Benyamin’s twin novels dealing with the history and politics of West Asia are being translated into English.
‘Al-Arabian Novel Factory’ and ‘Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal’ were noted for their in-depth analyses of the political strains of the West Asian countries, a theme seldom touched upon even by the chroniclers of expatriate lives. Most debates stop at condemnation of mindless bloodletting and rarely go in search of the forces that led to the violence. Benyamin’s works stand out on this count.
The twin novels are a candid-cam approach to lay bare the personal tales shaped by the history and politics of their land. Benyamin said the novels were as inter-linked as two serpents trying to devour each other. A reader would not be finished until she goes through both of them even though they present stories that can be told independently of each other.
Samira Parveen, a radio jockey, is the protagonist of the novels. They are about her life and the lives related to hers. In ‘Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal’, Samira tells her own story. ‘Al-Arabian Novel Factory’ talks about Samira’s life story which was banned in her own country.
Though both novels deal with the same theme, the politics of West Asia is detailed in sharper contours in Samira’s words in ‘Mullappoo Niramulla Pakalukal.’
Both novels have been translated by Indo-American writer Shahnaz Habib. The books will be published by Juggernaut in February 2017.