Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Gets New Publisher After Penguin India Publication Dispute

HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on November 10, following a dispute that led Penguin Random House India to step away from its Indian publication.

The memoir traces Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s journey from post-war Italy to India, her marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and her decades in Indian politics.

Source : ANI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi's memoir
• Penguin Random House withdrew publication over an editorial impasse.
• Memoir chronicles Gandhi's life; releases globally November 10.
• Penguin denied external pressure regarding editorial content changes.

HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love following a controversy over Penguin Random House India’s decision not to release the book in the country.

The memoir is scheduled to be released globally on November 10, with HarperCollins confirming that it will publish the book in India on the same date. The book traces Gandhi’s life from her childhood in post-war Italy to her move to India, marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and decades at the centre of Indian politics.

HarperCollins described Belonging as "one of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time", saying it offers a rare insider’s perspective on India’s journey. The book is expected to weave together Gandhi’s personal experiences and her long association with Indian public life.

Why Penguin India Dropped Out of Publication

The change in publisher comes days after Penguin Random House India said it would not publish the memoir in India. Reports said the two sides had reached an impasse after the publisher sought editorial changes and deletions from part of the manuscript, which Gandhi’s team did not accept.

The controversy emerged after US-based Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that Belonging would be released worldwide on November 10. Penguin India subsequently clarified that it was not the publisher of the book in India.

The development quickly became a political issue, with Congress leaders alleging that Penguin India had sought the removal of passages concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and India-China relations. Those claims have not been confirmed by Penguin India.

Penguin India Denies External Pressure

Penguin Random House India has denied that outside or political pressure played any role in its decision. The publisher said the manuscript went through its normal editorial process, during which several issues were raised and discussed with Gandhi’s representatives.

According to Penguin India, some proposed changes were accepted while, on other points, the publisher accepted the author’s position. However, the discussions eventually reached an impasse over "a particular issue". The publisher declined to disclose what that issue was, citing contractual obligations and author confidentiality.

Penguin India also said it remained keen to publish the memoir and described it as a "hard-won acquisition". It maintained that its editorial review involved assessing the manuscript, asking questions, making recommendations and exercising independent editorial judgment.

What Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Covers

Belonging: A Journey of Love follows Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to her life in India and her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi. It also chronicles her years at the heart of Indian politics and her experiences within the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The memoir is set to arrive as one of the year's most closely watched political books, particularly because of Gandhi’s decades-long presence in Indian public life. HarperCollins said the work combines the personal and political while offering an insider’s account of India’s journey.

With HarperCollins now confirmed as the Indian publisher, the November 10 release of Belonging remains on track despite the publishing dispute that had surrounded its Indian edition.