AWARD WINNING WRITER SHEHAN KARUNATILAKA PUBLISHES SECOND BOOK WITH PENGUIN

New Delhi, 04 December 2019; Penguin Random House India announces the upcoming publication of Commonwealth Book Prize and DSC Prize winning and internationally bestselling author Shehan Karunatilaka’s second novel Chats with the Dead. Acquired by Penguin Random House India, this book will published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint, home to some of the most distinguished titles in literary fiction. Chats with the Dead will be released in January of 2020 along with the 10th anniversary edition of Chinaman, Karunatilaka’s award winning debut.

A classic whodunit with a brilliant twist, this work of fiction is based on renegade war photographer Maali Almeida, who is tasked with solving his own murder. Embroiled in red tape, memories of war, and his own ethical dilemmas and constantly interrupted by the overly chatty dead folks breezing through the afterlife, Almedia struggles to unravel his own death.

Author of the book Shehan Karunatilaka says, ‘Sri Lanka’s always been cursed with great violence. But 1989 was a particularly perfect storm of terrors. The Tigers, The Army, The Indian peacekeepers, The JVP terrorists and State death squads were all killing each other at a prolific rate.1989 was a time of curfews, bombs, assassinations, abductions and mass graves and seemed the perfect setting for a ghost story, a detective tale or a spy thriller. Or so I thought.’

A compulsively readable dark comedy of life, death and everything in between, Chats with the Dead searingly exposes the plight of a country caught in the aftermath of civil war. Its deliciously compelling absurdity holds you in thrall right from the very first page up to its startling denouement, constantly upending its own premise with its staggering humanity.

Manasi Subramaniam, senior commissioning editor and head of literary rights at Penguin Random House India, who acquired the book from David Godwin Associates, says, ‘The almost-hero, forever conflicted, is such a difficult character to manage – and yet Shehan Karunatilaka makes him not just likeable but also someone to root for. It’s a masterful work of modern philosophy that – through all its deft acrobatics through the living and the dead – insists on being uproariously funny.’

Meru Gokhale, Publisher of Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Ten years ago, Shehan Karunatilaka’s debut novel took the world by storm, becoming that rare literary work that was both critically acclaimed and a bestseller. Sri Lanka and the world have changed so much in the decade since then, and in this brilliant new novel, he does it again – it’s a page-turner that chronicles a deadly time in the civil war through the lens of a seemingly unsolvable murder plot’.

Shehan Karunatilaka is a Sri Lankan writer whose first book Chinaman won the Commonwealth Book Prize, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and the Gratiaen Prize, and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.

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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 honours.

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
+91 97118 64445

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE INDIA ACQUIRES THE BOOK PUBLISHING ASSETS OF DUCKBILL

New Delhi, 29 November 2019 : Penguin Random House India has acquired the book-publishing assets of Duckbill Books that includes titles and its backlist of non-fiction and fiction books across a broad range of categories. The Duckbill brand will be published within Penguin Random House India’s children’s publishing group division. Duckbill Books is a leading independent publisher of books and digital products for children and teens

Duckbill is a young and much-awarded publishing house run by Sayoni Basu and Anushka Ravishankar. Established in 2012, it was recently awarded the coveted position of ‘Publisher of the Year 2019’ at the Publishing Next awards. With a close-knit editorial team paying personalised attention, the publishing house has built great brand resonance in children’s publishing and in this time has published some popular titles and series of books. Many of their books have won several national and international awards, including South Asian Book Award, the Crossword Book Award, the Neev Award, the ComicCon Award, Peekabook, the FICCI Publishing Awards and many others. It was also shortlisted for the London Book Fair International Excellence Awards in 2015. Some of their bestselling books are Moin and the Monster by Anushka Ravishankar, Queen of Ice by Devika Rangachari, Timmi in Tangles by Shals Mahajan, Year of the Weeds by Siddhartha Sarma and Akbar and the Tricky Traitor by Natasha Sharma, to name a few.

Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO, Penguin Random House India and SEA, says, ‘We are so excited to bring in Duckbill into the Penguin Random House India family. It is a true value add of an acquisition and we are looking forward to taking the wonderful world of storytelling that Duckbill team has built to a wider audience. Children’s publishing is one of our biggest assets, and as a company we would like to bring in good literary work that establishes new readers, generation after generation.’

This acquisition will further build on Penguin Random House India’s rich collection of books for young readers. As one of the largest English trade publishers, the publishing house releases many diverse and vibrant written works for children from writers such as Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murty, Devdutt Patnaik, (Late) APJ Abdul Kalam, among many other literary giants. The portfolio also includes much-loved international titles namely, Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney and Peppa Pig books. Some of the award-winning titles that Penguin published for children are – Looking for the Rainbow by Ruskin Bond, Muezza and Baby Jaan by Anita Nair, Like Smoke by Paro Anand, Let’s Go Time Travelling by Subhadra Sen Gupta, Faces in the Water by Ranjit Lal, Wisha Wozzariter by Payal Kapadia, A Brush with India Art by Mamta Nainy, to name a few.

This acquisition expands the portfolio of Sohini Mitra, who heads the children and young adult publishing program for Penguin. With this development, Penguin Random House India will have two exclusive imprints to publish books for children— Puffin and Duckbill. Duckbill’s publisher and co-founder Sayoni Basu will come on board the company as Consulting Editor and will continue publishing creative and award-winning works with Sohini and her team.

‘We have had seven exciting years discovering new authors and experimenting with different kinds of books, but we have felt the challenges of being a very small house selling books in a very large world. With Penguin Random House India’s amazing sales and marketing network, we hope Duckbill books will reach many new readers,’ said Anushka Ravishankar, principal platypus, and Sayoni Basu, primary platypus, Duckbill Books.

Sohini Mitra, Associate Publisher, Penguin Random House India, comments, ‘Having been in children’s publishing for over a decade, it is refreshing to see a young publishing house carve a niche for itself in such short time. Through its books, Duckbill has fearlessly addressed many topics that are relevant for this day and age and the recognition that they have received is supremely well deserved. I have always admired Duckbill books and am excited that these will share the same home with us now. We welcome their talented pool of authors, series and titles to our catalogue and look forward to bringing more path-breaking work to the fore.’

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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 RANDOM HOUSE INDIA NAMED PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR AT TATA LIT LIVE 2019

New Delhi, 18 November 2019 : On Sunday, at the concluding ceremony of the tenth edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest, Penguin Random House India bagged the coveted position of Publisher of the year. India’s largest English trade publishing house had previously won this award in 2017.

Penguin Random House India also had the highest number of nominations with seven titles nominated across categories. Of the four categories with nominated titles in the shortlist, the publishing house won in two – Book of the Year (Fiction)- Raj Kamal Jha’s The City And The Sea and Business Book of the Year- Raghunath Mashelkar and Ravi Pandit’s Leapfrogging to Pole-vaulting.

Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO, Penguin Random House India and SEA, says, ‘This has been an exciting year for Penguin Random House India with so many of our books and authors receiving the recognition they truly deserve. In a thriving literary landscape such as ours, it is an honour to be adjudged as the Publisher of The Year and I would like to thank Tata Literature Live! for acknowledging the tenacity and diligence of Team Penguin in discovering and publishing some outstanding written work. We are humbled to be a part of an industry that is committed to enriching the literary culture of our country. It is a responsibility we take very seriously and work toward giving different voices and ideas a befitting platform.’

The award – The publisher of the year – was instituted in 2016 to recognise the efforts of India’s publishers in discovering and nurturing writers. The Literature Live! organizes the annual Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest, Mumbai’s premier international literary festival. Now in its tenth edition, Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest has become immensely popular with participation from over 100 writers, thinkers and performers from all over the world.

