Bhubaneswar, Feb. 15: Odia litterateur Sakuntala Baliarsingh has been selected for the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Award for her translation work Kaberi Bhali Jhia Tie.

The 68-year-old writer has translated the original work of the award-winning Tamil novel Oru Kaveriyai Pola by Lakshmi Thiripurasundari.

The book depicts the encounters of an Indian-origin South African girl after she visits her country. Known for its realism and artistic presentation, the novel is touted as one of the most popular novels in modern Indian literature.

"Through the work, I wanted to spread the message that one needs to stick to one's culture and stay rooted. I am overwhelmed as the work is very close to my heart," said the writer. She has translated over 30 books, most of which are classic novels. "My aim is to ensure popular works of prominent authors reaches out to the common man. It is one of the best ways to promote regional literature on a global platform," said the retired principal of Rajdhani College.

She feels that translation holds a lot of importance in today's society. "Translation has been a part of our literature for long. But, since the past decade, it has got a new lease of life with the advent of online reading," said the writer.

At present, she is busy translating the Hindi novel Pehla Girmitiya by Giriraj Kishore. The 1,200-page novel is based on Mahatma Gandhi's life and struggles in South Africa. "The book will be quite helpful for the youngsters in knowing the life of the great leader. I feel that it will also be an important addition to the state's library," she said.

She had also received the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for her translation work Puni Se Pherini.

Her interest in translation grew during her childhood days. "I used to read a lot of English novel. I gradually realised that there were a number of young people around me, who were deprived from reading good books as they could not understand English. That was when I became conscious of the importance of translation," she said.

The writer further said that irrespective of recognition, she would continue her work. "Awards are always special, but my primary aim is to promote the concept of translation among the young readers and writers. No one will remember how many awards I got after I die, but people will remember what I gave to them before leaving the world," she said.

Last year, Odia litterateur Rabindra Praharaj received the award for his Odia translation work of the classic Bengali novel Alaler Gharer Dulal.