Releasing nationwide on 19 May 2017

24 April 2017: Puffin India takes pride in announcing the upcoming release of Looking for the Rainbow: My Years with Daddy by India’s bestselling author Ruskin Bond. In this book, Ruskin Bond’s first ever memoir for children, we find Mr Bond extensively reminiscing about the time he spent with his father. Gorgeously illustrated, the charming and poignant prose makes Looking for the Rainbow a collector’s item for anybody touched by Ruskin Bond’s illuminating writing.

Scheduled to release countrywide on the author’s birthday, 19th May, it will be formally launched by the author himself at one of his most visited bookstores in Mussourie, Cambridge Bookstores. Talking about his latest release, Ruskin Bond has remarked, ‘This little book is a tribute to my father who, over a short period of time, did so much to make my life meaningful for me. I wish all the children could have a father like him. I have written about him before, but never at length, and I thought it was time to thank him in the best possible way through a story woven around the events of those two memorable years. Once upon a time, in old New Delhi. . .’

Blurb
At age eight, Ruskin escapes his jail-like boarding school in the hills and goes to live with his father in Delhi. His time in the capital is filled with books, visits to the cinema, music, and walks and conversations with his father—a dream life for a curious and wildly imaginative boy, which turns tragic all too soon. For years, Ruskin Bond has regaled and mesmerized readers with his tales. In Looking for the Rainbow, Bond travels to his past, recalling his favourite adventures (and misadventures) with extraordinary charm, sprinklings of wit, a pinch of poignance and not a trace of bitterness.

What you’re holding, dear reader, is a classic in the making.

About Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond’s first novel, The Room on the Roof, written when he was seventeen, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written a number of novellas, essays, poems and children’s books, many of which have been published by Penguin. He has also written over 500 short stories and articles that have appeared in magazines and anthologies. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1993, the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, and grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Simla. As a young man, he spent four years in the Channel Islands and London. He returned to India in 1955. He now lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his adopted family.

Twenty-Two Publishers to Release Worldwide;
Hilarious New Story Tops Phenomenal 10th Anniversary Year;
Bestselling Author Jeff Kinney to Continue Global Tour

LONDON, 30th March 2017 – More than twenty international publishers will once again publish and release Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Book 12 in the phenomenally successful children’s book series. An all-new original story by bestselling author Jeff Kinney, the book will go on sale in the UK and around the world in November 2017. Readers won’t be able to stop laughing as they join Greg and his family on a holiday trip to remember. To escape the stress of the holidays, the Heffleys decide to get out of town and go to a resort instead of celebrating Christmas at home. But what’s billed as a stress-free vacation becomes a holiday nightmare. As the most anticipated book of the year, tens of millions of fans around the world eagerly await this newest volume.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Book 12, will go on sale for publishing houses in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Turkey, Greece, China, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Catalonia, Romania, Portugal, Hungary, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Taiwan, Israel, and Korea. A new teaser image accompanies this press release.

“I’ve traveled quite a bit over the last few years, and I’ve realized there’s a ton of comedic potential in airplane travel,” says Jeff Kinney. “And when a family like the Heffleys is involved, the possibility of something going hilariously wrong multiplies.”

This new book follows the enormous international acclaim of Book 11, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down, which debuted at the top of bestseller lists around the world and was one of the top-ranked titles of the year. There are now more than 180 million copies of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series in print globally.

“This year marks a very special milestone in this incredibly popular and original superbrand, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the publication of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Very few series indeed have achieved such phenomenal global success, or turned so many children onto books, enticing even the most reluctant of readers,” says Francesca Dow, MD of Penguin Random House Children’s.

“We couldn’t be more excited at Puffin because this will be one of our biggest Wimpy Kid years yet, with a new film release, a brand new Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and in November the publication of the twelfth book in this bestselling series. We are so proud to be part of this international publishing event, as we bring Jeff’s new book to as many readers and fans as possible, around the world, and at the same time”.