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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

New Delhi, 14 October 2019: Penguin Random House India announces the publication of The Panama Papers: The Untold India Story of the Trailblazing Global Offshore Investigation, written by award-winning journalists Ritu Sarin, Jay Mazoomdaar and P. Vaidyanathan Iyer, about ‘the most ambitious media investigation ever’ that shook the world. It will be published under the Vintage imprint, known to bring out some of the world’s most thought-provoking and powerful books from prize-winning authors to brand-new, emerging talent. The book is now available for pre-order on e-commerce websites and will be out in the market in November 2019.

Swati Chopra, senior commissioning editor, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘The Panama Papers investigation represents a singular moment in history when journalists around the world simultaneously broke a story whose impact was felt globally. We are proud to publish the firsthand account of the India story, by the journalists who participated in the investigation.’

For the first time, the three journalists will present their side of the story and narrate the behind-the-scenes drama—exhilarating corroborations, the nerve-wracking wait, a chance discovery here, a red herring there, moments of veiled intimidation—that made the investigation a roller-coaster ride.

Talking about the upcoming book, one of India’s most renowned investigative reporters and Executive Editor at The Indian Express, Ritu Sarin, says, ‘You have read the Panama Papers stories. This book will take you behind-the-scenes into how the collaboration was mounted and what impact the Panama Papers have had’. Ritu is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) for two decades and has participated in most of ICIJ’s global collaborations, including the Panama Papers.

Jay Mazoomdaar, also an investigative reporter, is known for his work on environment and development that has impacted a number of policy decisions at the highest levels. Commenting on what to look out for in this book, he says, ‘The book recounts how the investigation helped governments lift the corporate veil of secrecy, while making a strong case for tax reforms in an increasingly unequal world.’

Readers will be enthralled by the story behind one of the most iconic exposés of our times that is regarded as an epic case study in collaborative journalism. The Panama Papers will talk about the challenges faced by the three journalists and the hurdles they had to cross in the months and days leading up to the global publication D-Day. The authors will also make some startling disclosures exclusively in this book.

P. Vaidyanathan Iyer, Executive Editor at The Indian Express, who writes on political economy and is Edward S. Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, says about the book which he has coauthored, ‘This book will not only give insights into how the grind of long-drawn investigation yields exciting results, but also how this unique global media collaboration changed journalism, and the world’.

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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
+91 97118 64445

Becoming, A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice a Companion to Michelle Obama’s Bestselling Memoir, to be Published on 19th November, 2019

– Featuring an Introduction by the Former U.S. First Lady, the Becoming Journal Is Scheduled for Release This Autumn in More Than 20 Countries Worldwide

Becoming, A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice, a companion to former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama’s critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling memoir, Becoming, will be published on 19th November 2019 by Viking, part of Penguin Random House UK.

Featuring an intimate introduction by Mrs. Obama, the Becoming journal includes more than 150 inspiring questions and quotes that resonate with key themes in Mrs. Obama’s memoir and that are designed to help readers reflect on their personal and family history, their goals, challenges, and dreams, what moves them and brings them hope, and what future they imagine for themselves and their community. Printed on cream writing paper, with a grosgrain ribbon and a foil-stamped cover and removable half-jacket, the journal is a hardback, priced at £15.

Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice will also be published globally this autumn in more than 20 countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Taiwan, and China, with additional territories to be announced in due course.

In writing her memoir, Michelle Obama shared her own extraordinary journey to help create space for others to tell their stories and to give people the courage to discover the power of their own voice. With the journal, she now provides readers with the encouragement to find value in their own personal journeys of becoming.

Writes Mrs. Obama in the Introduction to the Becoming journal, “I hope you’ll use this journal to write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, in all their imperfections, and without judgment…. We don’t have to remember everything. But everything we remember has value.”

Since its publication on November 13, 2018, Mrs. Obama’s memoir Becoming has sold more than 11.5 million units worldwide across print, digital, and audio formats, including 7.5 million units in the U.S. and Canada alone, and has been published in 45 languages. In the UK and Ireland, Becoming has sold 1.2 million copies in all formats.

