Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, “Belonging: A Journey of Love”, will be published in India on November 10.
The announcement was made by HarperCollins on Friday (September 4), days after Penguin Random House India said it would not publish the memoir in India.
“One of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time, Belonging is a dramatic and deeply personal story of love, identity, duty and belonging, and offers a rare insider’s view of India’s journey,” HarperCollins said in a statement.
Penguin Random House drops memoir
Penguin Random House India had earlier said it was “willing and keen to publish the book”, but discussions with the author reached an impasse over “a particular issue”.
The publisher denied reports that it withdrew because Sonia refused editorial changes. “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 company said.
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“Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author,” the statement added.
Penguin Random House India on Monday (August 31) said that there was no external pressure behind its decision. It referred to an impasse over “a particular issue”, but did not disclose the matter, citing “agreement and author confidentiality”.
Memoir to cover family, politics
Sonia’s memoir is reportedly expected to cover her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and her entry into politics.
Also Read: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir: Penguin India says not publishing ‘Belonging’
“Much has been written about my family, but few narratives were able to reach into the truth of their motivations, their actions and even their very human failings,” Sonia said in a statement issued through Knopf.
“In many ways, this book is a homage to their humanness. My story also offers readers a unique perspective of the social and political changes I have witnessed for six decades in the beautiful country of my belonging. It was heartbreak and loss that threw me into the public world of politics. Up till then I had guarded my privacy fiercely,” she added.
(With agency inputs)