She's gone from editor to author, with a whole lot of diva thrown in. In her latest avatar, Shobhaa De has turned into a literary impresario, with her very own imprint for Penguin. With this, the best-selling novelist becomes the first-ever writer to handpick a collection of books. Shobhaa De Books will comprise celebrity memoirs, guides, biographies and commercial fiction. The co-branding might just make Penguin and De the new 'power couple' of the publishing world. India deserves to be better chronicled, she tells Anubha Sawhney Joshi in an interview. Excerpts.
You have your own imprint now, the first Indian author with this distinction. What does that mean in real terms?
It means a great deal of additional work and responsibility. I am hugely flattered that John Makinson, chairman of Penguin Books, believes I can deliver. But given my Type-A personality, I take this in my stride. It is both an honour and a privilege. It is also path-breaking, being a first in the Indian publishing industry. Given my long and productive association with Penguin Books, this is a natural progression and a well-timed brand extension. In any case, I have been a very active consulting editor at Penguin Books for a few years. This has involved screening and scrutinising nearly five manuscripts a week and weeding out the duds.
Full interview here Times of India
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