Penguin India to forgo publishing Sonia Gandhi's memoir following editorial dispute
2 sources · India
Who reported this
- The Indian Express
- Hindustan Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from India.
Penguin Random House India (PRHI) will not publish the upcoming memoir of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, titled Belonging: a Journey of Love. The decision follows a disagreement over editorial changes and deletions requested by the publisher for a portion of the manuscript, which the author rejected. While the book is scheduled for an international release on November 10 through US based Alfred A Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House, the Indian arm of the publisher has stepped away. HarperCollins is reportedly close to finalizing an agreement to publish and distribute the book in India.
The memoir is described as Gandhi's most personal account, covering her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, and her life within the Nehru Gandhi family. It is expected to address the deaths of Sanjay, Indira, and Rajiv Gandhi, as well as her decision not to become prime minister after the 2004 Lok Sabha election. Knopf announced that the first print run for the title would be 100,000 copies.
This incident follows other disputes involving PRHI. Earlier this year, the publisher stated it had not printed former Army Chief General M M Naravane's memoirs, Four Stars of Destiny, despite a copy being displayed by Rahul Gandhi in Parliament. Additionally, PRHI previously pulled a book by graphic novelist Joe Sacco regarding the Muzaffarnagar riots due to content issues involving a map of India. Representatives for Knopf, Gandhi's agent, and the CEO of Penguin Random House India were unavailable for comment.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center leaning coverage focused on the editorial dispute and the publisher's history of pulling controversial titles.
- Centre-right
- The center-right leaning coverage emphasized the personal and familial aspects of the memoir and included supportive social media comments from Rahul Gandhi.
Sources
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