Interview with Ashok K Banker

“The writer in me disappears once the story begins”

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says Ashok K Banker, an Anglo-Indian from a Christian family, who has been instrumental in reviving the readers’ interest in Hindu mythology and Vedic literature. What drives this talented author to these legends...how he adds the zing to all these texts...finds out Varsha Verma.Ashok K Banker is an internationally acclaimed author of mixed-race based in Mumbai. His Epic India Library is a lifetime writing plan that aims to retell all the major myths, legends and history of the Indian sub-continent in an interlinked cycle of over 100 volumes. This includes The Ramayana series, Krishna Coriolis, The Mahabharata series, the contemporary Kali Rising thriller series and other works. His books have sold over 1.85 million copies in 13 languages and 58 countries worldwide. No wonder he is credited with the resurgence of mythology in Indian publishing.

On mythology as his muse...

Ashok K Banker

“As a non-Hindu, I had no knowledge or experience of these stories or mythology. Though there were Amar Chitra Comics and TV serials, they could not amuse me. When I chanced upon the puranic texts as a young boy, I was amazed at the depth and detail and beauty of the original stories. It amazed me that those original tales were almost unknown to even Hindus today. For instance, I have met not even a handful of people in my lifetime who have read the original Valmiki Ramayana (even in translation) or the original Vyasa Mahabharata. Everyone believes they know these epics because they’ve watched Bollywood films or read comics or watched those TV serials, but that’s just a tip of the iceberg. The original epics are great works of world literature. Whether they were mythology or history or something else is for others to decide. To me, these were great stories that deserved to be known by the whole world. I waited almost thirty five years for someone to retell them or even just tell them in all their glorious detail but Indian English writers seemed to be only interested in writing about themselves, their love lives, their marriages...they still are, I guess. So I took the plunge, an Anglo-Indian from a Christian family, and did my best attempt to reclaim these great stories. If I succeeded in any small way, it’s not because I’m talented or a good writer, because I’m neither. It’s because these stories are great stories,” says the mythological writer Ashok.

Quoting an example of his eight-volume Ramayana series...

Everyone says they know the Ramayana. Few do. “When I began reading and gathering insights into the various Ramayana versions, I found that Muslims in Malaysia have their own version, so do people across Asia, even the rest of the world. There are probably more Sanskrit Ramayana scholars in Scandinavia than in Delhi! And more scholars and historians interested in Vedic culture in Russia and Middle Eastern Europe than in Benaras! But in India, people dismiss it as a simple tale of Good versus Evil. Or they use it as a whipping post to project their own insecurities and prejudices. The truth is, that was another age, another era. Were men chauvinistic then? Yes, of course they were. These stories were all written only by celibate men living alone in deep forests – they had no inkling of a woman’s mind or point of view. So definitely these tales are chauvinistic, brahmanically biased, North Indian. As someone of mixed race, mixed culture, with Sri Lankan British parentage, I was fascinated by how worked up people got even today when arguing the merits and demerits of what Rama or Sita or Ravana did or didn’t do in that distant past. Like, get real, people. They did what they did. They lived, they loved, they fought, they died. Deal with it. Move on with your lives! People take it so personally. Why? I think it’s guilt. Brahmanical Hindu guilt because they regard Rama as a God yet can’t accept the fact that he banished Sita. It’s a myth that Gods are perfect. Mythology tells us over and over again that even Gods were not perfect. Just because you consider someone a God, doesn’t mean he lived up to your expectations perfectly. My interest was in the core story, not in all this irrelevant claptrap. I just told the story, as someone with my mixed background and cultural upbringing would have, in my polyglot makapao Byculla Boy Anglo-desi style. The fact that someone actually saw fit to publish it, and well over a million readers (and counting) loved it so much, is amazing. It still remains my bestselling work, with the ebook editions now outselling the print editions ten to one, because new readers are discovering it every day,” tells Ashok proudly.

What more?

“I am more than halfway, almost two-thirds of the way through my retellings of the major myths, legends and itihasa of the Indian sub-continent. When complete they will all form the Epic India Library, a massive story cycle with interconnected volumes and series. I plan to finish this project in another two to three years and will then move on to writing more personal novels, mainly romances and serious contemporary fiction since those are my two personal interests,” he shares.

The newbie...

