Mangalore: English Translation of Sail's Konkani Novel 'Hawthan' Released

Picc: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Aug 28: The English translation of the Konkani novel 'Hawthan' by Mahabaleshwar Sail was released at a ceremony held in World Konkani Centre here on Saturday August 27.

The translated version 'The Kiln' by Vidya Pai was released by Taranga Kannada weekly managing editor Sandhya Pai.

In her address, Sandhya Pai said that literature was a reflection of one's experiences, and there are some works that leave a long-lasting impression on the readers.

Director (operations) of Daijiworld and president, Kavita Trust Melvyn Rodrigues introduced the novel and said that it was based on the life and struggles of the potter community. A compelling narrative on the fading art of potttery, the novel raises some of the concerns of the community and its struggle for survival in the wake of modernisation, he said.

Author Sail said that he researched on the community for three years which stirred him to writing the novel. His experiences of interacting with them formed the base of his novel, he said, adding that for any author, his or her experiences are the raw materials that give shape to literature.

Sail was awarded the Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar in 2010 for 'Hawthan'.

Konkani film 'Palthadcho Manis' based on a story by Mahabaleshwar Sail, which had won Toronto Film Festival's Critics Award last year, was screened on the occasion.