The Princess and the Political Agent
- eBook release on May 11 2020 -
*
In 1979, Manipuri writer Binodini (born Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi) won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her groundbreaking feminist novel Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi , a work of historical fiction based on
the life of her rebellious aunt, Princess Sanatombi of Manipur.
Now translated into English by Binodini's son L. Somi Roy , The Princess and the Political Agent is out on May 11 .
This poignant novel set in the midst of British Raj tells the love story of Sanatombi and Lt. Col. Henry St. P. Maxwell, the British representative in the subjugated Tibeto-Burman kingdom of
Manipur.
In this novel, Binodini's perspective is from the vanquished by love and war, and the humbling of a small but proud kingdom. The novel's sorrows and empathy sparkle with wit and beauty, as it deftly dissects
the build-up and aftermath of the perfidy of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.
As Janice Pariat rightly mentions, " [Binodini's] stories are known for their strong female protagonists, for straddling traditional Manipuri culture as well as its attempts at modernisation'
Binodini is the supreme stylist of contemporary Manipuri literature and an icon of Manipuri modernism .
Her tale of a forbidden love and ostracism vividly brings to life the court and manners of a little-known Asian kingdom. In doing so, she recovers its extraordinary history, its untold relations with India and
Great Britain, and a forgotten chapter of the British Raj.
" Translating the novel was a series of unlayerings ", says Roy. " From hearing my mother's voice and seeing her style again through her words, memories sparked of family lore, the language and linguistics of a Tibeto-Burman civilization, and insight into the machinations of empire versus kingdom. Finally, I was awed that in the pages before me was a work of world literature ."
The Princess and the Political Agent is available for purchase from Amazon https://amzn.to/2xVRuxa to be read on laptops, tablets and smartphones
EBook Releasing on 11 th May
About the author
M.K. Binodini Devi was a Manipuri writer who wrote under the single name Binodini. She was born as a princess into a palace life. But she bridged the two worlds of ancient royalty and modern life,
transcending the constraints of royalty to live to the full the life of an enlightened commoner - and emerged as the iconic pioneer in the evolution of Manipuri modernism.
Binodini brought a deep humanism and a sense of beauty and aesthetics to all her work. She made her name in the wider world as a novelist and a writer of short stories, essays, plays and screenplays of award-winning films, lyrics, and ballet scripts. But her work spread beyond literature and film, theatre, and dance to sculpture, environmentalism, women's issues, youth, social activism and electoral politics.
Her work garnered accolades beyond Manipur on the national stage and in the international arena.
About the Translator
L. SOMI ROY is a film and media curator, cultural conservationist, and a translator of the works of his mother Binodini. He is the founder of Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation. He is a
promoter of international polo in India.
Penguin Random House India is delighted to announce the release of the eBook 'The Princess and the Political Agent' in its Modern Classics series. It is available on Amazon.
* L. Somi Roy provided this information to e-pao.net
This article was webcasted on May 12 2020.
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