ABSTRACT
Bama, one of the most celebrated Dalit writers, has had her works translated into a number of languages, including English. Her autobiographical work Karukku came out in English only a short while after the original in Tamil. According to her, this gave her ‘visibility’ as a writer (2008: 157). In the context of multilingual and multicultural India, translation into English has become very important in bringing the writing of marginalized sections of society to the fore. In fact, translation is now seen as a commercially viable activity and Dalit writing has, in the recent past, become widely read by readers both in India and elsewhere. English translations are more widely read, and therefore more easily available.
