Subscriber
Hyphen Issue 01 is an anthology of fiction and nonfiction featuring work in seven languages by 17 writers and 11 translators, with Marathi as the Language in Focus. The volume brings together the known and the unknown, emerging and established voices, alongside writing that is both time-tested and experimental. Across genres and languages, these works investigate the human mind, explore diverse cultural contexts, and reflect on the ways in which we seek meaning, connection, and resolution. A translation-focused literary journal or publishing initiative can be much more than a platform for moving texts between languages. When it approaches translation as a deeply human encounter, its role extends beyond the circulation of books. It creates the conditions for listening across linguistic and cultural boundaries, fostering dialogue, empathy, and a richer understanding of one another.
A Note from the Hyphen Desk
Our choice for this week is The Postman by Benyamin, uncovering the deeply human and often enigmatic dimensions of existence, and A Diamond if Forever by Pradnya Daya Pawar, which reveals how caste and patriarchy operate within everyday relationships.
A triumph for Indian literary diversity, connecting readers to voices that have long awaited translation.
Namita Gokhale
Author
India’s true essence, reflected in its varied landscapes and languages, finds its voice in the literature of its people. The time has come to share these voices with the world. Hyphen has taken up this task with vision, and I believe this pioneering work will bear lasting fruit.
Perumal Murugan
Author
A project that will not only broaden the reach of important writers but will invigorate world literature itself. This is exactly what readers need.
Christopher Merril
Translator
In a time when a lot of languages and texts are becoming available in English, there is always a danger of them getting flattened out into a universalised 'esperanto' English. So it would be a very important task for a journal like Hyphen to maintain a distinctiveness of the languages in which the texts are written.
Tejaswini Niranjana
Translator
