Column | Top books to read in September 2026 for International Translation Day
This column highlights recommended translated literature in honor of International Translation Day, featuring works originally written in Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, and Assamese. The author reflects on the power of translation to bridge cultural gaps and shares personal insights on the selected books.
Why it matters
Literary translation is essential for cross-cultural understanding and preserving the global reach of regional voices and histories.
The first time I encountered a book in translation, I didn’t know that it was, in fact, translated. I didn’t even read it myself, it was read aloud to me by my father. It was a collection of Satyajit Ray’s stories, translated by Gopa Majumdar, and while I had no real understanding that I was listening to stories in a language they had not been written in, I knew there was something different about them. The rhythms were unfamiliar, yet the world seemed somehow both close to mine and entirely new.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in