The Politics of Translating Indian Regional Literature into English: Power Representation, and Cultural Hierarchies in Literary Translation

Abstract

This paper examines the complex political dynamics underlying the translation of Indian regional literature into English, analyzing how power structures, cultural hierarchies, and market forces shape both the selection and representation of regional texts in the global literary marketplace. Through a theoretical framework drawing from postcolonial translation studies and cultural sociology, this analysis reveals how English translations of Indian regional literature navigate tensions between cultural authenticity and commercial viability, often reinforcing existing linguistic hierarchies while simultaneously providing global visibility for marginalized voices. The study demonstrates that translation politics in this context involve multiple stakeholders—publishers, translators, critics, and readers—whose competing interests shape which stories are told and how they are represented to English-speaking audiences. The implications extend beyond literary studies to broader questions of cultural representation, linguistic diversity, and postcolonial power dynamics in the contemporary global literary ecosystem.