Kathmandu, Feb. 9 -- "A large populace reads your work only as translations. Don't you think this creates a loss of your original text?" This question was put forth to author Perumal Murugan at the recently-held Jaipur Literature Festival.

Murugan, perhaps accustomed to the query, did not need to pause before he answered in Tamil, "Barely a quarter of the ideas in my head get transferred to paper as I write. So there is a kind of loss inherent in the very act of writing--why should it then come as a surprise during translating?"

"It can also contain the possibility of enhancement. A tightening of structure, erasure of fluff, coat of beauty. I would request you to read the translation as a literary text that is complete in itself. Do not...