An English Translation of Hindi Author Upendranath Ashk’s 1963 Novel "A Mirror Wandering the City" with Annotated Website
FAIN: FB-57937-15
Anne Daisy Rockwell
University of Chicago (Chicago, IL 60637-5418)
I will complete a translation of the second volume of Hindi author Upendranath Ashk's (1910-1996) novel cycle Girti Divarein (Falling Walls). The volume is entitled Shahar men Ghumta Aina (A Mirror Wandering in the City, 1963). In 425 pages, the novel covers a single day in the protagonist's life, immediately following the final day depicted in volume one. The novel is a rich archive for scholars of South Asian literature and history as well as those of literary modernism. My translation will include a scholarly introduction, maps of old Jalandhar (where the novel is set), and a freely accessible website that includes all the poetry and songs from the text. This will prove a valuable resource for both native speakers and students struggling with the polyglossic aspects of the novel. The website will act both as an appendix that can be freely accessed around the world without adding to printing costs, and an introduction to the rich cultural tapestry of Ashk's literary world.