Penguin Random House India has acquired the English translation of award-winning writer Satya Vyas’s best-selling Hindi novel Banaras Talkies. First published in Hindi in 2015, its English translation with the same title will release in July 2022. Translated by editor and translator Himadri Agarwal, Banaras Talkies will be released under the Ebury Press imprint. It is currently available for pre-order on all major e-commerce websites.
Pegged as one of India’s best campus novels, Banaras Talkies follows three friends as they navigate undergraduate college life, plan to steal exam papers, struggle to speak to women and forge friendships that will last a lifetime over bad mess food. Readers can soak in the nostalgia of their own campus experience through this book.
The slice-of-life novel captures the struggles, aspirations, and lives of young Indians. Set in one of India’s most vibrant colleges, the Banaras Hindu University, it has been written with the idiomatic flourish that is the hallmark of Banarasi colloquialism.
Talking about the upcoming translation in English, author Satya Vyas says, ‘Banaras Talkies is an award-winning Hindi bestseller. This ‘hostelgic’ fiction has entertained readers in Hindi for years. It’s of immense pride to me that we can now reach out to new readers in English through Penguin Random House.’
Himadri Agarwal, the translator of the book, adds, ‘Translating Banaras Talkies has been a journey of love, laughter, and adventure. I was honoured to translate it, and I can’t wait to see what English readers think of the book.’
Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Executive Editor, Ebury Publishing & Vintage, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Banaras Talkies is a witty novel that takes readers on a laughter-filled ride back to their college corridors, bantering with friends, conspiring to skip classes, the heartbreaks and lucky successes in love, and the ever-looming pressure of having to one day leave college and “get serious about life”.’
Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing & Vintage, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Banaras Talkies by Satya Vyas in Hindi has entertained readers for several years, and I hope that the English translation by Himadri Agarwal receives the same love and adulation. Congratulations to Satya and Himadri. I am proud to publish the book.’
Author Bio:
Satya Vyas is an award-winning author of five bestselling books, including Banaras Talkies, Dilli Durbar and Chaurasi. Born and brought up in Bokaro in Jharkhand, he has H established his identity in audio and screen writing, as well as opened a new path in Hindi writing. The web series Grahan is based on his book Chaurasi. Along with writing, he also takes creative writing classes in various learning apps.
Translator Bio:
Himadri Agarwal is an editor, translator and a reader. She currently works at Yoda Press and will soon be starting an English PhD at the University of Maryland, College Park. When not buried in a book or busy with work, she enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, eating junk food, or doing both things at the same time.
