Kannada translation of The Alchemist released as 'Rasavadi'

Mangaluru, May 2: The fictional journey of a shepherd boy Santiago in search of his treasure, immortalized in the international bestseller ‘The Alchemist’ – will have more readers in the coming days with the release of its translation into a Kannada novel ‘Rasavadi’.

The Kannada translation of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist – ‘Rasavadi’ by Abdul Raheem Teekay – was released at a book release programme here on Saturday. The Kannada novel was published by Salma Bava Foundation.

Originally written in Portuguese by Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist is one of the best-selling books in history, with over 56 million copies sold worldwide in over 60 different languages.

Speaking after releasing the book on Saturday, novelist and writer Na D’Souza said that the translation ‘Rasavadi’ was a wonderful literary work, which enriched the field of Kannada literature. “A translation work becomes worthy only when it reflects the beauty of the language without interrupting the flow of the story. Today, we have forgotten how to become immersed in the pages of a book. This book is a solution to the problem,” he said.

He said that the original novel penned by Paulo Coelho narrated a simple story in a very compelling way. Although the story of fulfilling one’s destiny has been written from various different perspectives, the book by Paulo Coelho cannot be ignored. Written in the form of a travelogue with the involvement of folklore and social and political layout, reading the novel is an experience on its own – it widens the imagination of the reader and touches the soul, he said.

In a world where children are losing their capability of having goals and pursuing them, the book should inspire them to follow their dream, he pointed.

Speaking on the occasion, author Abdul Raheem Teekay said that he considered penning the translated version as ‘Maktub’ (meant to be). It is based on the secret of life that even a common man has to ability to achieve anything, he said, stating that he was got his inspiration to translate such a well-known literary work while interacting with underprivileged kids, whom he wanted to inspire to dream.

In his introductory speech, Umar Teekay said that the original book ‘The Alchemist’ had set a Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author. Being both Fiction and Philosophy, the book is about following your dream. “The main essence is that you will not be self-satisfied until you follow your inner voice,” he said.

Senior Kannada writer Sara Aboobakar presided over the programme. Kannada poet and litterateur Vasanthkumar Perla, Hampi University former vice chancellor Prof Vivek Rai, former education minister B A Moideen, Kannada writer A Ishwarayya, Abdul Khader Kukkady, Dr Teekay Mohammed and several others were present on the occasion.