Publishing: Around the World

Not All Social Media Followers Are Potential Book Buyers
A self titled book by Billie Eilish, one of the most famous pop stars in the world, with over 97 million followers on Instagram and another 6 million on Twitter has sold only 64,000 hardcover copies since it came out in May 2021, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks most printed books sold in the United States. If just a fraction of her followers bought this book, it would be a hit, considering a huge amount, which publishers had paid to her. So, social fandom is not a reliable factor for book promotion.

Penguin Acquires Two New Titles of Satyajit Ray
Penguin Random House India recently announced the acquisition of two new titles by award-winning writer and filmmaker Satyajit Ray. These previously unpublished titles by artiste extraordinaire will be released under the aegis of The Penguin Ray Library from 2023 onwards. The Penguin Ray Library hosts an incredible series of Ray’s unpublished and curated works, published by Penguin in association with The Satyajit Ray Society. The first title, Feluda in the Golden Fortress, is an English translation of Ray’s original mystery novel called Sonar Kella, Ray’s cult detective novel. The second title is an exceptional collection of essays and interviews of the maestro, selected, edited by Sandip Ray and opening a rare window to Satyajit Ray’s life, philosophy and works. This book will release in 2024.

HarperCollins Announces The Launch Of A New Imprint HARPER DESIGN
HarperCollins recently announced the launch of a new imprint, HARPER DESIGN, which will focus on all areas of Design, the Arts, Architecture, Lifestyle and Popular Culture. HARPER DESIGN in India will be led by Bonita Vaz-Shimray, Art Director and Publisher of the imprint. Bonita said, “With a dedicated imprint, we intend to publish a curated list that reflects the legacy of the tremendous work done by artists and designers in the subcontinent, which will make visible their role in shaping our future.” “In India, within our ten imprints, we publish a diverse catalogue of books across genres, languages, age groups and subjects. With the launch of the HARPER DESIGN imprint, our programme will now also publish the rich diversity of talent in arts and aesthetics,” added Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO, HarperCollins India.

New Book Celebrates the Lost Work of Shakespeare’s Female Editors
Reviewing Charles and Mary Cowden Clarke’s illustrated edition of Shakespeare’s plays in 1869, an anonymous critic blamed “the numberless alterations, mutilations, corruptions, or whatever we may choose to call them” on Mary, and wished that “the lady editor had refrained from thus tampering with our great poet’s language”. More than 150 years later, the lost work of the female editors of Shakespeare is set to be recovered in a new book which aims to overturn the male-dominated history of his writings. Independent scholar Molly Yarn drew on university and library archives, and the records of government agencies, while writing Shakespeare’s ‘Lady Editors’, which is out on 9 December from Cambridge University Press. She looked at letters, diaries, contracts, ledgers and wills to uncover the contribution women have made to Shakespearean scholarship.

Nilmani Phookan & Damodar Mauzo Bag Jnanpith Award
Eminent Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan Jr. has won the 56th Jnanpith Award while the 57th Jnanpith Award has gone to the Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo. Jnanpith Awards, India’s highest literary honour is bestowed on the writers for their outstanding contribution to the Literature. Both winners are known for their significant contribution to the respective regional literature. Damodar Mauzo is based out of Majorda, Goa and Nilmani Phookan is from Guwahati, Assam.

Rest in Power (RIP) Bell Hooks
Acclaimed feminist author and activist Bell Hooks died recently  at the age of 69, her family has confirmed. She died recently at her home in Kentucky “surrounded by her family and friends”, according to a statement. She was considered a trailblazer within the intersectional feminism movement, and published some 40 books during her life. Her real name was Gloria Jean Watkins but she adopted her great-grandmother’s name Bell Blair Hooks for her writing.