Poonachi, or the Story of a Black Goat by Perumal Murugan, translated by N Kalyan Raman, Westland

Wrought by the imagination of a skilful storyteller, this deliberate yet complex story of the animal world is about life and death and all that breathes in between. It is also a commentary on our times, on the unequal hierarchies of caste and colour, and the increasing vulnerability of individuals who choose to speak up rather than submit to the vagaries of an ambitious if incompetent state.

‘Each sentence in [Kalyan] Raman’s supple translation is modest, sculpted and clean, but behind each you sense a fund of deep wisdom about the vagaries of the rains, politics, behavior — human and animal.’ Parul Sehgal in The New York Times

‘…silken translation…’ Supriya Nair in Scroll.in

Shortlisted for:

JCB Prize for literature 2018

The Hindu Literary Prize 2018

Longlisted for:

DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2018

US National Books Foundation Award in Translated Literature category 2020

Translator's Note