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ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA:

Michelle Robinson Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Mrs. Obama started her career as an attorney at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack Obama. She later worked in the Chicago mayor’s office, at the University of Chicago, and at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Mrs. Obama also founded the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an organization that prepares young people for careers in public service. She is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir BECOMING, which has sold more than 11.5 million copies around the world, and of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Grown. The Obamas currently live in Washington, DC, and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

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For information contact: Shruti Katoch Dhadwal skatoch@penguinrandomhouse.in

Rights Information: An English-language edition of the Becoming journal will be published in the U.S. and Canada by Crown/Penguin Random House and in the UK and British Commonwealth territories by Viking/Penguin Random House UK; Spanish (Plaza & Janés/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial); German (Goldmann Verlag/Verlagsgruppe Random House); Portuguese-Brazil (Objetiva/Companhia das Letras); Portuguese-Portugal (Objectiva/Penguin Random House Portugal); Simplified Chinese (Penguin Random House China); French (Editions Fayard); Complex Chinese (Business Weekly Group); Danish (Lindhardt og Ringhof); Dutch (Hollands Diep); Finnish (Otava Publishing Company); Italian (Garzanti); Norwegian (Cappelen Damm); Polish (Agora Publishing House); and Swedish (Bokförlaget Forum).

Viking is an imprint of Penguin General Books, part of Penguin Random House UK. Penguin Random House UK is a Penguin Random House Company.

New Delhi, 25 September 2019: Penguin Random House India has acquired the rights to publish two novels written by critically acclaimed and award-winning writer Rahman Abbas. Translated into English from Urdu, these will be released in 2020 under the Vintage imprint, which is known to publish some of the world’s most thought-provoking and powerful books from world class prize-winners to brand new, emerging talent.

Previously published in Urdu in 2011, Khuda Ke Saaye Mein Aankh Micholi was awarded the Maharashtra State Akademi Award for the year. In this book, Rahman, through the protagonist Abdus Salam, a gifted, creative, eccentric person and an atheist, addresses the challenges of living in a society where patriarchy, unscrupulous politicians and religious preachers have been exploiting people in the name of tradition, cultural history, mythology and faith. A master storyteller, Rahman uses humour to explore how religion is used to camouflage social degeneration and provoke communal riots, wars and genocides, and as a means to win elections.

Rohzin, Rahman’s fourth book, was published in 2016, and won India’s highest literary award – the Sahitya Akademi Award – in 2018. Originally written in Urdu, Rohzin is a love story set during the 2005 floods in Mumbai in which readers experience hidden aspects of the ‘city of dreams’. Rahman takes readers on a unique journey across the Mumbai, cleverly drawing it as an intriguing character in the life and love story of two lovers. This national award winning work has also been previously published in German and in addition to this upcoming edition in English, it will soon be coming out in Hindi too.

Commenting on being published by Penguin, Rahman Abbas says, ‘I have lost many things in my life due to my decision to write my novels, exactly as I wanted to write them but fortunately, I have regained a lot without compromising on my writing. The news that my two novels would be published by Penguin-Random House in English has pleased me beyond words. It’s like a dream coming true before my eyes. I’m very thankful to Zafar Anjum of Kitaab and Jayapriya Vasudevan of Jacaranda for having made it possible. I am grateful to Milee Ashwarya of Penguin-Random House who appreciated the literary value of my works and believed in me.’

Rahman Abbas is a major contemporary Indian novelist and writes in Urdu and English. His first novel drew the ire of traditional Islamists and he was accused of spreading obscenity through his work. A case was filed against his book and the trial ran for over ten years, after which Rahman was acquitted in 2016. He has authored seven books including four novels, Nakhalistan Ki Talash (The Search of an Oasis, 2004), Ek Mamnua Muhabbat Ki Kahani (A Forbidden Love Story, 2009), Khuda Ke Saaye Mein Aankh Micholi (Hide and Seek in the Shadow of God, 2011), and Rohzin (The Melancholy of the Soul, 2016).

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing and Vintage Publishing, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘I have known Rahman since the past few years, and have seen him grow as a talented and fearless writer. His ability to write about human emotions and relevant social issues, and weave it beautifully into his stories is unique. I am delighted that he has found the home for his novels in Penguin Random House India and I look forward to publishing him. He is a literary talent to watch out for.’