More recently, Ashok has released EPIC LOVE STORIES – of Shakuntala and Dushyanta- the love story that gave birth to a nation, Ganga and Shantanu - a love story written on water, Satyavati and Shantanu - a love story made possible by a son’s sacrifice, Amba And Bhishma - a love story that was never meant to be, Devayani, Sharmishtha And Yayati- a love triangle that changed a dynasty. On asking about the response so far, Ashok replied, “The response has been terrific. I believe in a direct line from reader to writer. Anyone can write to me anytime and I always reply. Almost 43,000 readers (out of about 2 million readers total) have written to me and I’ve answered immediately, even corresponding with several for decades. So I have this wonderful sample of readers who help me gauge if a book is being enjoyed or not. The Love Stories are a great concept, they feel. The lovely illustrations by Kunal Kundu and beautifully designed covers by Gunjan Ahlawat play a big role in that, I feel. It’s one of the few covers where I was invited to give input into the concept and I feel very happy with the results. In future titles in the series, I plan to include lesser known stories that readers are less familiar with and I think everyone of all ages can read and enjoy these books.”

What he wants to achieve by writing...

“I want to do justice to the story. The writer should disappear once the story begins: only his voice should remain. I alter my style, syntax, vocabulary, grammar, narrative devices, everything according to the story I’m telling. If you read my Krishna Coriolis, Ramayana Series, Mahabharata, Vertigo, Blood Red Sari, you’ll see they’re all in completely different narrative styles. The story decides how it should be told and the writer must serve the story. I’m irrelevant except to offer my voice, my mind, my very limited and poor skills, to work in the service of the story. I’m just the cobbler who works the leather, not the creator of the hide, nor the maker of the thread, nor the tools or implements...merely the cobbler,” says the humble Ashok.

Hardest part of writing...

“...the preparation, research, thinking, planning, ideating, gestating. It takes my anywhere from ten to thirty plus years to get ready to write a book. It involves a lifestyle change: If you don’t live, breathe, eat, sleep, drink writing everyday you’re only a businessman not a writer. Once it’s in your blood and you do it because you love, it’s like breathing. The actual act of writing is the easiest, most enjoyable part and barely takes any time. If it’s not, then you need to change your profession,” advises Ashok.

Advice to young author...

“Read, Read, Read. Write. In that proportion. Read at least a thousand books for every one you write. Don’t offer everything you write for publication. Be willing to throw away entire novels, even good ones, if you’re not totally happy with them. If you’re not writing better than other writers you read, you’re not ready to be published yet. Work at it. You never become a good author: your entire lifetime is a journey towards that goal. Even after 40 published books, I still feel like I’m learning how to do it all over again with each book. I still get a thrill out of it. I still love it madly. Forget the money, forget fame, forget the PR and the publicity game. It’s all about the writing and that only comes from the heart, the soul, the gut,” he advises.

Unwinding facts...

“Writing is my hobby. Being a husband, a father, a caregiver to my companion Willow, those are my real jobs. I unwind by writing, by reading...and by going to the gym which I really enjoy,” he says.

On a concluding note...

“Be well, read lots of good books (not just mine) and be kind to as many people as you can. Because good people make good readers and good writers,” concludes Ashok.

The Shiva Trilogy wins!

Some attribute his success to the fast paced story line, others attribute it to the philosophy attraction in the book, while a few others think it is all about the marketing of the book, but Amish Tripathi believes that it is the blessing of the Lord Shiva! Here, Varsha Verma finds out more about the secret to his success story.Amish Tripathi, better known for his Shiva Trilogy - The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras, which has become the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing, with 1.7 million copies in print and over Rs 40 crore in sales. More recently, he made the headlines for bagging Rs 5 crore as advance for his next series of books from Westland. What made this banker-turned-full-time author a household name, finds out Varsha Verma in conversation with Amish Tripathi.

A modest beginning…

“Since I do not belong to a well-to-do family, I started writing alongwith my job as a banker. The first book – The Immortals of Meluha – took me 5 years to write,” shares Amish. Interestingly, the manuscript was rejected by several publishers and Amish had no choice than to publish it himself, in association with his agent Anuj, who happened to start his own publishing unit at that time. “The primary challenge was to how to get noticed – people were not willing to try a new author and a new publisher. So, we came up with innovative marketing ideas. We were the first ones to distribute the first chapter of our book free of cost to the prospective readers – never been done before in the book publishing industry. We also came up with a trailer for our first book and we were very active on the social media space,” shared Amish.

