Welcome to the Official Website of Dr. Vanamala Viswanatha
Former Professor of English Studies · Bilingual Scholar · Literary Translator ·
Vanamala Viswanatha
Dr. Vanamala Viswanatha is an award-winning literary translator and reputed bilingual scholar. As a professor of English Studies based in Bengaluru, she taught English at premier institutions such as Indian Institute of Science, Regional Institute of English, Bangalore University, and Azim Premji University, in the last forty years.
Literary Translations
Dr. Vanamala’s translation work spans modern fiction, devotional poetry, medieval epics, and early Indian novels.
- Bride in the Hills (Penguin, 2024)
- Indira Bai (OUP, 2019)
- The Life of Harishchandra (Harvard University Press, 2017)
- Breaking Ties (Macmillan, 2001)
- When Stone Melts (Sahitya Akademi, 2004)
- Haavina Donku (2002)
BooksBride in the Hills
Bride in the Hills is the long-awaited English translation of Kuvempu’s literary masterpiece, Malegalalli Madumagalu (originally published in 1967). A classic of Kannada literature, this panoramic novel offers a rich, immersive view of life in the Malnad hills of Karnataka in early 20th-century India.
Vanamala Viswanatha’s translation makes this epic novel accessible for the first time to English readers, capturing its lyrical intensity, philosophical undertones, and social complexity with remarkable fidelity and sensitivity.
Creative works
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Praise & Reviews
“A faithful and lyrical rendering of a towering novel. Viswanatha gives English readers the gift of Kuvempu’s hills, heritage, and humanity.”
“A deeply researched and brilliantly executed translation. It belongs on every shelf of Indian literature in English.”
Things you need to know
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RAGHVANKA The Life Of Harishchandra
The Life of Harishchandra: A Story in Song is the first complete English translation of Raghavanka’s 13th-century Kannada epic, Harishchandra Kavya. This powerful narrative retells the ancient legend of King Harishchandra—a ruler who sacrifices everything in pursuit of truth and righteousness—with lyrical force, emotional depth, and dramatic tension.
A Landmark Translation of a Medieval Kannada Classic
By Raghavanka · Translated by Dr. Vanamala Viswanatha
Published by Harvard University Press | 2017
My awards
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