Annie Ernaux’s ‘Une femme’ Tamil translation wins 8th Romain Rolland Book Prize

The Tamil translation of French author and Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux’s ‘Une femme’ has been awarded the 8th edition of the Romain Rolland Book Prize for Translation, marking a significant moment for Tamil literature and Indo-French cultural exchange.

The announcement was made by the French Institute in India.

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Translated into Tamil by S.R. Kichenamourty and published by Kalachuvadu Publications Pvt. Ltd., the work — titled Oru Penmaniyin Kadhai — stood out for its nuanced portrayal of working-class life and intergenerational relationships.

The recognition reinforces the growing prominence of Tamil translations of global literature and Ernaux’s enduring influence as the 2022 Nobel Prize winner in Literature.

Established in 2017, the Romain Rolland Book Prize honours the finest translation of a French work into any Indian language.

Previous winners include celebrated authors such as Patrick Modiano, Tahar Ben Jelloun, and Kamel Daoud.

Grégor Trumel, Counsellor for Education, Science and Culture at the Embassy of France and Director of the French Institute in India, described the prize as a “symbol of Indo-French friendship.” He noted that Une femme, with its themes of memory and resilience, continues to resonate deeply across cultures, and that this Tamil translation “reminds us that literature has no borders.”

As part of the recognition, Kalachuvadu Publications will be invited to the Paris Book Market in 2026, while translator S.R. Kichenamourty will attend the Festival du Livre de Paris the same year. Both opportunities aim to strengthen cultural ties and encourage more literary exchanges between France and India.

Expressing his gratitude, Kichenamourty said the award was “a great gesture that promotes translation as an effective means of literary exchange between France and India.” He described the process of translating Ernaux’s fragmentary and non-linear narrative as both challenging and rewarding.

This marks the second win for Kalachuvadu Publications and Kichenamourty, who previously received the prize in 2019 for their Tamil translation of Andreï Makine’s La vie d’un homme inconnu.

Publisher Kannan Sundaram said that Kalachuvadu has translated more French works into Tamil than from any other language, underlining the strong cultural link between Tamil and French literary traditions. “Among the French works we’ve translated, Annie Ernaux holds a special place,” he said, adding that the award will further deepen literary collaboration between the two countries.

Annie Ernaux’s ‘Une femme’ is a deeply personal narrative that chronicles her mother’s life, capturing themes of love, social mobility, and generational change. The Tamil edition, Oru Penmaniyin Kadhai, is now available for readers at Higginbothams in Chennai, Focus Bookstore in Pondicherry, and Oxford Bookstore in Delhi.