“The market initiatives were expensive. But, since we are a double-income family, we decided to invest money with the assumption that we might not recover our cost. But, we got an overwhelming response for the first book itself, ” he added.

From banker to a full-time author… 

“After my second book, my wife Preeti Vyas and my elder brother Anish Tripathi encouraged me to become a full-time author as my royalty income was much more than the salary I was earning at that time. Though I wanted to continue my job, it was exhausting and I decided to pursue writing as my career. And I would say that I am a lucky guy to have an opportunity to make living out of my passion,” shared Amish.

Secret to success…

Though different people have different analysis for the success of these books, Amish strongly believes that it is the blessing of Lord Shiva. “A few analysts say that the series has been successful because of the fast-paced story line, while a few others feel that the philosophy in the book was a major attraction and a few others believe that it is all due to good marketing. But, I know this is the blessings of Lord Shiva,” he added.

From books to films…

The book The Immortals of Meluha is now being adapted for a film by Dharma Productions. “I am the creative consultant of the team but I am not involved in the writing of the film script. But, I believe that since they are equally passionate about the subject, the film should come out well,” told Amish.

Writer’s viewpoint…

Amish strongly believes that one cannot be a good writer unless he is a good reader. An avid reader himself, he is currently reading the translated version of Valmiki’s Ramayana.

On asking about what Amish wants to achieve while writing, he replied, “My only aim is to be true to the story and it has worked.”

And what’s the hardest part of writing a book? “When the character in the book suffers or dies, the author suffers too – those are not imaginary characters, they are real for an author. I remember when the first character in my book died, I wept like a baby,” shared Amish.

Message to readers…

Since there are numerous choices for entertainment, Amish feels that a book is a different experience than a movie. “For example, a movie is a short-term relationship (2-3 hours) while a book stays with you for a week or two. Though each form of entertainment has its own joy, the book has its own importance,” he told.

What next?

“Though I have not decided on the subject of my next series, but one thing I am sure is that it would be in the space of mythology and history,” concluded Amish.

Interview with Pritish Nndy

“Writing is the magic of reaching out to unknown, often unseen people and sharing your most private thoughts with them”

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says Pritish Nandy, an icon in poetry, journalism and film industry in conversation with Varsha Verma of All About Book Publishing.

Pritish Nandy, the man who redefined Indian poetry is a man with various feathers in his cap. He is one of India’s most celebrated names, whose books, record albums, readings drew an iconic following and won him the Padma Shri and the EM Forster Literary Award. Alongside being a famous and award-winning journalist and editor, he is also well remembered as the host of India’s first signature TV show, The Pritish Nandy Show. The show also helped launch Pritish Nandy Communication, a company that has made over 25 films in the past decade, including Kante, Chameli, Jhankar Beats, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Pyar ke Side Effects.
More recently, Pritish Nandy launched his new book Stuck on 1/Forty. Here, Pritish Nandy tells more about his new book and his varied experiences, in an exclusive interview with All About Book Publishing.

Varsha: Tell us something about your new book Stuck on 1/Forty?

Pritish Nandy: You can call it a book of poems if you want. You can call it notes to oneself, a quick look at the mirror. You can call it a conversation that I hope will be picked up across different media to create a new insight into the poetry of our times. It can be read, looked at, experienced. It can be shared across platforms, disseminated. It can be a dialogue with oneself. It all depends on how you find your own response to the book, to the work. I believe the nature of poetry is itself undergoing change today. Like everything else, it is becoming visual and interactive.


Varsha: Who would be the target audience for your new book?

Pritish Nandy: Anybody who loves any kind of new writing is its target audience, but especially those who love to read stuff that can touch their lives and change it. Young people would be the obvious answer. But that is not exactly true. Because lovers of traditional poetry and literature can also enjoy these poems, savour them, dip into them at will. This is about the magic of rediscovering the power of words. You can read the poems here in a way you want to. If you like them, you will keep going back to them and find new things out there. These are poems you can share with others or savour in absolute solitude.

Varsha: As a writer, what do you aim to achieve when you start writing?

