HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love,’ in India on November 10, it announced on Friday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the book’s domestic release.
HT last week reported Gandhi’s book deal with Penguin Random House India (PRHI) fell through as she refused to make changes or deletions of references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideological fount, and Chinese intrusions into India. Gandhi, 79, maintained it is her story and there was no question of allowing any distortions to her telling of her life.
In a statement on social media, HarperCollins India called the book 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.”
Alfred A Knopf, a US imprint of Penguin Random House, will release the memoir worldwide on November 10.
{{/usCountry}}Alfred A Knopf, a US imprint of Penguin Random House, will release the memoir worldwide on November 10.
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Political slugfest
PRHI pushed back on the suggestion that it walked away because Gandhi refused to accept edits. “Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” it said in a statement. It added it remained “keen to publish the book” and that fact-checking and editorial recommendations are “a normal part of the publishing process.”
PRHI said the two sides reached an impasse over “a particular issue,” without disclosing what it was, citing confidentiality obligations. It added that during discussions, some proposed changes were accepted, while in other instances PRHI accepted Gandhi’s position. On one specific point, the two sides could not find common ground, and Gandhi’s representatives informed the publisher they did not wish to proceed further.
An aide to Gandhi told HT that PRHI wanted to remove Gandhi’s recollections of meetings with Modi, his remark calling her a “Jersey cow” at a public rally in Gujarat in 2004.
The Congress leaders alleged that external pressure may have influenced the publishing process, questioning whether editorial independence had been compromised.
The BJP rejected the charge. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said whether the book qualifies as a memoir or as fiction will ultimately be a matter for the author and publisher to determine. PRHI has denied any external interference.
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Tracing Sonia Gandhi's journey
The memoir traces Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in Italy to how fate brought her to India, the personal losses that shaped her life, and her relationship with her adopted country.
Gandhi led the Congress for close to two decades. Her leadership of the party coincided with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance rule from 2004 to 2015.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote about the book on the 82nd birth anniversary of his father, the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. “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. “I know how hard it was for someone as private as you to tell the world your beautiful story. Today, on his birthday, I can see Papa smiling and looking down proudly at his beautiful Sonia.”
Details on the book’s pricing, print run and promotional plans in India have not yet been announced. HarperCollins India is expected to share further information closer to the release date.