Kinney will continue his global tour throughout 2017. He is currently in Italy doing events, and will travel to Amatrice to do a school presentation and hear from students whose lives were impacted by the earthquake. Kinney’s international travels for Book 11, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down, were met with excitement around the globe as Kinney continued on his worldwide tour to meet and greet international readers. Working closely with publishers on more than 20 stops on three continents, Kinney was featured in major media outlets, met thousands of fans at sold-out events, and experienced local cultures.

The fourth annual Wimpy Kid Month begins on 1st April 2017, and is a celebration of reading, writing, and all things Greg Heffley. Beginning with April Fools’ Day and ending with the reveal of the cover of the latest book, people everywhere will celebrate Wimpy Kid’s ability to get kids hooked on reading through events, social media, and much more. On 27th April the cover will be revealed to a live audience of Wimpy Kid fans at Carnegie Hall in New York, and through a webcast that will be presented live worldwide. It will then be available on www.youtube.com/wimpykid

On 18th May, Penguin Random House Children’s, will publish an entirely original movie diary from Jeff Kinney, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter, just in time for the release of the 20th Century Fox film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. Three movies based on the book series have grossed more than $225 million.

For further information please contact:
Sophia Rubie, Publicity Manager, Penguin Random House Children’s,
SRubie@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk or 020 7139 3598

Notes to Editors:

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. Wimpy Kid has been sold in more than 62 editions in 53 languages and appears on bestseller lists around the world. There are now more than 180 million books in the series in print around the globe.

Jeff Kinney has won six Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, two Children’s Choice Book Awards and last year Diary of a Wimpy Kid was voted by schools in the UK as the most popular book in primary schools in the annual What Kids are Reading Awards.

The first-ever theatrical adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid was staged by the prestigious Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company from April to June 2016. It earned rave critical reviews and had sold out shows. Three movies based on the book series have grossed more than $225 million.

Wimpy Wonderland Island on poptropica.com, a virtual world for kids, remains one of the most visited pages on the popular website.

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) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down (2016). Jeff Kinney has also written and illustrated The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary.

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 6 million views and over 32,000 subscribers.

PRESS RELEASE

20th March, 2017: Penguin Random House is thrilled to announce one of the most anticipated releases of 2017, How to be a Bawse by youtube sensation Lilly Singh. Told in Lilly’s signature bold and funny voice, the book is a practical guide to making changes. Each chapter has an anecdote from Lilly to emphasize her point, from her most awkward handshake to her first meeting with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Talking about the book, Lilly said: ‘I am so thrilled to write my first book and share, all in one place what I’ve learned about achieving success and happiness . This journey has taught me to always pick yourself up, not allow anything to stand in your way and that the one secret to achieving your dreams is hardwork.’

Lilly Singh will be in India on a book tour in the second week of April. She will be holding the book events in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi on April 19, 20 and 21 respectively and will be available for media interaction.

The Book

‘From actress, comedian and YouTube sensation Lilly Singh (a.k.a Superwoman) comes the definitive guide to being a BAWSE – a person who exudes confidence, reaches goals, gets hurt efficiently, and smiles genuinely because they’ve fought through it all and made it out the other side.

Told in her hilarious, bold voice that’s inspired over 9 million fans, and using stories from her own life to illustrate her message, Lilly proves that there are no short-cuts to success.

WARNING: This book does not include hopeful thoughts, lucky charms, and cute quotes. That’s because success, happiness and everything else you want in life needs to be fought for – not wished for. In Lilly’s world, there are no escalators. Only stairs.’

About the Author:
Lilly Singh (aka iiSuperwomanii) is a multi-faceted comedian and entertainer. She has found worldwide fame through her comedic and inspirational YouTube videos, amassing 10 million subscribers. She has appeared in the feature films Ice Age: Collision Course and Bad Moms. In March 2017, she will release her debut book HOW TO BE A BAWSE: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life. As a role-model to women and girls around the globe, Singh created her #GirlLove initiative to break the cycle of girl-on-girl hate and encourage positivity amongst each other.

