In light of current developments, we are following ABRAMS Books’ lead in moving the release schedule for Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure. In consultation with Jeff Kinney, we’ve made the decision to postpone the release until August 4, 2020.

We apologise for any disappointment this may cause on behalf of book retailers, librarians, teachers, parents, and fans – our aim is to fully support all parties for the book’s launch in line with the new release scheduling. Please read Jeff Kinney’s statement below.

“As the coronavirus has swept the globe and has changed almost every aspect of our daily lives, my publisher and I felt that we’d better serve the bookselling community by postponing Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure until it’s more likely that things will have stabilized. We don’t take this decision lightly, as we know it will disappoint many fans. But we’ve decided changing the release date will give us a better chance to support its launch and have the book reach its readership in the way we had intended. We hope that kids and their caregivers will create special memories during this time together and that everyone will come out of this experience smarter, stronger, and ready for the promises of tomorrow.”

Francesca Dow, Managing Director of Penguin Random House Children’s UK, comments:

“At this time, Penguin Random House UK is fully cooperative globally and we support the decision to move the release of Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure.”

Penguin Random House India is set to release a new book, The Dry Fasting Miracle From Deprive to Thrive by the bestselling author and renowned personal lifestyle coach, Luke Coutinho and Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Ali Bin Rashed Al Nuami.

In the olden days, people ate early because there was hardly any light after sunset. Their next meal would only be after sunrise. This practice spread to all religions as a discipline due to its health and spiritual benefits. Today, it is called the dry fasting diet-the most superior form of fasting and cleansing. Replicating it requires abstinence from all food and water for twelve or more hours.

Commenting on the book, Luke Coutinho, a Holistic Lifestyle Coach said ‘I advocate dry fasting and intermittent fasting for the body’s natural healing and regeneration and always will, because not only have I experienced its benefits myself, I have also seen my patients, clients and people all over the world experiencing its miracles. The new, revised and updated version of The Dry Fasting Miracle that I have co-authored with Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Ali Bin Rashed Al Nuaimi is backed by more research and evidence and we are hoping that the book changes the health of every person who reads it.’

In this book, Luke Coutinho and Sheikh Abdul Aziz Nuaimi teach us how Dry Fasting can stimulate the body, help one find the right balance between the ‘elimination phase’ and the ‘building phase’, aid weight loss and avoid a number of diseases. The book is a comprehensive guide on beauty and general well-being and helps you discover the miracle of dry fasting and the route to a new you.

His Highness speaking on the subject, said ‘Fasting is designed to stimulate your ‘mind’, empower your ‘body’ and nourish your ‘soul’. It is an honour for me to co-author and share my reflections on ‘The Dry Fasting Miracle’ with Luke Coutinho. In essence of this book is a miracle for humankind, as it has the ability to transform people into better, healthier versions of themselves. It teaches them to actually live, and not just survive.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury and Vintage and Commissioning Editor of the book remarked ‘Fasting and feasting has been part of not only the Indian tradition but global culture. The Dry Fasting Miracle by Luke Coutinho and Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Ali Bin Rashed Al Nuaimi takes us back to our roots, and explains the benefits of dry fasting and how it promotes good health. Peppered with personal experiences and a simple, easy to follow routine, this book is a perfect gift to discover a new you. I am delighted to publish the book, and I hope many more readers can experience The Dry Fasting Miracle for themselves.’

About the Book

In the olden days, people ate early because there was hardly any light after sunset. Their next meal would only be after sunrise. This practice spread to all religions as a discipline due to its health and spiritual benefits. Today, it is called the dry fasting diet-the most superior form of fasting and cleansing. Replicating it requires abstinence from all food and water for twelve or more hours.

Luke Coutinho and Sheikh Abdul Aziz Nuaimi teach us how this diet can stimulate the body, help one find the right balance between the ‘elimination phase’ and the ‘building phase’, aid weight loss and avoid a number of diseases. From beauty to general well-being, discover the miracle of dry fasting and the route to a new you.