Pritish Nandy: As a writer I have only one purpose: to push back boundaries of the literary experience and bring more readers into the fold. The audiovisual experience is drawing away everyone today and the only way literature and poetry can survive is by enriching the experience through greater sensory power. You cannot expect the iambic pentameter or the classic sonnet to impress readers today. You have to find new formats, new interactive experiences. You have to uncover the veil and look in. You will find poetry is as much a sensual experience as a song or a movie. That is how it was always meant to be; way beyond the pedantic and the purely literary that we have reduced it to.

Varsha: When did you "know" you wanted to write professionally?

Pritish Nandy: I wrote and published my first serious bit of writing in The Statesman, Calcutta when I was 13. At 16, I wrote my first book of poems. It was published when I was 17 and I have never looked back. I wrote over forty books before I left Calcutta and came to Mumbai in the winter of 1982 to head The Times of India Group. That was when I stopped writing books and became a full time journalist and editor. It is only now, after so many years, that I have returned to writing poetry. But I realise that a poet writing in the 70s and a poet writing today are pursuing entirely different courses. Language has changed. Form has changed. Idiom has changed. Readers have changed. And so have reading habits. This book attempts to address these concerns and yet be true to what we have traditionally seen as literature and poetry. That is its inherent challenge, the contradictions it contends with.

Varsha: You are a man of different facets. Which role is the most challenging and which role you like the best?

Pritish Nandy: Everything I do, whether I write or paint or take pictures or make movies, it is all about talking to others and trying to begin a conversation. That is what all creativity is finally about. It's the magic of reaching out to unknown, often unseen people and sharing your most private thoughts with them. It's a slow, sexy strip tease.

Varsha: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing a book? Why?

Pritish Nandy: There is no hardest part in writing a book. I enjoy every part of it. I struggle with words at times but that is a delightful experience fraught with both pain and pleasure. I struggle with images. That too is wonderful. And, finally, I struggle with the way we put the book together. That's the ultimate challenge. And with Sanjana and Amaryllis there this time, I have had the easiest, most wonderful time of my life. No sweat at all.

Varsha: What writing/publishing advice do you give to aspiring writers of any age?

Pritish Nandy: I give no advice to anyone. Not even my children. I let them discover their lives. That is as it should be. Writers are a proud race. Why should they seek anyone's advice? They must each create their own road, their own track. That is how they will eventually reach their own goals. But yes, confidence is the key to good writing. If you are not confident about what you have written, don't publish it. Work on it till you are. You will know when you are ready to publish it. Your heart will tell you.

Varsha: Tell us something about your reading habits and any authors that you would name as influences?

Pritish Nandy: My problem is that I am a disgustingly eclectic reader. I read any trash that comes my way: Swedish thrillers, Latin American poetry, Political history, Woody Allen screenplays, even 50 Shades of Grey! I read what catches my attention. That is why you will often find me lurking in a corner of a bookshop when everyone is desperately searching for me. When I start reading something, no one can tear me away. As for influences, at different times in my life, different writers have taught me many things. But I unlearn them easily and casually. Influence is too strong a word. I have been grabbed by authors, yes. But I have weathered it and journeyed on. Every day is a new discovery, a new experience, a new learning.

Varsha: What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

Pritish Nandy: It was not a book. It was a couple of lines from a poem that Life magazine once carried many years ago: Si muero, dejad elbalcón abierto (English translation: If I die, leave the balcony open). I was a school boy that time and was so moved by it that I learnt Spanish to read Lorca and it not only opened up his poetry to me but also the amazing gamut of Latin American verse. I read about love and adultery, a magnificent continent coming alive through its words and images. I found Neruda's first sheaf of love poems and a song of despair. Then there was Howl by Ginsberg, a completely difference experience. Poetry of the Beatnik generation. Unforgettable times that threw up unforgettable writing! Books are where my life began.

Varsha: We live in a time when young people have numerous choices for entertainment. What would you like to say to people who may be hesitant about reading a book for "fun”?

Pritish Nandy: There is nothing more magical than opening a book and getting drawn into it, word by word. It's like discovering God. Or love. It never stops. Try it and it will change your life forever.

Varsha: What message would you like to give to your readers?

Pritish Nandy: Love. Live. Read. Do them all in excess. You will find joy, fulfilment and the realisation of all your dreams. Never hold yourself back. Enjoy every excess. That is what I believe in. The celebration of excess. The outrageous dream. It always comes true.

