8. Translation of Selected Himachali Short Stories,
Meenakshi F. Paul,
Indus Publishing Company,
New Delhi

The story, in any culture, closely mirrors the multiple layers of a society's existence. It portrays the complex overtones and subtle rhythms of society and succinctly captures the flow of life in a way that is authentic as well as aesthetic. In Himachal, the short story has a long history tracing its roots to Pauranic tales, myths, legends and an unbroken tradition of rich folk tales. As an aware, conscious medium the short story has often been the chosen genre by writers of Himachal from Yashpal and Chander Dhar Sharma 'Guleri' to the writers currently enriching the genre. There is a corpus of writing in the state that can be forged into a powerful voice of the Himachali short story. Breaking the insulation of the hills these stories are poised to stake a claim in the fiercely proud and confident context of the literary scenario in India today. The present collection is not an anthology but rather a sampling of short stories that brings out the mainsprings of Himachali experience. This volume does not, in any way, attempt to canonize the stories through translation. Further, Indian English has been chosen as the target language simply because of the translator's inadequacy in other languages and the belief that the remnants of hegemonic penumbra surrounding the language can be obliterated with the final severance from English English and furthering Indian Englishes. The translations are impelled by the authenticity of the works, their reach and craft. The stories speak for themselves. Each of them touches upon the kernel of life in the hills and evokes the life rhythms of their people in nuanced tellings. The narratives are simple but deep. Mostly realistic, the stories nevertheless chart new ground in their perspicacity and skilful use of Pahari Hindi.

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