Remitha Satheesh translates literary fiction from Tamil and Malayalam into English. Her sessions on the poetry of John Keats (2022), Emily Dickinson (2023), and Kamala Das (2024) at the Emerson Literary Camp in Boone left a deep impression on me.
Remitha’s blog: https://alakananda.wordpress.com/
A few words about your hometown, studies, family, and work?
I am from Nagercoil, near Kanyakumari, a small town nestling below the foothills of the Western Ghats. It is a land steeped in history, myth, and folklore; a land that is a feisty blend of two cultures. A true blue Nagercoilite born and brought up there, I identify with both Tamil and Malayali cultures, and I consider myself fortunate to carry that dual heritage.
I did all my schooling at St.Joseph’s Hr. Secondary School, Nagercoil and graduated in English Language and Literature from Holy Cross College. I hold a Masters from the University of Kerala Institute of English.
I now live in Raleigh, North Carolina, with my husband Satheesh, who works in IT. Our two daughters are established in their careers—one in Marketing and Communications, the other in Cybersecurity—and our son‑in‑law is also in IT. I am a Knowledge Management Analyst in a health insurance company.
How did your literary journey begin?
Words are my first love. I developed a passion for reading at a very young age, cutting my teeth on Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama, and Enid Blyton. From there I progressed to abridged versions of classics and then the real deals – Austen, Brontes, Wilde, Hardy and so on. I grew up in a town that sadly did not have a functioning public library. But my school had a pretty decent collection of books and we also had a well stocked ‘book cupboard’ at home. I read anything and everything I could lay hands on. In the personal bookshelf that lived in my mind, Dickens jostled for shelf space with Sidney Sheldon, Shakespeare and Archie were friendly neighbors, while RK Narayan and Mandrake the Magician had a friendly contest about who would get picked that day. Oh, and did I mention the indomitable Gauls who continue to pick my spirits up to this day. As you can see, my reading was not well-rounded, because I sadly neglected to read much regional literature despite being fortunate enough to handle two Indian languages. This is a regret, for which I am now trying to make amends. My serious foray into Tamil and Malayalam literature started quite late in life (with Jeyamohan’s Sotrukanakku and Kamala Das’ Neermathalam Poothakalam) and I am desperately trying to make up for lost time.
All that love for reading slowly gave me ideas that I could write too and I tried my hand at writing. Literature had become something more than what I simply consumed. I felt I needed to participate too. Gradually, this led me to choose English literature as my chosen field of study.
Who are your favorite Tamil and non-Tamil writers / poets ?
My favorite Tamil writer is undoubtedly Jeyamohan, because of whom my interest in reading Tamil and Malayalam works was not just revived, but was brought back with a burning sense of urgency.
If I were to list out my favorite non-Tamil writers, you are in for a long list – Kamala Das/Madhavikutty, Basheer, MT, and ONV Kurup in Malayalam, and in English, John Keats, Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Marquez, Atwood, Terry Pratchett… some names off the top of my head.
I also enjoy the works of the Bhakti poets across languages.
How did you become interested in translation ?
My interest in translation began with film songs. A couple of friends fell in love with some Tamil and Malayalam songs and asked me to translate some for them. What began as a fun exercise soon sparked an interest in me and I started translating some of my favorite lyrics. I enjoyed doing this a lot, but somehow never thought about translating stories. That came with the growing interest in translating Jeyamohan’s stories and Vishnupuram’s Literary Circle’s robust promotion of translations. So I took baby steps with Jeyamohan and A. Muthulingam’s short stories.
When was your first translated short story published ?
My first translated short story – Devi by Jeyamohan – was published in 2021 in Usawa Literary Magazine.
“Why do I translate?” – what would your answer be to this question ?
To put it simply – for the joy of it. If I were to elaborate, I would say that once I got into serious translation, I found I went deeper into the story as I translated. I read between the lines, heard the unspoken words, caught the nuances, lived several lives, and emerged having ‘got’ the story at different levels. Translating made the story richer for me.
I also feel I am able to share the joy I experienced in a story, with others handicapped by language. There might be things lost in translation, but I was able to carry over something. And I would like to believe that I am making the heartbeat of a story audible in another language.
What are your views on using AI technology in creative work ?
We are heading into unclear and dangerous waters with this question. I would like to consider AI as a tool – a pretty useful one at that. At work, I am compelled to use AI. It definitely makes my hours more productive and significantly cuts down on time and effort. But when it comes to creative writing or translation, I still go the old fashioned way. AI could probably serve as a supporting editor, but things like creativity, intuition, emotional truths, cultural nuances… these I think still are and should remain within the realm of humans. Real art and literature comes from the creator’s lived experience, or the unfettered power of his imagination. I don’t think AI is there yet. Also, where is the joy and the suffering, the agony and the ecstasy that an artist or writer undergoes.
Your interests beyond translation?
Beyond translation, I dabble in poetry and playwriting. I used to do a weekly column for an online portal sometime back, where I wrote on various subjects ranging from culture, history, mythology, humor… It was a period when I was able to produce quite a bit of work. I am also interested in exploring world mythology.
What are your future plans regarding writing ?
I am currently waiting for my collection of translated short stories to be published. And I have started working on my next translation – it is a novella. And somewhere in the midst of all this, I hope to come up with a structured script for a couple of mythological stories I have been playing around with. Stories that are just footnotes in the larger epics, but with characters whose stories deserve to be told.