Luke Coutinho is a globally renowned holistic lifestyle coach and award-winning holistic nutritionist. He is the co-author of the bestseller The Great Indian Diet with Shilpa Shetty. Luke was among the GQ 50 Most Influential Young Indians 2018 and the Times Power Men 2018, and received the Elle award for the Best Health Expert of the Year 2018 and Best in the Industry (Nutritionist) by Vogue in 2018. Luke is an adviser and the head of integrative lifestyle and nutrition at Pure Nutrition, which creates pure plant-based formulations and cold-pressed oils. He is also the co-founder of GOQii, a digital healthcare platform that provides personalized coaching.

# # #

New Delhi, 16 March 2020 : On the eve of the first death anniversary of former Union Defence Minister, former Chief Minister of Goa, late Manohar Parrikar, Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of the first biography of the revered politician. Titled An Extraordinary Life: A biography of Manohar Parrikar, written by veteran journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, this book will be published in April 2020 under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House. Ebury Press is one of the country’s most successful imprints dedicated to discovering, publishing and building the best voices in popular fiction and non-fiction. It is now available for pre-order on e-commerce websites.

Pegged as a ‘Zero-to Hero’ story, this is the story of the man who changed the way mainstream India looked at Goa and the political goings-on in India’s smallest state. Manohar Parrikar came from a humble background and rose to become one of the most sought after leaders of Goa, where he undertook the role of chief minister four times. A nuanced and sensitive narration of the life and times of Manohar Parrikar, this book will be an insightful and captivating read, complete with the informed voices of his relatives, friends, foes, bureaucrats and IIT contemporaries. The authors, Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, have written and interviewed the politician many times over the course of their careers, closely followed his rise in politics and witnessed the many battles he had to undergo in his life.

‘Manohar Parrikar was a towering personality, who defined an era in Goa’s politics, after the turbulent 1990s which produced 13 chief ministers in a decade’ says co-author Sadguru Patil. He adds, ‘A four-time Chief Minister and Defence Minister, he had the talent, intellect and the drive to achieve, perhaps even more’.

Commenting on the book, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar says, ‘The biography is in part, a lively scrapbook of his Tom Sawyer-like childhood and youth, as well as a no-holds-barred report card of his subsequent political journey, through the voices of people who knew him, many of them intimately.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing and Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Manohar Parrikar was a popular, astute and grassroots leader of the BJP who served as the Chief Minister of Goa for multiple terms, as well as the Defence Minister of India. An indefatigable and spirted politician, he chose to work until his last days, and left a mark wherever he went. An Extraordinary Life by Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar chronicles the life and impact of Manohar Parrikar in Indian politics’.

About the authors

Sadguru Patil

A popular journalist by-line in the Goa media, Sadguru Patil has been working for leading Marathi newspapers since 1995. He was chief reporter with Dainik Gomantak and is now the Bureau Chief with the Goa edition of Lokmat. He has extensively covered politics and all major political developments in Goa. For ten years now, Sadguru’s incisive weekly political column ‘Saripaat’ has had an avid following. Sadguru has interviewed Manohar Parrikar on at least 20 occasions while he was in different roles: as an Opposition MLA, Opposition Leader, Chief Minister and Defence Minister. Sadguru lives in Panaji.

Mayabhushan Nagvenkar

Known for his irreverence and occasional spells of unemployment, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar has been a journalist for nearly 22 years working out of Mumbai, Delhi and Goa. His by-lines have appeared in Tehelka, Hindustan Times, The Asian Age, Associated Press, BBC, Firstpost, The Guardian, Daily Pioneer, Deccan Herald, Himal, Scroll, etc. He ran a popular blog, Penpricks, which critiqued media reportage in Goa. Currently, he is the Goa correspondent for the Indo-Asian News Service. He has covered politics in Goa extensively for 11 years and currently he lives in Anjuna.