Singh was named to Forbes’ 2016 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list and Fast Company’s Most Creative People 2016. She has appeared on numerous television appearances, including multiple stints on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, ELLE Canada, Seventeen Magazine, Vogue India, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times among others. She has collaborated with Selena Gomez, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jimmy Fallon, Mila Kunis, James Franco and Seth Rogen. Singh starred in and produced her own feature length film, A Trip To Unicorn Island, which premiered on YouTube Red in February 2016. A successful entrepreneur, Singh released her own signature lipstick called BAWSE with Smashbox and has also worked with Coca-Cola.

PRESS RELEASE

Penguin Random House India is thrilled to announce that it will be publishing Vikram Bhatt’s debut novel in April 2017. Titled, A Handful of Sunshine, is an intense romance novel. A fictionalized story inspired by his personal experience the book talks about the choices one makes when love gives second chance. This book is sure to let the readers’ pulses racing.

Author’s Statement: ‘When I think of love, I think of pain and not joy. I know that is not the way it’s supposed to be but it has been that way for me. Love is the most elusive thing I know. Always an arm’s length away, teasing me and asking me to stretch a bit more and grab it. The more I stretched the more it slipped away. Through those many slips comes my book, A Handful of Sunshine.’

Editor’s Statement: ‘It is indeed a pleasure to be working with Vikram. His writing is extremely visual and arresting and forms an immediate connects with the reader.’ says Vaishali Mathur, Executive Editor and Head Rights and Language Publishing.

About the author:
Vikram Bhatt is the grandson of filmmaker Vijay Bhatt, one of the pioneers of the Hindi film industry. His father Pravin Bhatt is the acclaimed director of photography of more than a hundred films in a career spanning more than fifty years.

Vikram has had the good fortune of being under the tutelage of renowned filmmakers, Shekhar Kapur and Mahesh Bhatt. In a career spanning twenty-five years, Vikram has directed more than thirty-five films and written the screenplays of more than fifteen films. Vikram has also produced a number of films and now heads the company Loneranger Productions Pvt. Ltd — a company that specializes in film, television and now also the Web. A Handful of Sunshine is his first book.

PRESS RELEASE

Susan Sandon, Managing Director of Cornerstone and Jason Arthur, Publisher of William Heinemann have acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights (exc. Canada) in Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks. The deal was struck with Suzanne Smith at Knopf, Penguin Random House in New York.

Uncommon Type will be published this October in hardcover, ebook and in audio with Tom Hanks reading. Publication will be simultaneous with Knopf in the US and in addition, rights have already been sold in Canada, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Brazil and the Netherlands.

Uncommon Type features seventeen stories, each in some way involving a different typewriter (Hanks is an avid collector of vintage typewriters and owns over one hundred of them). In the book, there is a story about an immigrant arriving in New York City after his family and life have been torn apart by his country’s civil war; another about a man who bowls a perfect game (and then another, and another) becoming ESPN’s newest celebrity; another about an eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant on the hunt for something larger in America; and another about the junket life of an actor.

“I read a story by Tom in The New Yorker several years ago,” said Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Alfred A. Knopf. , “and was struck by both his remarkable voice and command as a writer. I had hoped there might be more stories in the works. Happily, for readers, it turns out there were.”

Hanks began writing the book in 2015. “In the two years of working on the stories,” said Hanks, “I made movies in New York, Berlin, Budapest, and Atlanta and wrote in all of them. I wrote in hotels during press tours. I wrote on vacation. I wrote on planes, at home, and in the office. When I could actually make a schedule, and keep to it, I wrote in the mornings from 9 to 1.”

Jason Arthur says, “Uncommon Type is uncommonly full of compelling voices and utterly memorable characters. With these astonishingly accomplished, vivid and vital stories, Tom Hanks proves himself to be an exuberant writing talent and an exciting new voice in fiction.”