Zafar Anjum, the agent and the founder of Kitaab (Singapore) says, ‘I met Rahman Abbas during a literary event and was deeply impressed by his humane outlook and global vision–for him, literature is a living experience that connects readers across borders, cultures and languages. He is one of the most exciting writers writing in Urdu today. Kitaab has been privileged to be a part of his novels’ journey in translation. He is a writer the world should read.’

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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
+91 97118 64445

New Delhi, 25 September 2019: Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of popular and much loved illustrator Alicia Souza’s first book. Titled Dearest George, Alicia dedicates the book to her best friend and husband George and shares precious notes from her love story with the readers. The book will be released in January 2020, in time for Valentine’s Day.

In this very special debut, Alicia brings her light-hearted comic style from webpages to book pages in a compilation of comic strips, some old and some new. Fans of her work and readers are in for a treat with Alicia packing the book with not only her stories but also some wonderful surprise such as tear out post cards and stickers. In her instantly recognizable style, Alicia will tell the story of her love life in a love letter that will successfully capture everyday kind of love, making this book a perfect I-love-you, happy-birthday, you-are-a-cutie, I-am-having-a-bad-day-and-I-need-a-hug, happy-valentines-day gift for yourself or anyone you love.

Commenting on her upcoming book, Alicia Souza says, ‘There’s a boy named George who I like. A lot. Maybe a bit too much. I’m avenging revenge for him not being the holding-hands-in-public type and felt I needed to up my ‘how do I get George more awkward’ game. This love-note book is the result. I like you, George. I’m pleased this is a book published by amazing Penguin. Nothing like a physical print copy in, hopefully, rounds of editions (hint hint fellow reader) by a top-notch publisher with great distribution to make sure that George is forever cringing. Ahh! Sweet sound of George cringing.’

Smit Zaveri, assistant editor, Penguin Random House India says, ‘Alicia Souza’s name is synonymous with path-breaking illustrations and comics in the country and my own tryst with her began as an ardent fan and reader of her instantly relatable and adorable work. Going from there to actually publishing her book is a personal dream come true. This is going to be the perfect little book for the gifting season for all the people who loved books such as Little Moments of Love and Adulthood is a Myth. Working with Alicia is such a joyful process and we’re certain it’s going to come through in this beautiful book that’s bound to melt everyone’s hearts.’

Sohini Mitra, associate publisher, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘Alicia Souza is a phenomenal creator and a personal favourite. I admire her creativity and storytelling style and I am confident that readers will enjoy this uniquely packaged and designed book, just as much as the team at Penguin is enjoying working at it. This book will be a delightful addition to our already eclectic selection of books.’

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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
+91 97118 64445

This new cluster will be published from 2021 onward

New Delhi, 25 August 2019; Penguin Random House India announces the acquisition of 12 new titles in English by award-winning and internationally acclaimed writer Taslima Nasrin. Published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint, the first of these books will be released in 2021. Hamish Hamilton is a cutting-edge literary imprint known to publish the most distinguished literary titles.

These titles will range from autobiographical writings to essays, fiction, short stories, and poetry. These new books by Taslima Nasrin will be positioned as one single repository of her works in English language. Readers will have the chance to be enthralled by Nasreen’s distinct writing style that will cover topics close to the author’s beliefs such as secularism, human rights, freedom of expression.

Commenting on the upcoming 12 books, Taslima Nasrin says, ‘This body of work represents my dream of an ideal world. One which is equal in all aspects, whether gender, caste or religion. With these books, I am sharing my thoughts and ideas in different formats – essays, novels, and poems – each focussing on very pertinent social issues, from feminism to humanism, and giving a voice to the voiceless. Breaking away from the stereotypical ways of writing a woman, I have portrayed independent, fearless protagonists who are not chained by patriarchy and misogyny and are champions of women’s rights. It is an honour to be a woman writing in this day and age, removed from fear and bound by the vision of a society that respects women and diversity. Publishing with Penguin is a huge opportunity for me to take my ideas to a wider audience, perhaps even inspire them to build a world that isn’t based on compromises.’ She always raised her voice against exploitation and oppression come hell or high water.