*END*

About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

Three leading medical experts come together to tell you everything you need to know about the global pandemic

New Delhi, 11 March 2020 – Penguin Random House India announces the publication of one of the first books on the infamous Coronavirus. Pegged as a must read, The Coronavirus: What You Need to Know about the Global Pandemic has been written by practising physician and infectious disease specialist Dr. Swapneil Parikh, medical researcher and clinical psychologist Maherra Desai, and Director Medical Research, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre and Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Rajesh M. Parikh. This book will be published under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House. Ebury Press is one of the country’s most successful imprints dedicated to discovering, publishing and building the best voices in popular fiction and non-fiction. It is now available for pre-order on e-commerce websites.

Co-author Dr. Swapneil Parikh says, ‘Either humanity changes its approach to pandemics or pandemics will devastatingly change humanity’. The Coronavirus: What You Need to Know about the Global Pandemic is the first book that addresses the history, evolution, facts and myths around the Covid-19 pandemic. With the world trying to cope with the impact of this new coronavirus, here is a book that will demystify the outbreak and debunk myths that are causing quite a frenzy everywhere. It will tackle conspiracy theories and talk about the economic, political and social fallout of the pandemic. The elusive symptoms of the virus are making it harder to identify and assess the potential threat. Amidst this, correct and expertly led information will be the key to mitigate the problem, and perhaps even clear the air. Commenting on the need for immediate action, co-author Maherra Desai says, ‘The situation we are in was inevitable. We have had multiple unheeded warnings. Are we willing to learn this time around? We are invincible only to the extent of our preparedness.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing & Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘We are currently in the grip of a global pandemic caused by Covid-19, and there is a lot of scattered information floating around leading to fear and panic. What we need most right now is credible information from professionals that can help us understand what Coronavirus is, and how we can prepare and protect ourselves against it. In this timely and useful book, Dr Swapneil Parikh, Maherra Desai, and Dr Rajesh Parikh explain the dos, don’ts, bust the myths, explain the history and evolution of the virus and share insights into what lies ahead for us. This is a must read for everybody.’

Commenting on the upcoming book, co-author of the book Dr. Rajesh M. Parikh says, ‘It has been an incredible experience to work on this book. Getting to know the phenomenal courage and dedication of healthcare workers across the world has made us look with renewed respect at our nursing and paramedical staff. Milee Ashwarya has catalysed this book from conception to completion. Despite being in close proximity to my colleague Maherra Desai and son Swapneil or perhaps because of it, I had not truly appreciated their knowledge and capacity for tireless research and writing until we worked as a team. I like to believe that appreciating health care workers, my co-authors, publisher and the terribly awesome virus, all in less than 3 weeks, is a transformative experience.’

About the authors-

Dr. Swapneil Parikh is a practicing physician in Mumbai and the cofounder of a healthcare start up. His practice focuses on reversing lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity. He is passionate about infectious diseases, medical literature and the future of technology in medicine.

Maherra Desai is a clinical psychologist and medical researcher. She has excelled in academics and psychometrics and is the site manager of clinical research at the Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai. She is passionate about fitness, travel and voluntary social work.

Dr. Rajesh M. Parikh is the Director of Medical Research and Honorary Neuropsychiatrist at the Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai. He trained and taught at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in the U.S. and at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. He has published research in leading international journals and is passionate about poetry, painting, photography, philosophy, linguistics, and aviation. He has cumulatively won over 200 awards in academics and in his diverse activities.

*END*

About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

New Delhi, 6 March 2020: Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of a memoir by Sheela Birnstiel, also known as Ma Anand Sheela. Titled By My Own Rules, this book will be published in the second half of 2020 in English across the country under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House. Ebury Press is one of the country’s most successful imprints dedicated to discovering, publishing and building the best voices in popular fiction and non-fiction.