Susan Sandon says, “We read these wonderful stories with mounting excitement and offered within hours of Suzanne’s submission. This will be a major publication for us this autumn, indeed a major publishing event.”

Notes for editors:
William Heinemann is an imprint of Cornerstone, part of The Random House Group Ltd, a Penguin Random House Company.

Alfred A. Knopf, a flagship imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is a division of Penguin Random House, Inc.

Penguin Random House (http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/) is the world’s most global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, and Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and Brazil; DK worldwide; and Penguin Random House Group Editorial’s Spanish-language companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.

Contact:
For further information please write to PRH_Publicity@penguinrandomhouse.in.

PRESS RELEASE

Penguin India is proud to announce that it will publish Soha Ali Khan’s debut book in 2017.

Titled The Perils of Being Moderately Famous, the book will be a collection of humorous, and sometimes bizarre, stories on her life as a royal princess (her official title is Nawabzadi Soha Ali Khan of Pataudi and Bhopal) and a ‘moderately famous’ celebrity, as she likes to call herself.

SOHA ALI KHAN: ‘If I had a dollar for every person who told me to write a book, I would have umm . . . six dollars. I do love to read and I do that quite well (510 words a minute), so it can’t be much harder to write, right? I also have some time on my hands, as most actors often do (stop sniggering). I can use this time creatively to pen down memories, some insights from what surely must be a life less ordinary. I am a princess after all. Try not to imagine me saying that whilst stamping my feet in a silver sequined dress with a tiara on my head. And as a person of royalty, surely I am entitled to some royalties! But a word of caution—if you are hoping I will reveal the secret behind Kareena’s glowing complexion or how Bhai trains for an action film then, I am afraid you are barking up the wrong book. Although, in its pages there may be a passing reference to some of the idiosyncrasies of the more famous members of my family, the bulk of it, I’m afraid, is about . . . well, me. Just me. Is my life really worth writing about, or more to the point worth you paying to read about? Well, the good news is you’d be right not to wait for the movie.’

EDITOR’S STATEMENT: ‘Having read a few chapters, I can safely say Soha was born to write. She has amassed a huge fan following not only for her movies but also for her witty repartee on Twitter, and her charm and wit continue to shine in this brilliant collection of personal essays where she recounts with self-deprecating humour some of the most poignant moments of her life—from growing up as a modern-day princess to life as a celebrity in the times of social media culture.’—Gurveen Chadha, Commissioning Editor

ABOUT SOHA ALI KHAN: Soha is an Indian film actor who has appeared in movies such as Rang De Basanti, Tum Mile and Go Goa Gone. She studied modern history at Balliol College, Oxford and earned a Masters’ degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

She is the youngest daughter of actor Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the 9th nawab of Pataudi. Both her father and paternal grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, were former captains of the Indian cricket team. Her older brother is Saif Ali Khan and she’s married to actor Kunal Kemmu.

Soha’s most recent release was 31st October, a true story focussing on the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Photo credit: Shivaji Storm Sen

PRESS RELEASE

The Man Who Saved India by Hindol Sengupta

The Man who saved India will be a fresh, detailed and utterly contemporary exploration into the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“Sardar Patel saved India. Period. This is exactly the stark term in which his contribution needs to be understood in India today. But how he saved India is not merely a thing of winning territories. It is far more delicate and intricate than that. Patel illuminates Indian politics with the kind of pragmatic and sensible ideas of nation-building at a time when many of his contemporaries are unable or unwilling to shed the romantic lens. Rarely are his ideas borrowed or copied. He is compellingly original and his rhetoric is perhaps one of the most powerfully indigenous in the freedom struggle. If a second renaissance has to come to India, it is most likely going to come through the ideals and methods of Patel. I am thrilled to be writing about him from ground-up perspective having travelled to all the places that defined his life and decisions. Through this book I want to bring alive Patel and place him right at the heart of everything India is struggling with today.” – Hindol Sengupta.

