Deciphering the art of independent publishing…

Roli Books was founded by Pramod Kapoor in 1978. He saw a gap in the Indian publishing industry and was determined to establish Roli Books as the premier art and illustrated publisher in the country. The company is now run by the second generation of the family (Kapil and Priya) and has over 50 member of staff across three offices in India. “We have a backlist of over 1800 books and publish 25-30 books across various genres including fiction, non-fiction and art and illustrated books. We are also the largest distributor of art and design books in South Asia. We represent many illustrated book publishers from around the world on an exclusive basis – Thames and Hudson, Phaidon, Abrams, Taschen, Assouline,” shares Priya and Kapil Kapoor.

While, Seagull Books was founded in 1982 in Kolkata by Naveen Kishore. It began with theatre-related books—scripts, theory, performance—stemming from Naveen’s own interest in the arts, and driven by a desire to document and disseminate the arts and ideas that mainstream publishers overlooked. “It was in 2005 that Seagull Books London was founded as a parallel UK-based company, which helped us achieve international distribution and acquire titles from different parts of the world,” shares Bishan Samaddar is one of the directors of Seagull Books, Kolkata, and the series editor of the Pride List, Seagull’s LGBTQ+ series of books.

Genres focused….

“Roli Books focuses on art and illustrated books – themes ranging from art, design, cookery, architecture, general interest, biographies, current affairs etc.,” shares Priya.

“We primarily focus on literary fiction, poetry, critical theory, philosophy, and drama. A large portion of our list consists of translated works from across the world—French, German, Bengali, Arabic as well as underrepresented languages such as Czech and Slovak—because we believe in the centrality of translation to cultural dialogue. We also have lists dedicated to performance studies, history, and LGBTQ+ literature,” shares Bishan.

Being an “independent” publisher…

“Being independent means having editorial freedom. We publish what we believe in—not necessarily what the market demands, or what a CEO believes will drive sales and bring in lots in revenue.Also, ‘boutique’ doesn’t mean limited—it means well curated. Each book we publish is carefully selected and edited, and designed as a cultural object in itself. Independence also means choosing to amplify voices that are often overlooked or underrepresented, and standing by them,” shares Bishan.

While, Priya shares, “Independent in our case is that we are privately owned by the founding family. There is no larger corporate ownership structure. We make independent editorial decisions on what to publish, in what format, price structure etc.We don’t necessarily see ourselves as ‘boutique’ we have a focused editorial vision which is to publish quality non-fiction on Indian themes and subjects in all formats, especially visual.”

The publishing approach…

“Our publishing approach is different from mainstream publishers in the nimbleness in decision making, pivoting and charting our own list. We are able to take risks, experiment with formats and publish a select list of books. We create an atmosphere of ownership for each team member and give more personalised attention to our collaborators.We take risks with formats, subjects, and price points. We are editorially driven with commercial angle, not the other way around,” says Kapil.

While Bishan shares, “Our method and philosophy of publishing involves long-term engagement with literature and theory—it is usually not a quick transaction. I see that many large, corporate houses tend to chase commercial trends. Instead, we focus on enduring literary value. We invest in books that might not have immediate mass appeal—but will matter in the long run. We also avoid bestselling genres such as self-help, business, and religious books as well as romance—since these are not our interest areas. Our focus on translations also sets us apart.”

On curating titles…

“Curation for us is both instinctive and political. We are drawn to manuscripts that offer something intellectually or artistically bold. Our publishing programme balances originality with experience, whether in fiction, poetry or philosophy. While we publish veteran authors such as Romila Thapar and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, as well as several Nobel Prize winners like J. M. G. Le Clézio and Elfriede Jelinek, the majority of our authors are not well known; in fact they are often being published in the English language for the first time. Our relationships with authors, translators and even foreign-language publishers are long-standing and built on trust. Also, as editors, each of us brings in our individual interests while curating lists—from queer literature to women’s fiction to European philosophy,” shares Bishan.

While, Priya says, “Our list is driven by ideas and a book that fulfils a need in the market. We commission most of our books and seek to find the best author/photographer for a particular book project.”

Challenges and opportunities in the Indian publishing ecosystem…

“In India, the readership for literary or intellectually demanding books in the English language is relatively small, especially for books that exist outside mainstream tastes (such as the genres I mentioned before). Distribution and visibility are also major challenges. There aren’t that many independent bookstores; and chain bookstores, sadly, are impossible for us to break through. However, the digital space has made a big difference. Social media gives us a way to connect directly with readers. And we’re seeing a growing generation of readers, writers, and translators who are curious, multilingual, and politically engaged—and that gives us hope,” says Bishan as a matter of fact.

While, Priya says, “There are trade issues like long credits, returns etc. These things need to be phased out of our trade. Also GST laws are not favourable to our industry.”