In this memoir, Sheela Birnstiel will give readers an unwaveringly honest view of her life after Osho. For the first time, she will write about the adventures and experiences of exploring each crossroad she has faced in her life and what she learnt from it. In the 80s, she was the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and managed the Rajneesh commune in Wasco County, Oregon, USA. She was eventually sentenced to four and a half years in prison but was released early. Today, she runs homes for the disabled and elderly in Switzerland. Almost three decades later, she is still in love with Bhagwan and His teachings. From being tried by a Swiss court to an interview with Karan Johar on her grand return to India, she is at times adored by the world and at times vilified. A life embroiled in controversies now a life dedicated to the service of the disadvantaged, Sheela’s story will be a captivating and moving tell all of a courageous woman.

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing & Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Ma Anand Sheela is unconventional, fearless, strong, and spirited. She has had an adventurous and extraordinary life and has always lived it on her own terms. By My Own Rules is her memoir in which she talks about her life and work in Switzerland, her family, her memories of Bhagwan Rajneesh and what continues to drive her to live her dream even today. I am delighted to be publishing By My Own Rules a window into the life of Ma Anand Sheela.’

Expressing her enthusiasm for her upcoming book, Sheela Birnstiel says, ‘It takes a lot of courage for any publishing house to work with someone with my history—for I am no writer; I am simply narrating my life. I believe that experiences are, at times, mightier than literature. And I thank Penguin Random House India for giving me this opportunity. I am certain their team will always have success with leaders like Milee Ashwarya.’

MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

EPIC ADVENTURES AWAIT!
Jeff Kinney’s beloved characters Rowley Jefferson and Greg Heffley are reimagined in an epic quest: Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure, releasing 7th April, 2020

London (February 13th, 2020) – Puffin announced today the forthcoming publication of Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure, a new novel by global bestselling author Jeff Kinney. Publishing on 7th April, 2020, in hardcover, ebook, and audio editions, Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure will be released in 20 countries, including the UK. This will be followed by the publication of the fifteenth title in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series in Autumn 2020.

In Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure, Wimpy Kid’s Rowley Jefferson imagines an adventure story of epic proportions. Readers will join Rowley’s creations, “Roland the Kind” and his best friend, “Garg the Barbarian,” as they leave the safety of their village and embark on a quest to save Roland’s mom from the White Warlock. Will our heroes survive? Wimpy Kid fans will find out as these best friends embark on their first fantasy adventure.

Francesca Dow, Managing Director of Penguin Random House Children’s, says, “We are thrilled to announce the follow-up to Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, from our magnificent bestselling author Jeff Kinney, which is a huge release for Puffin this year. Jeff delighted audiences in 2019 with the introduction of Rowley Jefferson’s hilarious perspective, and we are excited to see this fresh direction extended further in 2020 with a new epic fantasy story. Infused with Jeff’s trademark humour and inventive illustrations, I’m confident that Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure will guarantee laughter from its readers, immersing them into a new world of fun, adventure and imagination, bringing the joy of reading to thousands of children.”

Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure is the follow-up to Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, which was published in April 2019 and follows the undauntedly cheerful Rowley Jefferson as he takes on the role of biographer, recording his best friend Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley’s life story. The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid spin-off book, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid immediately reached #1 in the UK children’s chart and spent 9 weeks at #1 in total. Globally, the book immediately reached #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists, and in every country in which it was published.

Author and Illustrator, Jeffy Kinney, says, “It was incredibly exciting to write a fantasy story from the imagination of Rowley Jefferson and I hope awesome friendly fans around the world have a lot of fun reading it!”

More than 200 million copies of the books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series have been sold globally. Published in 2007, the first book was an instant bestseller and has remained on the New York Times bestseller list since its publication and through the release of the fourteenth book, for more than 694 weeks total. The series is now published in 64 languages and 76 editions.

For more information, contact:
Tania Vian-Smith, Deputy PR Director, TVian-Smith@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk / 0207 139 3058
Sophia Dryden, Senior Publicity Manager, SDryden@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk / 0207 139 3634

Notes To Editors

About Jeff Kinney:

Jeff Kinney is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a six-time Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award winner for Favourite Book for his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Jeff has been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He is also the creator of Poptropica, which was named one of Time’s 50 Best Websites. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives with his wife and two sons in Massachusetts, where they own a bookstore, An Unlikely Story. For more about Wimpy Kid visit https://www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/

About Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has been a permanent fixture high up in the UK Nielsen Bookscan Charts as well as the USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.