‘The Man Who Saved India is a definitive biography that must be on every history buff’s reading list.’ Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary

‘Who was Patel? Why was he called the Iron Man of India? What is his unique contribution to the history and formation of the Indian state? The Man Who Saved India will answer all these questions and unravel the personality of one of the greatest men in Indian contemporary history in an engaging and informative way. I am glad that Hindol has chosen Patel as the subject of his next work and I am proud to have this book on our list.’ Milee Ashwarya, Editor-in-Chief, Commercial and Business Books

About the Author:

Hindol Sengupta is an award-winning writer, journalist, public speaker and social entrepreneur. He is the author of seven books. He is the youngest ever, and only Indian, to be nominated for the Hayek Prize given by the Manhattan Institute in memory of the Nobel laureate economist F. A. Hayek. He is the youngest winner of the PSF award for public service which has also been won, among others, by the late Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

He is the founder of the not-for-profit Whypoll Trust. He was invited to present his research on Hinduism and technology at the XXI World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religion. An alumnus of the Australia-India Youth Dialogue (AIYD), he won the 2015 grant to write a people’s history of Indians in Australia and Australians in India. He was part of IdeaMensch’s 2012 list of 33 entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place to live in for his work on ideating India’s first women safety mobile app. He is Editor-at-Large for Fortune India where he writes on the political economy and entrepreneurship

PRESS RELEASE

About the Book:

The book is a riveting, first of its kind historical fiction based on the life, teachings and battles of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and last living guru of the Sikh faith. A poet, philosopher, theologian and legendary warrior, Gobind Singh redefined the landscape of India and transformed its history. This book, the first ever historical fiction written on him, is being published on the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. This is also the first fiction from best-selling non-fiction writer Hindol Sengupta.

“Guru Gobind Singh is one of the most captivating figures of Indian history. The Game of Thrones seems like a petulant skirmish once you start to unravel Sikh history. This book is the beginning of my exploration into this history and I am thrilled to start with Guru Gobind Singh – he is a hero’s hero, an ascetic warrior, a monk king.’ – Hindol Sengupta

‘The Scared Sword is an explosive and unputdownable historical fiction based on the king of kings, and the divinity of the enlightened teacher-Guru Gobind Singh. – Priya Doraswamy, Lotus Lane Literary

‘I am delighted to be publishing The Scared Sword by Hindol Sengupta on the eve of Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary. Hindol is a prolific writer and this will be his first novel in which he will delve into Sikh history through the life of the legendary and brave warrior Guru Gobind Singh.’ Milee Ashwarya, Editor-in-Chief, Commercial and Business Books

About the Author:

Hindol Sengupta is an award-winning writer, journalist, public speaker and social entrepreneur. He is the author of seven books. He is the youngest ever, and only Indian, to be nominated for the Hayek Prize given by the Manhattan Institute in memory of the Nobel laureate economist F. A. Hayek. He is the youngest winner of the PSF award for public service which has also been won, among others, by the late Indian President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

He is the founder of the not-for-profit Whypoll Trust. He was invited to present his research on Hinduism and technology at the XXI World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religion. An alumnus of the Australia-India Youth Dialogue (AIYD), he won the 2015 grant to write a people’s history of Indians in Australia and Australians in India. He was part of IdeaMensch’s 2012 list of 33 entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place to live in for his work on ideating India’s first women safety mobile app. He is Editor-at-Large for Fortune India where he writes on the political economy and entrepreneurship

PRESS RELEASE

Penguin India is happy to announce the acquisition of actor and travel vlogger Shenaz Treasuryvala’s debut book, All He Left Me Was a Recipe—a book of memoiristic essays about all the men who have been a part of, or influenced, her life in some way. From her first kiss to her first breakup and all the awkward moments in-between. It’s a funny, yet deep look at relationships and the bonds we form with people.