On distribution and visibility, especially for niche or literary titles…

“Internationally, Seagull has a unique model. While our editorial office remains in Kolkata, our books are distributed worldwide through Seagull Books London and the University of Chicago Press. This allows us to ensure visibility in the US and UK markets. In India, it’s a more challenging. We rely on a mix of corporate-house distributors and independent bookstores. Hosting book events, word of mouth, and—most importantly—a strong online presence are crucial. We increasingly feel that we need to drive direct sales—through our own website and through Amazon—offering seasonal discounts and reaching out to potential readers through social media campaigns,” says Bishan.

While Kapil shares, “We distribute our own books and have reps servicing direct accounts countrywide. We also distribute the best of international art and design publishers from around the world.”

On regional languages or translations…

“ Translation is central to our identity, at the heart of what we do—not only translating Indian languages into English for the world to read but also bringing world literature to Indian and global readers. We believe that translations build cultural bridges. And translated literature gives readers windows into worlds—lives, ideas, histories, imaginations—different from their own. Over the years, we’ve published a truly wide range of literature translated into English—from philosophical tracts written in Sesotho to gay erotic poetry originally written in Chinese.In the Indian context especially, translations from indigenous languages are essential. A lot Indian writing in English tends to come from fairly similar, homogenous backgrounds—urban, English-educated, middle class. To truly experience the full diversity ofIndian literature, one has to go beyond that, into the many languages and voices that make up our country. And for readers who do not have access to those languages, English translations can open the door,” shares Bishan.

International recognition…

“Since a lot of our authors are from Europe or have been based in the West, they are already pretty well known internationally—such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Thomas Bernhard, Giorgio Agamben, Ngugi waThiong’o.Just two months back, German poet Durs Grünbein and his translator Karen Leeder received the Griffin Poetry Prize for the book Psyche Running, which Seagull published in 2024. It’s one of the most famous international prizes for poetry, and this brought us a lot of joy. As for Indian authors, we’re very proud to have been able to bring the ingenious and edgy writing of cult Bengali author Nabarun Bhattacharya to global English-language readers. His works—translated by Sunandini Banerjee, Rijula Das and Subha Prasad Sanyal—have been critical successes in the US,” shares Bishan.

While Kapil shares, “Most of our books sell internationally. We sell rights, co-editions, and are also distributed globally by Thames and Hudson.”

On global book fairs or rights sales…

“Global book fairs like Frankfurt are essential to our work. They’re not only spaces for buying and selling rights but also for building relationships: with translators, publishers, editors, and agents—fellow thinkers in the world of books. Seagull’s global presence has grown hand in hand with these fairs. Each year at the Frankfurt Book Fair, we’re proud to showcase our latest publications as well as present our marvellously designed and carefully curated annual catalogue. In the past, my colleagues and I have also attended book fairs in London, Paris, Turin, and Santiago de Chile. So far, ourprimary focus at these fairs has been on acquiring translation rights, allowing us to bring outstanding literature into English. But in recent years, we’ve been focusing more and more on selling rights as well—sharing the voices of both Indian and international authors with new audiences in other languages. We’ve come to recognize the value, both cultural and financial, of rights sale as are venues stream. Our editors are also keen to participate in fellowships abroad, which gives us opportunities to highlight our work, deepen networks, and explore possibilities for language rights sales,” shares Bishan.

Similar views were echoed by Priya, who says, “We have participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair and London Book Fair for decades and continue to do so. These play a big role in business developments, rights sale and building networks.”

What’s next?

Priya shares that they are publishing large format books on iconic maps that defined India for the collector’s market. “This is the first in a new series we are announcing. Roli turns 50 in 3 years … lots of exciting things planned,” she adds.

“We are further diversifying our publishing programme. There are at least three new ‘lists’ or book series in the works—focusing on literatures from Latin America, Poland, and Romania. Latin America, particularly, is a region we haven’t really explored before, so we’re especially excited to start building new connections there and discovering voices that resonate with our editorial vision. Personally, I’m also thrilled about some important and interesting queer titles coming up.One is a wonderfully imaginative biography of Chapal Bhaduri, the legendary Bengali jatra actor known for playing female roles on stage, who had a fascinatingly ‘queer’ life story.Another is a powerful book that explores the many forms of discrimination LGBTQ+ people continue to face in contemporary India. What I’m really keen on right now is finding queer writing in Indian and Asian languages—voices that haven’t yet been translated or widely read. And I’m happy to say that a few new doors are starting to open in that direction,” shares Bishan.

Success as an independent publisher in today’s world…

“If we try to measure our success in sales charts, we’ll not be doing justice to our publishing vision. We believe that if our books continue to be read, remembered, and passed on—even years after publication—that is success,” says Bishan.

“To be able to make books that are exceptional in every way and are also commercial successful. To choose the books we publish and the authors we collaborate with. To keep our team content and excited to come to work every day,” concludes Priya.