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'Fool Bahadur', the first Magahi novel, translated into English by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K, was launched at the Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival on March 19-21 by Jnanpith Awardee Damodar Mauzo, Prof Rita Kothari, Dr AJ Thomas and Chuden Kabimo in the presence of writers and invitees from several countries.
First published in 1928, 'Fool Bahadur' by Jayanath Pati had been forgotten until recently, while Abhay K was editing The Book of Bihari Literature. It is the first Magahi novel to be translated into English. Published by Penguin Random House India, 'Fool Bahadur' is a delightful novel set in the town of Bihar Sharif in the Nalanda district of Bihar. The plot of the book revolves around the ambitious mukhtar Samlal and how "a nawab, a courtesan, and a circle officer come together in a delightful tryst as each one tries to exploit the other. All the characters and the incidents are manipulated by an unscrupulous mukhtar whose singular focus is to somehow acquire the title of Rai Bahadur," as per Aditi Chakraborty. Abhay K, from Nalanda, Bihar, is a poet, editor, translator, and author of several poetry collections. His poems have appeared in over 100 literary magazines, including Poetry Salzburg Review and Asia Literary Review, among others. His 'Earth Anthem' has been translated into over 150 languages, and his translations of Kalidasa's Meghaduta and Ritusamhara from Sanskrit won him the KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award (2020-21). He received the SAARC Literary Award in 2013 and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, in 2018. His forthcoming book 'Nalanda' will be published by Penguin Random House in 2025. (ANI)
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