New Delhi: Penguin Random House India (PRHI) has clarified that it is not the publisher of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s forthcoming memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India, amid reports that the publishing house had backed out over disagreements on editorial changes.
In a statement issued on Friday, PRHI said it was neither the publisher of the book in India nor accurate that it had decided against publishing the memoir because Gandhi declined to accept editorial changes.
“Penguin Random House India is not the publisher of Belonging in India. Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish Belonging because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” the company said. The clarification comes weeks after American publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that Gandhi’s memoir would be released on November 10.
The issue gained attention following a report in The Indian Express claiming that PRHI had backed out after Gandhi refused proposed editorial changes to the manuscript.
PRHI, however, said it had remained “willing and keen” to publish the book. It added that fact-checking manuscripts and making editorial recommendations are a normal part of the publishing process.
“Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book,” the company said, adding that it would not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.
The identity of the memoir’s Indian publisher or distributor remains unclear. However, an Amazon listing showed an e-book edition of Belonging available for pre-order at Rs 2,615.
The listing identifies William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins UK, as the publisher of the e-book. The India release of Gandhi’s memoir has been the subject of speculation since Knopf announced the book.
According to Knopf, the 79-year-old Congress leader will recount her life story, including her childhood in post-war Italy, her romance with Rajiv Gandhi and her entry into one of India’s most prominent political families.
The memoir will also cover the death of Rajiv Gandhi, an event that thrust her into public life and politics, as well as her decision to decline the post of prime minister in 2004. Gandhi, who has rarely spoken publicly about her private life, is expected to write about her journey from Italy to India and the personal losses that shaped her life and political career.
The latest clarification comes amid other recent controversies involving Penguin Random House India.
In June, PRHI said it had dropped journalist and author Joe Sacco’s graphic novel on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing “local legal, regulatory, commercial, and market considerations”.
Reports at the time suggested the book’s distribution had been halted over an allegedly inaccurate map. The publisher said no changes were forthcoming from the originating publisher.
PRHI also came under the spotlight in February after saying it had “not printed” former Army Chief General M M Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny. The statement came days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi displayed a hard copy of the book in Parliament.
Penguin Random House India is the Indian subsidiary and operating company of Penguin Random House, the global publishing group.