Varsha: What next can the readers expect from you?

Pritish Nandy: My three next books are a collection of my casual writing for The Times of India called Nothing in Particular (I have been writing a weekly column there for thirty years), a new version of the Isha Upanishad and a collection of 10th and 11th century erotic Sanskrit poetry in a wildly contemporary translation. Yes, I am having fun. Lots of it!

In conversation with award-winning authors

Niyogi Books’ Intriguing India wins National Award

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Published by Niyogi Books, New Delhi, two travel books The Alluring North and The Vibrant West received the prestigious National Tourism Award for ‘Excellence’ from the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee at a glittering function in New Delhi. Here the authors of the books – Hugh and Colleen Gantzer reveal more in conversation with Varsha Verma.Who were the strange Gods who taught, and danced with, the Dahs in the high mountains of Ladakh? Why were the caves of Ajanta first carved? What is the true meaning of a strange painting in a church in Chennai? Where did the warrior Nagas come from? These are just a few questions which are answered in travel books which have been conferred with the National Tourism Award for ‘Excellence’. It is the first time in the history of the awards that such an honour has been conferred jointly on a couple for two books written and illustrated by them.

Hugh and Colleen Gantzer

Authored by the Gantzer couple, Hugh and Colleen and published by Niyogi Books, the titles The Alluring North and The Vibrant West are part of a four-volume series. “The other two books in the series, The Historic South and The Colourful East, could not be submitted for the award because they were released after the stipulated dates,” told Hugh as a matter of fact. All four books have, however, been packaged together in an attractive slip-cover giving readers access to 96 intriguing Indian destinations. “Our experience with Niyogi Books has been very good as they have the best production values,” he added.

Written in an informal, provocative style, the four Intriguing India books target the new information-hungry, questing, social-media generation. They will captivate both the mature, informed, travellers who look for more insightful encounters, as well as who ask why things are as intriguing as they are. “There has been a change in the expectations of the tourists. First, they wanted to go and see a monument, then slowly they evolved and now they want to even do much more than visiting the monument – they wish to meet people and know more about the culture and the history of the place. That is why books like The Life of Pi have been so popular,” told Hugh.

“Myths and legends are prevalent everywhere and at their core, lies the truth. We have tried to peel the layers from them and have tried to bring the legend connect and possible explanation, through our books,” he added.

“A retired naval officer, Hugh always liked to travel. It was at his last posting in Kerala that we decided to explore the state as we might never come back to this place. Believe it or not, we travelled from Kerala to Kanyakumari on a two-wheeler alongwith our son. We made our notes, wherever we went and wrote about Kerala for Illustrated Weekly. That was the beginning, we had become travel writers,” told Colleen.

Hugh & Colleen have written several travel articles for various newspapers and magazines including Femina, Weekly, Mirror, Readers’ Digest, Business Standard, to name a few. They also wrote the script for TV series ‘Looking Beyond.’ They also authored several books including thrillers and a book on spices as well. More recently, they are working on a book on the Ashoka Hotel. “We signed the contract just two days back and it seems to be a thrilling project,” concluded Hugh.

“New model for book distribution: POD, eBook, Amazon, Apple, Google…and China”

says Robert Fletcher, CEO, Global Exhibition Marketing in conversation with Varsha Verma of AABP, who believes that China would be the next publishing hub.Global Exhibition Marketing (GEM) creates additional sales and revenues for tradeshow owners around the globe. They help find new corporate exhibitors for the show and also specialize in bringing “best practices” new revenue ideas to show including innovative ideas for sponsorships, advertising, list monetization and more. More recently, they were in India to market China tradeshow – 19th Beijing International Book Fair – BIBF 2012.

Here Robert Fletcher, CEO, Global Exhibition Marketing discusses his experience at the New Delhi World Fair. Excerpts.

Varsha: How was your experience at the New Delhi World book Fair vis-a-vis other book fairs across the world?

Robert: The New Delhi World Book Fair should be considered in the top five book fairs in the world. We did more business with top Indian publishers and providers than any other book show in the world with the possible exception of China/BIBF. We find that India and China have tremendous assets and ideas to bring to the world publishing markets and the New Delhi World Book Fair is one great place to connect with the publishing community of India.

