Second Book in the Epic Tamil Classic Ponniyin Selvan Series Now Available in English by Eka
Westland Books today announced the release of Troubled Waters, the English translation of the second book in the Ponniyin Selvan series. The books, originally authored by Kalki—the pen name of Ramaswamy Krishnamurthy—are being translated by renowned author and translator Nandini Krishnan. The book is published under the Eka Imprint of Westland Books and is available in all offline and online bookstores from today onwards.
Troubled Waters continues the story of political upheaval through the Chozha Empire, and the mystery of the powerful woman Pazhuvoor Ilaiya Rani, Nandini. As conspiracies unravel, the fate of those plotting against Emperor Sundara Chozhar remains uncertain.
This classic from Tamil literature is a read full of adventure, intrigue, conspiracy and romance.
Translator Nandini Krishnan said, ‘Translation is usually tedious, lonely, agonising work. I have rarely enjoyed translating as much as I have with Ponniyin Selvan. Kalki’s felicity with language is a reader’s delight and a translator’s inspiration. To find the right nuance and retain the metre in the Sangam era poems that he reproduces and sometimes alters, and to render equivalents of his alliteration is to be a participant in a joyous duel with the word for a weapon and the original for an opponent. Karthika V.K.’s idea of splitting the series so each book is led by a particular character has made me see the story differently, and also brought out just how clever and complex, yet skilled and ever-entertaining, the narrative is.’
About the Book
A SCINTILLATING NEW TRANSLATION OF THE CLASSIC TAMIL NOVEL.
As the winds of political intrigue and dynastic upheavals blow through the Chozha Empire, it all comes down to one woman—the powerful Pazhuvoor Ilaiya Rani, Nandini. What is the strange power she wields over her influential husband, Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar? Why does the mere mention of her name torment Crown Prince Aditya Karikalan?
And what about our fearless hero, Vallavarayan Vandiyadevan? Does he complete the mission to deliver Aditya Karikalan’s message to Kundavai Piraatti? Does Azhvarkadiyaan Nambi succeed in his quest to meet Nandini? And what fate awaits those who are conspiring against Emperor Sundara Chozhar?
When Ponniyin Selvan was first serialised in Kalki, no one could have imagined the impact it would have on the circulation of the magazine. The novel invented a distinct style, in which slang alternates with erudition, wordplay with euphoric prose and vivid imagery—a style that critics came to call ‘Kalki Tamil’. Today, this pioneering work is considered one of the great classics of Tamil literature.
This unabridged translation of Kalki Krishnamurthy’s masterwork by Nandini Krishnan is at once faithful to the original and accessible to the readers of this day. Carefully crafted in lyrical prose, the Ponniyin Selvan series is the quintessential page-turner: full of adventure, intrigue, conspiracy and romance.