Penguin Random House India (PRHI) will not publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, in India. The Indian Express has learnt this.
According to The Indian Express, PRHI had sought “editorial changes and the removal of certain sections” from the book. However, the authors rejected the request.
Following Penguin India’s exit from the project, HarperCollins may take over the publication of the book in India.
The book was earlier scheduled to be published on November 10. In it, Sonia Gandhi will write about her political journey and her decision not to accept the post of Prime Minister in 2004.
The memoir also covers her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and how her life changed following the assassinations of members of the family.
First print run was to be 1 lakh copies
The book’s US publisher Knopf had earlier said that the first print run would be 1 lakh copies. The Indian Express sent questions to Knopf and Sonia Gandhi’s agent, David Godwin, seeking their response, but neither commented.
Penguin Random House India CEO Gaurav Shrinagesh was also asked about the “changes and removal of sections” sought in Sonia Gandhi’s manuscript. He too was unavailable for comment.
Sonia Gandhi said a lot had already been written about the family
Sonia Gandhi has previously written and edited other books. However, according to people who worked on this book, it is the most personal and detailed account of her life. A statement by Sonia Gandhi was also included in Knopf’s release.
Penguin had earlier been in the news over two books
Earlier this year, PRHI issued a statement saying it had not “printed” former Army chief General MM Naravane’s memoir Four Stars of Destiny. However, Rahul Gandhi had displayed a hard copy of the book in Parliament.
Some excerpts from Naravane’s book were also published in the media. These included his account of the India-China clashes in Galwan and the Agnipath scheme.