Taslima Nasreen is an award-winning novelist, celebrated memoirist, physician, secular humanist, and human rights defender. She is known for her powerful writing on women’s oppression and unflinching criticism of religion, undeterred and unruffled by forced exile and numerous fatwas demanding her head. Her forty-three books have been translated into thirty different languages.

Taslima is a recipient of multiple international awards, including the Ananda Purashkar from India; the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament; the Kurt Tucholsky Award from Swedish PEN; the Simone de Beauvoir Award and Human Rights Award from the Government of France; Le Prix de l’ Edit de Nantes from the city of Nantes, France; and the Academy award from the Royal Academy of Arts, Science and Literature, Belgium. Taslima addressed gatherings in the European Parliament, National Assembly of France, Sorbonne University, The University of Oxford, Harvard University and Yale University among others. A recipient of fellowships as a research scholar at Harvard and New York universities, she was also a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in the USA in 2009.

Premanka Goswami, senior commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India says, ‘Taslima Nasreen is one of the most fearless voices of our times. Through her writings, she has always envisioned an egalitarian society. We, at Penguin Random House India, published her canonical works earlier. I am excited about twelve new titles by Taslima. I sincerely feel that readers will love these books.’

Ranjana Sengupta, deputy publisher, Penguin Random House India says, ‘Penguin Random House India is extremely proud to be the publishers of twelve new titles by Taslima Nasreen. Taslima is not just an immensely talented writer, but the clarity of her vision records the world with unflinching honesty and compassion.’

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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
+91 97118 64445

New Delhi, 17 August 2019; Upcoming August 19 marks the iconic bestselling writer Sudha Murty’s 69th birthday. Commemorating the prolific author, her body of work and August as the birthday month, Penguin Random House India announced a month long integrated campaign that spotlights her written work and her humanitarian spirit. The pan India campaign was launched on August 15 and will run across online platforms and offline outlets until September 15, 2019.

In line with Sudha Murty’s philanthropist vision, the publishing house is donating her books to community libraries in Delhi. A complete collection of all of her books for adults and children called as The Sudha Murty Library will be donated to five public libraries observing her birthday, August 19. The Community Library Project (TCLP) that is taking reading to all sections of society will receive several sets of The Sudha Murty Library.

Commenting on the addition of The Sudha Murty Library to TCLP’s book collection, founder and director of TCLP and author Mridula Koshy says, ‘We curate our collection with great care and our goal is to build a collection rich in imagination and relevance to our members. Needless to say we already have titles from Sudha Murthy’s collection. But the gift of a complete collection is a boon to our members who once they finish a book they love are quick to ask if there aren’t more like it. So many of the questions posed in her books speak to our members, and this collection will be very much at home on our shelves.’

Michael Creighton, curriculum co-coordinator at TCLP says, ‘Until all children have access to high quality libraries, most will lack meaningful access to books– and without access to books, children cannot gain the fluency required for them to be able to use reading as a tool for thinking. Libraries build thoughtful societies.’

Spokesperson from Penguin Random House India says, ‘The books by Sudha Murty are a must read for children and adults alike. They are timeless yet relevant and are a joyful read for everyone. We are proud to publish her work and fortunate for the opportunity to widen its readership to different parts of the society. Sudha Murty is a literary gem whose work covers a variety of topics which are contextual and relatable. With this gesture, we are hoping more and more readers, young and old, are not only introduced to her written work but also know more about the person behind the writing.’

The integrated campaign also has online and offline legs going to all parts of the country. Retail chain and independent bookstores have come on board to celebrate her birthday month by showcasing all her books and decorating their shops to give prominence to the writer all month long. Penguin Random House India has also created special and exclusive branded collectibles that are available at bookstores. Additionally, social media pages of the publishing house will be buzzing with content related to Sudha Murty and her body of work. People will also get the chance to win these exclusive mementos by participating in contests running online.

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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
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