Varsha: What was the response you got at your stand for the Chinese publishers?

Robet: We always smile when we think of the dynamic that we are a US company, selling the Chinese publishing tradeshow to businesses in India!

However, if you think about it, sending a native English speaker to sell to other English speakers makes good sense. Publishers in India and from around the world know that China is the next big publishing hub. Leaders from India are already in China and new Indian entrepreneurs are looking at China very closely. We are proud to be a part of connecting the two largest publishing populations in the world.

Varsha: In your opinion, what is the future of the publishing industry and how is it poised to grow in the coming years, focusing on the major growth areas and the challenges it is facing from digital publishing, etc?

Robert: The future of the publishing industry can be summed up as “globalization”. Forget nations, the new game is based on language. For example, an e-book can be sold anywhere in the world. You can license a language; you can no longer license a digital book by country. And, the new model for distribution can be summed up as POD, eBook, Amazon, Apple, and Google, and going with the statistics - China.

Publishing companies in India face the same issues that we face in the US, namely a hyper-competitive market and fighting for merely bigger slices of the same pie. If the publisher is looking inwards to only their country, their market is limited. If the publisher is looking globally to the developing world, then there is no limit to the expansion that we see. China, Latin America, Eastern Europe, some parts of Africa… that’s where the action is.

Varsha: Also, tell us something about the other book fairs that you are participating and how can Indian publishers benefit from it?

Robert: Indian publishers are already looking around the world with entities like Capexil. However, nothing beats a hands-on visit to a country of choice. If I had to sum up our experiences with tradeshows around the world, I would say, “Seek the first mover advantage”. Forget Frankfurt and BEA, and the US, the developed countries are just too tough to break into. Spend your money in China, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa… that’s where the game is being played.

The other dynamic that I still haven’t gotten my head around is the tremendous quantity and quality of STM that Indian publishers put out. I see more STM here than even the US. Your STM industry is amazing and I think there is a tremendous opportunity to be a provider at par with the US and even undercut the US’ lead in STM. 

Kids inspire to write for kids!

As a boy, Peter Abrahams read voraciously, almost anything he could get his hands on, but he enjoyed adventure stories the most. “I wasn't one of those unhappy kids who loses himself in books. I was a pretty happy kid who did it,” he says. No other form of entertainment- movies, TV or Internet--comes close for him. Today, he feels very lucky that he has been able to add a few new stories to the collective body of written work.

Peter Abrahams is today a well-known American writer of crime thrillers. His works include Oblivion, The Tutor, The Fury of Rachel Monette, Hard Rain, The Fan, Crying Wolf, Last of the Dixie Heroes, the Echo Falls Mysteries, and Lights Out, the last of which was nominated for an Edgar Award for best novel. He also has a series for younger readers called the Echo Falls Mysteries. There are three books in the series: Down the Rabbit Hole, Behind the Curtain, Into the Dark. They are all based around teen super sleuth Ingrid Levin-Hill. Besides, his series on Chet and Bernie Mysteries are also very popular. Here’s more on this renowned author.

Varsha: You have been an established children and young adult author for many years now. Describe your journey so far?

Peter: I was lucky in the beginning. An editor at HarperCollins children’s division read an adult suspense novel I'd written called The Tutor, in which some scenes were from the viewpoint of a ten-year old girl. The editor asked me if I was interested in writing for kids, and from that came the Echo Falls series. After that I just kept getting more ideas - another lucky development. And two more lucky circumstances which have helped include: my four kids - an enormous amount of raw material and secondly, I was once a kid myself.


Varsha: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing a book? Why?

Peter: Plotting, no question. For me, it seems to test the same part of the brain that geometry does. What's the fun in that?


Varsha: What factors are kept in mind while writing for children and young adults?

Peter: Because I either write in third-person close (Echo Falls, Reality Check, for example) or first person (Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street) I don't think much about this. The language and attitudes just naturally unfold in the right ways. For children, you do have to avoid certain obvious words, which can sometimes be a hindrance to realistic-sounding dialogue.


Varsha: What are you reading right now? Are there any authors or books that you would name as influences?

Peter: Right now I'm rereading Crime and Punishment. As for influences – Graham Greene and Ross Macdonald, but not to any huge extent. But, reading in itself has influenced my life. I will also admit that an obscure pirate story called ‘Red Pete The Ruthles’s I read as a kid stayed with me for a long time.


