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After Penguin row, Sonia Gandhi memoir finds new publisher in HarperCollins

After Penguin row, Sonia Gandhi memoir finds new publisher in HarperCollins

Photograph: (X (@RahulGandhi)

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HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on November 10, following a controversy over Penguin Random House India’s role in the book’s publication.

HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on November 10, 2026, after a controversy surrounding Penguin Random House India’s role in publishing the book.

HarperCollins India announced the publication on Friday and described the memoir as one of the most anticipated political books of its kind.

"HarperCollins India will publish Belonging: A Journey of Love by Sonia Gandhi. The long-awaited memoir will be published in India on 10 November 2026. 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 wrote on X.

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The announcement followed a clarification from Penguin Random House India, which said it is not publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir in India.

The clarification came after media reports claimed that the publishing house had decided against releasing the book after Gandhi reportedly rejected proposed 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 publisher said.

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Penguin Random House India also said it remained interested in publishing the memoir. It defended its role in fact-checking and recommending editorial changes as part of the normal publishing process.

"As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact-check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. 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 further read.

What Sonia Gandhi’s memoir will cover

Belonging: A Journey of Love is expected to trace Sonia Gandhi’s life from her childhood in post-war Italy to her move to India and marriage to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The memoir is also expected to discuss major tragedies that affected her life, including the deaths of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

The book is likely to cover Gandhi’s entry into public life and her decades spent at the centre of one of India’s most prominent political families.

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Ajaypal Choudhary

Driven by a deep interest in international politics and geo-economics, Ajaypal Choudhary writes on and analyses a wide range of subjects from geopolitics and the global economy to ...Read More