More than 200 million copies of the books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series have been sold globally. Published in 2007, the first book was an instant bestseller and has remained on the New York Times bestseller list since its publication and through the release of the fourteenth book, for more than 694 weeks total. The series is now published in 64 languages and 76 editions.

Before the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books were published, stories from the first three books appeared digitally for free on the website www.funbrain.com, where they are still available. Books in the core series by Jeff Kinney include Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2008), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2009), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2010), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (2010), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (2011), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel (2012), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck (2013), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2014), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School (2015), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down (2016), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway (2017), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown (2018) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball (2019). Jeff Kinney has also written and illustrated The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter.

Fans can interact with the brand at www.wimpykidclub.co.uk on Facebook at WimpyKidBooksUK and on the YouTube.com/WimpyKid channel, which has over 7 million views and over 58,000 subscribers.

About Puffin:

In 2020 Puffin is celebrating 80 years of inspiring children to dream big by being a loud proud voice for the power of stories.

Since publishing a series of non-fiction in 1940, Puffin has grown to become one of the most iconic children’s entertainment brands in the world. Publishing stories for children from 0 -12 Puffin is home to famous authors, illustrators and children’s brands including Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Snowman and Diary of a Wimpy Kid to name but a few. Many of these stories live beyond the book and have inspired films, music and games.

Puffin is always on the look-out for new talent and is committed to giving children access to stories, through innovative formats and partnerships; ensuring that the magic of imagination passes from one generation to the next.

Dream big, Read Puffin.

Puffin is an imprint of Penguin Random House, the world’s number one publisher representing a vibrant community of publishing houses marked by unparalleled success.

ESHA DEOL TAKHTANI’S DEBUT BOOK AMMA MIA TO RELEASE IN MARCH 2020

New Delhi, 10 February 2020 : Penguin Random House India announces the publication of Esha Deol Takhtani’s debut book on parenting titled Amma Mia, a hands-on guide to taking control of your baby’s diet and making them love food, will be out in March 2020. The book will be published under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House and is available for pre-order on e-commerce websites. Ebury Press is one of the country’s most successful imprints dedicated to discovering, publishing and building the best voices in popular fiction and non-fiction.

Becoming a new mother can be an exciting, yet overwhelming, time. No matter how prepared you are, there will always be many confusing moments, opinions and a whole lot of drama! And just like any other new mom, Esha Deol Takhtani was faced with many such questions soon after the birth of her two daughters—Radhya and Miraya. In Amma Mia, Esha documents her adventures in motherhood in the hope that it would help other mothers too. Packed with advice, tips, stories, and easy and delicious recipes for toddlers, this is her personal journey of transformation into a mother. Informative and easy-to-follow, it will help new mothers navigate the ups and downs of raising a healthy toddler and make their child fall in love with food.

Debut author Esha Deol Takhtani says, ‘This is my first foray into writing, with a subject that is very close to my heart—parenting. They say becoming a mother is one of the most beautiful experiences a woman goes through, and with the grace of God, I’m glad to have experienced it twice over. Raising my two daughters—Radhya and Miraya—is nothing short of an adventure and through the book I want to share with new mothers the exciting and overwhelming joyride I’ve been on since becoming a first-time mom and all the tears, laughter and drama that comes along with it. This is a book from one mother to another and I hope it acts as a best friend and guide for all new mommies out there. I’m ecstatic to be a part of the Penguin family and have my daughters to thank for turning me into an author as well! Who knows what motherhood will make me do next?’