SHENAZ TREASURYVALA: ‘The book is a candid and funny collection of pages out of my (very personal) diary, dedicated to the men in my life. The men whose roles have morphed between my best friends, lovers, teachers, fathers, sons and boyfriends. From when I was 3 to this very moment. The men I’ve laughed with, cried with, shared food with, had adventures with, travelled the world with, the men who made me laugh, the men who made me lunch, the men who took me to dinner, the men who later unfriended me on Facebook, those men . . . my men. The recipe reference in the book title (besides being a metaphor for a life lesson) is an actual recipe that each one left me with.

‘I’ve always had stories in me. When I was 10, I used to make grown-ups pay Rs 10, arrange chairs on the terrace of my building and tell them stories. They’d ask me, “Where did you come up with that?” and I would say, “But it really happened!” as they’d stare at me in disbelief. As I got older, I made the kids in my building act my stories out. I still do open mic sessions in New York where I now spend half my time. But I have many stories to tell and it’s time to write them down.

‘So thank you Penguin for giving me this opportunity. But do know that this book is part fact, part fantasy, part fiction, part exaggeration. Don’t ask me which is which. I have no idea myself. I am the girl with the over-active imagination. All I know is that it’s real for me and it happened, either in my head, on the page, in my dreams, in my diary, in life, in a saucepan, oven or microwave.’

EDITOR: ‘This is not your average celebrity memoir—in the best possible way. Shenaz’s debut book is a funny meditation on her hilarious, and at times grief-stricken, encounters with members of the opposite sex. Beginning with her first love at age 3 on a cargo ship, her stories range from funny to heartbreaking to profound. This will be a delightful read.’—Gurveen Chadha, Associate Commissioning Editor

ABOUT SHENAZ: Shenaz is an Indian actress, TV host, writer, and travel vlogger. With her lifelong love of travel, she wrote travel articles for Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Femina. She has served as the host of Culture Shock on the Travel Channel. In 2011, she got a recurring role as Rama Patel on the American soap opera One Life to Live. She has appeared in Bollywood movies like Ishq Vishq and Delhi Belly. During 2015 she was a contributor and occasional panelist on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central in the United States.

She recently made her global Netflix debut with the show Brown Nation, a satire on Indians in New York.

PRESS RELEASE

“Anam’s fluent prose and sharp insights are at their best when the narrative strays . . . into the surreal ways in which faith and love work – and sometimes fail”
NEW YORKER

“A novel of heart, brain, and muscle – the competing pulls of history and love are evoked here with a rare honesty, and great skill”
KAMILA SHAMSIE

The final part of the award-winning Bengal trilogy.

Tahmima Anam’s ‘The Bones of Grace’ is a poignant and heart-rending story of love, loss and longing.

Penguin presents
the extraordinary

The Bones of Grace
by
Tahmima Anam

About the Book:
On the eve of her departure to find the bones of the walking whale—the fossil that provides a missing link in our evolution—Zubaida Haque falls in love with Elijah Strong, a man she meets in a darkened concert hall in Boston. Their connection is immediate and intense, despite their differences: Elijah belongs to a prototypical American family; Zubaida is the adopted daughter of a wealthy Bangladeshi family in Dhaka. When a twist of fate sends her back to her home town, the inevitable force of society compels her to take a very different path: she marries her childhood best friend and settles into a traditional Bangladeshi life.

In a bid to escape familial constraints, she moves to Chittagong to help make a documentary film about the infamous shipbreaking beaches, where ships are destroyed and their parts put up for sale. Here she meets Anwar, a shipbreaker whose story holds a key that unlocks for Zubaida not only the mysteries of her past, but also the possibilities of a new life. In the shadow of a ship being torn down to its bones, Zubaida will make a choice from which she can never turn back.

About the Author:
Tahmima Anam is an anthropologist and novelist. Her debut novel, A Golden Age, won the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book. In 2013, she was named one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. She is a Contributing Opinion Writer for the New York Times and a judge for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she was educated at Mount Holyoke College and Harvard University, and now lives in Hackney, East London.

For more details please write to vtanwar@penguinrandomhouse.in or call Varun at +91-9910201553