New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- A reader may travel across several languages before meeting a book's author on a festival stage. The translator who made that encounter possible can still be missing from the conversation. South Asian literary events should treat translation as part of the writing being discussed, with translators invited to explain the decisions through which readers encounter the work.

The 2025 International Booker Prize offered a prominent example of shared recognition. Heart Lamp, written by Banu Mushtaq in Kannada and translated by Deepa Bhasthi, won the prize. That year's £50,000 award was divided equally between author and translator. The arrangement made the translator's contribution visible in the announcement and the m...