Gurveen Chadha, senior commissioning editor, Penguin Random House India says, ‘Esha takes you effortlessly through the early years of motherhood based on her experiences as a mother of two daughters. The book is packed with fun tips and tricks and recipes for fresh home-cooked meals that are uncomplicated and easy-to-follow. I’m delighted that Esha will publish this book with us and I’m certain it will come in handy for many expecting and new parents. Give this as a special gift to a friend or enjoy using it in your own kitchen.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing and Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India says, ‘I am delighted and excited about publishing Amma Mia by Esha Deol Takhtani in which she shares her fun, uncomplicated yet hands on style of parenting. This book will be a companion and a handy guide for all new mums.’

Esha Deol Takhtani is an Indian film actor with hits such as Dhoom, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Yuva, No Entry and Dus to her credit. She recently portrayed the role of a chef in the short film Cakewalk which was released globally on the digital platform and has won a cascade of awards worldwide. She has mastered many special renditions in the Odissi repertoire, giving over 100 performances—both solo and in partnership with her younger sister, Ahana. Her depiction of the lovable Sita, wife of Lord Rama, in the ballet Ramayana has charmed audiences the world over. Married to a businessman, Bharat Takhtani, Esha is now a doting mother to two daughters—Radhya and Miraya. Esha has recently ventured into production with her first film which is set to go on floors soon.

*END*

About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

A book for all those who shall die

New Delhi, 3 January 2020 : Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of a book on death by spiritual master and bestselling author, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, titled Death: An Inside Story. In this book, the founder of the Isha Foundation – a non-profit, spiritual organization – is going to demystify death and its many aspects. The book will be published under Penguin’s cutting edge literary imprint on mind, body and spirit, Penguin Ananda, in February 2020 and is currently available for pre-order on e-commerce websites.

Establishing death as the universal and inevitable truth, Sadhguru writes about death in a way that will work for the common reader. This book draws a deep and essential connection between all that he has been sharing through his previous books and his discourses at the Isha Foundation. He takes this opportunity to answer some of the most asked questions of him about death and life thereafter. This book will allow readers to better understand and embrace the ultimate fact of life and allow one to explore the present more efficiently and effectively.

Vaishali Mathur, Editor In Chief- Language Publishing, Penguin Random House India says, ‘It is an absolute honour to be publishing Sadhguru’s most profound book on death which carries the wisdom of his experiences for a deeper life that can shape the way we live. Death is not the end but a continuum. This book is a must read.’

Commenting on the theme of his upcoming book, Sadhguru says, ‘An absolutely inevitable aspect of life is Death, but it still remains largely unaddressed within oneself in most Humans. It is the natural consequence of Death that makes life sparkle brightly. We are alive just for a while but Dead for a very long time.’

Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadhguru is a spiritual master with a difference. Sadhguru’s talks are considered passionate, insightful, logical and unfailingly witty and have earned him the reputation of a speaker and opinion-maker of international renown. His astute and incisive grasp of world affairs, as well as his unerringly scientific approach to human well-being have had a transformative influence at establishments such as the World Bank, House of Lords (UK), the World Presidents’ Organization, to name a few. With a celebratory engagement with life on all levels, Sadhguru’s areas of active involvement encompass fields as diverse as architecture and visual design, poetry and painting, ecology and horticulture, sports and music. He is the designer of several unique buildings and consecrated spaces at the Isha Yoga Center, which is known for its strikingly innovative eco-friendly aesthetics. Sadhguru is also the founder of Isha Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of the individual and the world for the past three decades.

*END*

About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

The publishing house will bring out a new work of fiction by the award-winning author of the Bengal Trilogy

New Delhi, 23 December 2019 : Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of The Start Up Wife by award winning writer Tahmima Anam. Canongate in the UK and Scribner in the US will publish the book simultaneously. In India, it will be published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint, home to some of the most distinguished titles in literary fiction. The Start Up Wife will be released in the spring of 2021.

When high school sweethearts Asha Ray and Cyrus Jones build an algorithm to replace religion, they have no idea they will someday be running WAI, one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. As WAI grows in numbers and influence, their marriage is tested as Asha finds herself increasingly in Cyrus’s shadow. In the meantime, Asha builds a community of female founders among her eccentric officemates at Utopia, the New York incubator where WAI is being developed.

