‘Belonging’ row: Penguin clarifies its stand, but who will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir in India?

New Delhi: Penguin Random House India on Friday clarified that it is not the Indian publisher of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, following reports that it had withdrawn from publishing the book in the country.

Reports had suggested that the publisher decided against releasing the memoir after Gandhi allegedly rejected proposed editorial changes.

In a statement, Penguin Random House India said the reports did not accurately represent the circumstances.

“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 publisher said.

The company also said it remains “keen to publish the book”, while stressing that fact-checking and recommending editorial changes are a normal part of the publishing process.

“As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books,” it said.

“Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book.”

The publisher declined to comment further, citing the confidential nature of its discussions with the author.

What is Sonia Gandhi’s memoir about?

Belonging: A Journey of Love chronicles Sonia Gandhi’s life, from her childhood in post-war Italy and her meeting with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to the personal tragedies that shaped her relationship with India.

The memoir recounts her childhood in Italy, her romance with Rajiv Gandhi while the two were students in Cambridge, and the assassinations of her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her husband Rajiv Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi, 79, was born in Italy and met Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge in 1965 when she was 19. The couple married on 25 February 1968.

The memoir has also received a public endorsement from her son, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

On what would have been Rajiv Gandhi’s 82nd birthday, Rahul Gandhi said he was proud that his mother’s story would finally be read by millions of people.

“I am happy, and so proud, that your story — ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ — will finally be read by the millions of people who love you,” he said, adding that he could imagine his father “smiling and looking down proudly” at Sonia Gandhi.

When will ‘Belonging’ be released in India?

Alfred A Knopf announced on 18 August that Belonging: A Journey of Love would be published on 10 November.

Knopf is an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is part of Penguin Random House LLC. The global publishing group is owned by Bertelsmann.

However, Penguin Random House India’s latest clarification has raised questions over the memoir’s Indian publishing arrangements.

It remains unclear when Belonging will be released in India and which publishing house will bring the memoir to the Indian market.