The Hindu : National : Penguin to take wing

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Tuesday, Apr 05, 2005

National

National

Penguin to take wing

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 4. After consolidating its position in English language publishing, Penguin Group has decided to diversify into other languages, and India — home to a rich linguistic diversity — is the chosen launch pad for this venture.

Come April 16 Penguin India will launch four Hindi titles. And, before the year is through Penguin will lend its name to Malayalam and Marathi titles.

Eager to develop the strongest possible publishing base in the emerging markets of India and China, Penguin has decided to now tap the latent potential in regional languages. The publishing house will make its foray into Indian languages with one new title — which will be launched simultaneously in English and Hindi — two other translations and an anthology of contemporary Hindi stories.

The four Hindi titles that will come out of Penguin's stables are `Hamara Hissa,' an anthology of contemporary stories edited by Arun Prakash; and translations of Khushwant Singh's bestselling `Paradise and Other Stories' as `Jannat Aur Anya Kahaniyan', Anita Nair's "Ladies' Coupé" by the same name, and Namita Gokhale's new novel, `Shakuntala: The Play of Memory' as `Shakuntala: Smriti Jaal'. `Shakuntala' will be launched simultaneously in English and Hindi — billed as another first in Indian publishing.

Among the forthcoming highlights in the language publishing programme are an anthology of stories in Marathi; translations of Ruskin Bond's selected stories; Arundhati Roy's new book of essays, `An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire', and Shobhaa Dé's latest book `Spouse: The Truth About Marriage'.

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