THE STARTUP WIFE takes a sharp, satirical look at marriage, work, and female friendship in the age of peak technology.

Tahmima Anam is an award-winning novelist, short story writer (winner of an O Henry Prize and featured in Best American Short Stories) and Harvard-educated Anthropologist. Her work has been published in Granta, The New York Times, and The Guardian. She is also on the board of ROLI, a music technology startup with offices in New York and London.

Commenting on her upcoming book, the author Tahmima Anam says, ‘This is the feminist rom-com I’ve been waiting my whole life to write – a story about love, invention, and feminist geekdom. I’m thrilled to be reuniting with Meru Gokhale and Penguin Random House for its publication.’

Meru Gokhale, Publisher of Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘‘Tahmima is one of the most energetic writers out there and I am so delighted that we are working together again after her stunning Bengal Trilogy.’

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About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

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MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in

PENGUIN TO PUBLISH THE TRUE STORY OF HAMID ANSARI’S CAPTIVITY AND RELEASE
The story of the return of the Mumbai-based techie, Hamid Ansari, after spending six years in a Pakistani jail

New Delhi, 18 December 2019 : On the one-year anniversary of Hamid Nihal Ansari’s return to India, Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of a book that will narrate his real story of survival and return. Co-written by journalist Geeta Mohan, this untitled true story will be out in next year and will be published under the Ebury Press imprint of Penguin Random House. Ebury Press is one of the country’s most successful imprints dedicated to discovering, publishing and building the best voices in popular fiction and non-fiction.

In this book, Hamid Ansari’s unique and spectacular true story of his love-rescue mission, which turned into a fight for survival, comes to life. Recounting the real life events that led to his release on 18 December 2018, after spending six years in captivity in a Pakistani jail, this tell-all will reveal Hamid’s side of the story—his determination to survive backstabbing and allegations of espionage in a foreign country and his fight to come back to his homeland. This book will also reveal the resilient struggle of a mother who shook three nations—Pakistan, India and Afghanistan—to find her son. Her journey to justice will include the efforts of a formidable team that campaigned for Hamid’s release, such as Zeenat Shehzadi, a Pakistani journalist; Rakhshanda Naz, the legal counsel; Advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwar, her lawyer, who turned the case around for the Ansari family; the civil society and courts of Pakistan, former external affairs minister late Sushma Swaraj; India’s Ministry of External Affairs; and activist and journalist Jatin Desai.

Commenting on the publication of his real-life story, Hamid Ansari says, ‘You will definitely lose if you just sit and cry. This story is not an imagination of a writer or poet, it is my true experience. The life as a prisoner on foreign land. It narrates three stages of struggle and how hard work pays off: mine, my mother’s and family’s, and of the people in Pakistan who came forward to help us.’ Hamid is currently working as a visiting faculty at a junior college in Mumbai and a motivational speaker and working on his way to entrepreneurship.

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing and Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘They say that truth is stranger than fiction. It certainly rings true in the case of Hamid Ansari. Hamid went to Pakistan to rescue his friend got captured and suffered in captivity for six years before returning to India on 18 December 2018. This book that he has written with Geeta Mohan narrates what transpired in Pakistan and how he eventually found his way back home after a long struggle. I am delighted to publish the book, and I hope many more people can read and discover the true story of Hamid Ansari.’

The co-author of the book, Geeta Mohan, says, ‘It was a fascinating experience to write about the fierce strength that so many people showed in ensuring Hamid Ansari is reunited with his family. This is a story of strength, grit and determination that crossed borders. A story that, in humanitarian issues between India and Pakistan, should become the rule and not the exception.’

Geeta Mohan is the Editor, Foreign Affairs, India Today, TV Today Network. A journalist for seventeen years, she worked with other leading English channels of India: Times Now, Headlines Today, NewsX and DD News. Her focus area has been foreign policy and international relations.

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About Penguin Random House India

Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.

Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honors.

Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.

# # #
MEDIA CONTACT-
Pallavi Narayan
pnarayan@penguinrandomhouse.in