Interview, Karthika VK, Publisher, Westland Books – “There are lines I would never cross”
On joining Pratilipi after Amazon shut down its publishing business in India, and on being shortlisted for the 2022 IPA Prix Voltaire for publishers who “stand firm on freedom to publish”
Tell us about Westland’s journey from Amazon to Pratilipi. Why did the association with Amazon end, and how did Pratilipi come into the picture?
Amazon’s decision to shut down its publishing interests in India is what brought Pratilipi into the picture. They moved quickly in their expression of interest and we were excited to become part of them. They’re India’s biggest digital publishers with a huge, growing readership and they’re invested in connecting writers to readers in several Indian languages, which is something we are keen to do too. So it felt like a collaboration with immense possibilities. Meeting Ranjit Pratap Singh and the team clinched the matter for us.
What does this transition mean for authors, translators and illustrators who worked with Westland under Amazon ownership? Have the rights reverted to them after Amazon’s exit? Do they have the option to now move to Pratilipi? Are some switching to other publishers?
We reverted rights to all the titles we had published. We also made sure that authors/ translators/designers/illustrators were provided with all the information they required to work together again, if they wished to. But once we knew for certain that we would be ready to set up again, and quickly, we started getting in touch with our authors, asking if they would like to continue publishing with us, in which case we would send them fresh contracts and have the books out over the next few months. It’s been a difficult process and filled with heartbreak of all sorts, but so many of the writers and literary agents we worked with have stood by us that in the final analysis, I can only be grateful that things worked out as well as they have.
How did you process the outpouring of support from readers, authors, booksellers, librarians, and fellow publishers after Amazon’s announcement to shut down Westland? Were you aware that so many people love your work, and are willing to back you publicly?
I must admit it was a surprise, almost a shock, of the most wonderful kind. We were so busy grappling with the immediate fallout of the announcement – that first day was spent entirely on the phone, speaking to authors, telling them what to expect and assuring them that we would help find homes for their work – that it was late at night when I noticed the outpouring of support on social media. It wasn’t only from writers we had worked with, it was also agents, booksellers, journalists, friends and colleagues in the publishing community, and just so many people we had no idea knew of our work, let alone cared about it.
And it wasn’t just talk, you know. Over the next few days and weeks, people went out and bought Westland books in large numbers, shared photographs and information about availability in stores and persuaded libraries to get copies of our books, while booksellers across India set up special sales counters. It was overwhelming.
Westland’s new innings have started on an auspicious note. You have been shortlisted for the 2022 IPA Prix Voltaire, given to “publishers with a distinguished record of upholding the values of freedom to publish and freedom of expression”. What does this recognition mean for you, and your team, especially as it comes from the International Publishers Association?
It is an extraordinary thing to have happened. The award shortlist may have my name on it but I see it as a recognition of the work we have been doing at Westland these past many years. What makes it really special is that it’s come from our peers in the international community. That’s enough to inspire us to work harder and think harder about what we do, and why.
You have published Aakar Patel and Smriti Irani, Josy Joseph and Amish Tripathi. Why is it important for you to publish diverse viewpoints?
Diversity has always been at the heart of trade publishing. We know that we are reaching readers with very different interests and sensibilities. Remember, too, that there are editors and others within a publishing house who may have differing ideas and politics; so one tends to follow the practice of considering every potential acquisition from multiple perspectives. There are lines I would never cross, on that I am very clear, as are my colleagues. Hate speech, manipulative retellings of events that cannot stand legal or factual scrutiny are as much anathema as ill-conceived plots and uninspiring prose or poetry. It’s the grey areas we spend the most time debating – where commercial and ideological interests intersect and sometimes clash, or where a text offers an interesting perspective, even if unpopular. The ethics of separating the dance from the dancer — that’s something we think about a lot.
What are your plans for Westland’s new avatar, given Pratilipi’s digital reach and its multilingual platform. Can we expect new books in the market before the end of this year?
Yes, we are readying our catalogue for the July-December season and it’s full of exciting books. I won’t talk about them yet because we are in the process of signing contracts, but I do hope you’ll be reviewing them soon. The plan is for us to begin by publishing new editions of existing books, especially those that stores are running out of, and I am delighted that we’ll be able to do this under the various imprints we’ve built, including Context, Eka, Red Panda and the very first one, Tranquebar, within the umbrella of Westland Books. That we are able to have this continuity is a big relief. Another happy aspect of the continuity is that 41 of the old Westlanders remain colleagues and most importantly, Gautam Padmanabhan, who is the founder and driving force behind the company, heads the new business as well.
You have published many LGBTQ titles, working with authors like Amruta Patil, Payal Dhar, Nawaaz Ahmed, Parmesh Shahani, Farhad J Dadyburjor, and Akhil Katyal. What kind of effort went into bringing out these books? Are readers more open to these after the Supreme Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code?
It has become easier to publicise LGBTQ writing since the ruling but there has always been interest in, and readership for, work in this genre. I just wish we could do more and find many more voices to publish beyond the so-called mainstream. For there is no doubt that each time something does break through, there’s a palpable ripple effect which ends up preparing the ground for more books and greater, more lasting change.
What are you most excited to create and catalyse in this phase of your career?
I am really excited about the new worlds that Pratilipi has opened up for us. We have all been worrying about the changes in readership, the difficulties of distribution, our inability to persuade more young people to become readers. Wherever we look, we come up against competing audio-visual mediums. Well, here we are in a place that is trying to bridge these different worlds and find avenues for writers to move seamlessly from one to the other as much as possible. And the individuals who helm this process and the different divisions are so full of energy and ideas that already, within the first week of working here, we’ve started conceptualising new projects.
We will continue to publish books as we have in the past, focussing on new writing and new ideas that challenge the status quo, but we will also be constantly on the lookout for what we can do with other platforms, how best to find new readers and how best to increase revenue for our writers.
More than anything else, I am really happy about being able to build on existing relationships with writers we are signing on again for publication. That they chose to stay with us despite everything makes us all feel we must go that extra mile and more to live up to their trust in us. And we will!
Chintan Girish Modi is an independent writer, journalist and book reviewer.