various kinds of books. It has a strong socio-political stance and believes in art as a tool for change.
- Submission Guidelines: Submissions are done online through submittable. Manuscripts must be completed and previously unpublished. Only one entry is allowed per author/translator. A cover letter with a description of the book project as well as biographical details of the author/translator must also be attached.
- Examples: The Annunciation by María Negroni translated by Michelle Gil-Montero
Calypso Editions
Calypso Editions is a small US-based company with a global perspective. They publish fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and a wide variety of translated works.
- Submission Guidelines: Prose manuscripts must be between 10,000 and 40,000 words in length. Translators must have permission from the original author in order to be considered.
- Examples: The Child Who by Jeanne Benameur translated by Bill Johnston
Bitter Lemon Press
Bitter Lemon Press is a UK-based company known for quality publications of crime and thriller books from all over the world. Many of these are translations from different languages.
- Submission Guidelines: Translators must attach two chapters of completed work as well as a brief outline of the plot. A list of previous translations by the translator is also required.
- Examples: Deep as Death by Katja Ivar
Conclusion
India offers a wide array of options for those who are looking to get their works or translations of them published. A large number of publishers of translations ensures that there is the perfect fit for every author.
As a melting pot of many cultures, languages, and dialects, it is only fitting that Indian publishing reflects the same.
