Book celebrates 100 years of Punjabi short story writing

Neha Saini

Amritsar, November 28

Thirty stories that present a portrait of Punjab and its people while also highlighting the brilliance and rich literary repertoire of Punjab formed the centre of discussion at the Majha House session on the book ‘The Greatest Punjabi Stories Ever Told’. Selected and edited by Renuka Singh and Balbir Madhopuri, the book translates literary gems of Punjabi literature into English, penned by stalwarts of Punjabi literary landscape including Gurbaksh Singh, Nanak Singh, Sant Singh Sekhon, Balwant Gargi, Amrita Pritam, Kulwant Singh Virk, Kartar Singh Duggal, Ajeet Cour and other celebrated names. Introduced by Preeti Gill, founder of Majha House, Madhopuri and Renuka Singh were in conversation with Deepshikha and Rana Gill.

Balbir Madhopuri, whose celebrated autobiography ‘Chhangiya Rukh’ in Punjabi published in 2002 has become a global hit, with English, Polish and Russian translations, said that the book is an attempt to bring to readers of English language, Punjabi stories that helped define the progression of Punjab and Punjabiyat. “The selection of stories was about celebrating 100 years of Punjabi short story writing, the approach was to show progression of language, development of literature and history of Punjab through selected stories that are also celebrated. The book has a collection of stories from varied authors, showing the secular approach of Punjabis in literature,” he said. Renuka Singh said that the three parameters she kept in mind before compiling the book were, “Selective memory, as this book was a trip down the memory lane; aesthetic experience that each story creates for the readers, and author recommendation. We reached out to authors featured in the book, those who are still alive, to check for their favourite stories among their own.”

While Renuka Singh said that the book is not a translation but a trans-creation of celebrated stories, whether it is Baghi Di Dhee, Kung Posh, Mohinder Singh Sarna’s Savage Harvest or Amrita Pritam’s Stench of Kerosene, the challenge to narrate the Punjabi stories in English was real. “We had a tough task of maintaining the essence of the story intact post-translation, though I believe that the deliciousness of Punjabi language was lost in the process.”

Madhopuri, a recipient of Dhahan Punjabi Literature Prize for 2021, said the rich virsa (heritage) of stories in Punjabi must go international. “Therefore, translating them in English and may be other languages will amplify the message.” Renuka Singh, a sociologist who retired as a professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said that the book covers history, politics and social progression of Punjab, while also touching upon relevant contemporary subjects including homosexuality and migration during the pandemic captured by new generation authors.