Hyderabad: In the tranquil world of books, Tirupati Kiran, a Tirupati native, finds his truest joy. Living a life immersed in characters, scripts, stories and poems and a penchant for literature, Kiran has translated 100 works till date and is now moving on to setting up his own publishing house, Kathaaprapancham.
As he puts it, “my thoughts were constantly occupied with books, always wondering what to read next.”
An avid admirer of Munshi Premchand, Kiran has translated 100 stories of Premchand into Telugu titled ‘Premchand Kathaavali’, which was released last September. His list of favourite authors range from Guy de Maupassant to Leo Tolstoy; R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao and Mulk Raj Anand to Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Kiran says that reading has been his passion since childhood. “My first story was published in Balamitra when I was in sixth class,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
On his brainchild Kathaaprapancham, he says, “One of the most memorable experiences for me was meeting Nobel laureate Margaret Atwood at the Jaipur Literary Festival. Having the privilege to speak with her for ten minutes left a lasting impact on me. It was this insatiable thirst for literature, combined with such inspiring experiences that eventually led me to start my own publishing house.”
Starting with magazines like ‘Balamitra’, ‘Chandamama’ and ‘Bujjai’, his love for books led him to the world of literature.
“As my passion for literature grew, so did my involvement in the literary community. I regularly participated in major book fairs and literary festivals across the country, where I had the opportunity to interact with renowned writers and publishers. These interactions were more than just networking opportunities, they were moments of inspiration that fuelled my passion for publishing,” Kiran added.
Before diving into the world of publishing, he worked in the film industry as a scriptwriter and associate director.
On his co-publisher and the ‘true backbone of Kathaaprapancham’, Kiran says, “It was during a book fair that I first met Ushapratyusha. From the moment we met, I knew she was someone who shared my deep passion for literature. On that day, Usha bought books worth ₹50,000, a clear testament to her love for reading. She has always believed that fancy things, jewellery or new dresses can never match the happiness that a good book brings. This philosophy resonated deeply within me.”
About his publishing works, Kiran says, “We published nine translated novels in Telugu, and 10 are ready. We intend to bring them to the market by the end of the year.”
His translations have earned him many accolades, including the Sahiti Seva award from Dharmaiaha Foundation.
“We are proud to have secured the translation and publishing rights for prestigious works, including ‘Ret Samadhi’ by Geetanjali Shree, which won the International Booker Prize; ‘Randamoozam’ by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, a Jnanpith awardee, and ‘Road to Abana’ by Lata Gwalani,” said the 39-year-old publisher adding that they were planning to conduct storytelling programmes and book tours across the two Telugu states.