Varsha: What are your favorite books to give and get as gifts?

Peter: Lately I like getting good non-fiction, especially about the Civil War. As for gifting books, I prefer Lincoln's Sword (also Civil War) and all about Lincoln the writer - our greatest president and also our greatest writing president.


Varsha: Which is your next book that readers can look forward to?

Peter: Speaking of dogs, my next book is A Fistful of Collars. This is #5 in my Chet and Bernie series, written under my pen name, Spencer Quinn. These novels (all NYT bestsellers so far, knock on wood) are for adults, but lots of teens are reading them. They're classic P.I. novels narrated by the P.I.'s sidekick. In this case, that means that the narrator is Chet, the detective's dog. He's not a talking dog or human in any way...and, therefore, a sort of unreliable narrator. Chet is online; he has a blog - chetthedog.com, and is also on Facebook and Twitter. 

100 years in publishing!

For Rajpal & Sons, the year 2012 is special – they are completing 100 years of publishing this year. To commemorate the occasion, they have a plethora of new launches this year. Pranav, marketing director briefs about the company’s memorable 100 years to Varsha Verma.

The facts…

With more than 4,000 titles of which 2,000 are active till date, Rajpal & Sons has come a long way. “Infact as many as 50 titles have been continuously printed for the last 50 years. These are the evergreen classics of Indian literature,” informed Pranav, marketing director, Rajpal & Sons.

So what are the average print runs for their books? “Across all, we can say that the average print run is about 3,000 copies but there are a few titles like Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Abdul Kalam’s books with print run upto 10,000 copies,” he disclosed.

Perhaps their multi-packaging strategy for almost all titles, has kept Rajpal & Sons afloat. “We package the same book in different formats – paperback, hardbound, premium packaging, etc to suit the customer’s budgets,” told Pranav. “Hence, we have a same book at different prices – the content is the same but the look differs. Each of our title is available in at least two formats. This way, we spread cost across all the formats and pass on the benefit to the consumer.”

A new ‘centenary logo’ has been designed to mark the 100 years of publishing at Rajpal & Sons.

Reviving the old classics…

As a part of this celebrations, Rajpal & Sons is bringing out centenary editions of classics like Madhushala, Gitanjali, etc in a bigger format.

Major launches this year…

There are four major launches this year – Kalam on Corruption, Straight Talk by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and books on Narayan Murthy and Irom Sharmila. The pre-booking of these books has already begun at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2012.

Foray into children books…

More recently, Rajpal & Sons has diversified into children books. “We are heavily investing in the designing of children books…it’s not just the cover but the inside pages as well. We wish to enhance the child’s experience for the entire book,” told Pranav.

The books on Panchtantra, mythology and places have already been launched and during this year itself, they plan to launch 35 titles in this genre. For this, they have tied up with different set of distributors and retailer for the Indian sub-continent. And with Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan in full swing, Pranav hopes that the demand for graphical books will grow with time.

Enhancing the reading experience…

Not just children books, illustrations and pictures have become a part of their books now. Pranav also mentioned about their book Sunset Club which is set in the lush Lodhi Garden. “In order to take the readers to feel the set-up, we used a lot of pictures as well,” he added. Similarly, their book on Abdul Kalam has real-life pictures with text. “It really helps set the tone and context of the story being talked about. The content gets automatically elevated using design inputs,” he said.

Similarly their cookbooks by Sanjeev Kapur have a lot of pictures. “Besides we are bringing out a series of comprehensive range of ‘shayri’ books. We are not just repackaging the cover but are also integrating illustrations to go with the particular piece,” shared Pranav.

On language publishing…

Most of the books at Rajpal & Sons are available in four languages, of which Hindi and English are always there. “We have regular tie-ups for regional languages like Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Gujarati,” told Pranav. “In fact, we pioneered the concept of India-made books in regional languages. We started the concept with Kalam’s book Indomitable Spirit which was published in eight languages in one year. This concept is very successful for books on national icons.”

On e-books…

“It is interesting that the old and modern are coming together. “Our e-book formats for Kindle and iPads are generating good response and demand, especially for the old classics,” conveyed Pranav.

Publishing is never going to die and the fact that publishers like Rajpal & Sons having firm roots in this industry for over a centenary, stress this point even more.