Voicing the Gritty World of Ana Paula Maia with Padma Viswanathan

In this episode of Harshaneeyam, we explore the stark and haunting landscapes of contemporary Brazilian fiction through the lens of acclaimed writer and translator Padma Viswanathan. Viswanathan’s English translation of Ana Paula Maia’s On Earth as It Is Beneath has garnered international acclaim, securing a spot on the International Booker Prize 2026 longlist. 

The Encounter with Ana Paula Maia

Viswanathan’s journey into Maia’s work began through Charco Press, a publisher dedicated to Latin American literature. Though she had previously read translations of Maia's earlier work, such as Of Cattle and Men, this collaboration allowed her to engage with the author's prose with unprecedented intimacy.

Violence, Landscape, and the "McCarthy" Comparison

Ana Paula Maia is frequently compared to the American novelist Cormac McCarthy, primarily due to the brutal landscapes her characters inhabit. Viswanathan observes that in Maia’s world, violence often feels inevitable, almost provoked by the physical circumstances of the men in her stories. However, she draws a sharp distinction in their linguistic styles:

Tone: While McCarthy often employs a high, biblical rhetorical tone, Maia’s prose is remarkably dry and terse.

Lyricism: Maia’s writing only "lifts off" into lyrical flights when she is describing the landscape.

Humor as Grace: Viswanathan highlights a "sly humor" in Maia’s work that is often overlooked. For the translator, capturing these beats is essential because she views humor as a form of "grace" that Maia affords her characters.

On Earth as It Is Beneath: A Penal Colony Pushed to the Edge

The long listed novel, On Earth as It Is Beneath, follows two central characters: Edgar, a cook, and Bronco Gil, a hunter and "jack of all trades". They find themselves among the last prisoners in a remote penal colony.

The tension of the novel stems from a director who has "gone off the edge," initiating a dangerous and inhumane game where the prisoners are the targets. As communication with the outside world fails and the heat becomes unbearable, the narrative shifts into a harrowing study of isolation and survival.

The Art of the Translator’s Voice

For Viswanathan, translation is not a secondary task but a profound form of writing. She approaches a translation project with the same "awakening of expression" she uses for her own novels.

The Daily Ritual: Viswanathan is a daily writer who dedicates her peak morning hours (7:00 AM to 1:00 PM) to whichever project—writing or translation—is currently on her desk.

Acting through Language: Drawing on her background as a playwright, she views translation as an exercise in inhabiting "other writers' voices". She considers it a privilege and a significant responsibility to render another artist's vision into English.

A Broader Literary Journey

Beyond her work with Brazilian literature, Viswanathan discussed her recent pandemic-era novel, The Charterhouse of Padma (2024), which explores the human "urge to move" and the psychological effects of confinement. She also expressed deep excitement for the upcoming Living Tamil Lit Fest in New York, organized by the iconic Tamil writer Jeyamohan. This festival highlights a burgeoning era for South Asian literature in translation, mirroring the work Viswanathan has done for the Portuguese language.