An upcoming book, "Amrita &amp; Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. 
The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin.

Published by Fingerprint and written by journalist-author Ashwini Bhatnagar, it is scheduled to release later this month.

"Amrita's life was avant-garde art, and her art was avant-garde life... In the middle of her artistic storm was her lover-husband Victor Egan, the true emotional axis around which her life revolved.

"Victor was a liberal modern lover and husband, a real sensitive new-age guy who abetted her experiments with life and colours. The book profiles his exceptional understanding of Amrita in all its detail," said Bhatnagar in a statement.

Born to an Indian father and a Hungarian mother on January 30, 1913, in Budapest, Hungary, Sher-Gil came to be known as one of the greatest avant-garde women artists for her oeuvre.

She is well-known for her melancholic portraits of women, including "Three Girls", "Women on the charpai", "Hill Women", and "Young Girls".

The book engages with Sher-Gil's taboo relationship with her first cousin, their heady romance during her teenage years, the eventual marriage, despite stiff parental opposition, and ends with her death under questionable circumstances when she was barely 28 years&nbsp;old.

Besides the love story, Bhatnagar also paints the landscape which propelled Sher-Gil's meteoric rise as the finest artist India has produced in the last 100 years.

According to the publishers, while many books have been written about Amrita Sher-Gill and her art, none have been written about her and Victor Egan exclusively.

"This nuanced and sensitive account of their life is meant to reach a wider audience who might not know of their eventful, extraordinary life," said Shantanu Duttagupta, executive publisher at Fingerprint.

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An upcoming book, "Amrita & Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin.

An upcoming book, "Amrita & Victor", explores the love story between avant-garde artist Amrita Sher-Gil and her husband Victor Egan. The book, based on archival evidence, aims to bring out the truth of the "misconstrued relationship" the Hungarian-Indian painter shared with Egan who was also her first cousin. Published by Fingerprint and written by journalist-author Ashwini Bhatnagar, it is scheduled to release later this month. "Amrita's life was avant-garde art, and her art was avant-garde life... In the middle of her artistic storm was her lover-husband Victor Egan, the true emotional axis around which her life revolved. "Victor was a liberal modern lover and husband, a real sensitive new-age guy who abetted her experiments with life and colours. The book profiles his exceptional understanding of Amrita in all its detail," said Bhatnagar in a statement. Born to an Indian father and a Hungarian mother on January 30, 1913, in Budapest, Hungary, Sher-Gil came to be known as one of the greatest avant-garde women artists for her oeuvre. She is well-known for her melancholic portraits of women, including "Three Girls", "Women on the charpai", "Hill Women", and "Young Girls". The book engages with Sher-Gil's taboo relationship with her first cousin, their heady romance during her teenage years, the eventual marriage, despite stiff parental opposition, and ends with her death under questionable circumstances when she was barely 28 years old. Besides the love story, Bhatnagar also paints the landscape which propelled Sher-Gil's meteoric rise as the finest artist India has produced in the last 100 years. According to the publishers, while many books have been written about Amrita Sher-Gill and her art, none have been written about her and Victor Egan exclusively. "This nuanced and sensitive account of their life is meant to reach a wider audience who might not know of their eventful, extraordinary life," said Shantanu Duttagupta, executive publisher at Fingerprint. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

New book to explore unconventional love story of artist Amrita Sher-Gil

A US federal judge on Monday (October 31) blocked a USD 2.2 billion acquisition of publishing giant Simon &amp;&nbsp;Schuster by its competitor Penguin Random House. The court has sided with the US Justice Department which had&nbsp;argued against the mega-merger.

The mega deal had been announced in November 2020. It would have brought two of America's five largest publishers together.

US District Court Judge Florence Pan, in her ruling, said the government had convincingly shown that the merger would substantially lessen competition "in the market for the US publishing rights to anticipated top-selling books."

The judge said that full reasoning for the decision would be issued under seal since it was based on confidential business information.

The Justice Department has welcomed the decision. It has come only a week before crucial midterm elections. US President Joe Biden has tried to project his Democratic Party as one defending consumer interests.

The Justice Department under Biden has been more aggressive than his predecessors in attempting to block mergers, with mixed success so far.

"Today's decision protects vital competition for books and is a victory for authors, readers, and the free exchange of ideas," said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter in a statement.

Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of Germany's Bertelsmann Group, dominates the publishing industry in the United States. It has 10,000 employees worldwide and nearly 15,000 books published per year.

Simon &amp; Schuster, owned by Paramount, is the fourth largest of America's "Big Five" publishing companies, which also include HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group USA and Macmillan Publishers.

Big-name writers on the roster at Simon &amp; Schuster include Stephen King and Doris Kearns Goodwin, while Barack and Michelle Obama and John Grisham have books published by Penguin Random House.

Simon &amp; Schuster is also preparing to release Prince Harry's memoir in 2023.&nbsp;

Penguin Random House expressed its strong displeasure on the ruling. It said that it will request an expedited appeal.

"We believe this merger will be pro-competitive, and we will continue to work closely with Paramount and Simon &amp; Schuster on next steps," it said in a statement.

Paramount said it was disappointed by the ruling. "We are reviewing the decision and discussing next steps with Bertelsmann and Penguin Random House, including seeking an expedited appeal,” it said.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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A US federal judge on Monday (October 31) blocked a USD 2.2 billion acquisition of publishing giant Simon & Schuster by its competitor Penguin Random House. The court has sided with the US Justice Department which had argued against the mega-merger.

A US federal judge on Monday (October 31) blocked a USD 2.2 billion acquisition of publishing giant Simon & Schuster by its competitor Penguin Random House. The court has sided with the US Justice Department which had argued against the mega-merger. The mega deal had been announced in November 2020. It would have brought two of America's five largest publishers together. US District Court Judge Florence Pan, in her ruling, said the government had convincingly shown that the merger would substantially lessen competition "in the market for the US publishing rights to anticipated top-selling books." The judge said that full reasoning for the decision would be issued under seal since it was based on confidential business information. The Justice Department has welcomed the decision. It has come only a week before crucial midterm elections. US President Joe Biden has tried to project his Democratic Party as one defending consumer interests. The Justice Department under Biden has been more aggressive than his predecessors in attempting to block mergers, with mixed success so far. "Today's decision protects vital competition for books and is a victory for authors, readers, and the free exchange of ideas," said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter in a statement. Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of Germany's Bertelsmann Group, dominates the publishing industry in the United States. It has 10,000 employees worldwide and nearly 15,000 books published per year. Simon & Schuster, owned by Paramount, is the fourth largest of America's "Big Five" publishing companies, which also include HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group USA and Macmillan Publishers. Big-name writers on the roster at Simon & Schuster include Stephen King and Doris Kearns Goodwin, while Barack and Michelle Obama and John Grisham have books published by Penguin Random House. Simon & Schuster is also preparing to release Prince Harry's memoir in 2023. Penguin Random House expressed its strong displeasure on the ruling. It said that it will request an expedited appeal. "We believe this merger will be pro-competitive, and we will continue to work closely with Paramount and Simon & Schuster on next steps," it said in a statement. Paramount said it was disappointed by the ruling. "We are reviewing the decision and discussing next steps with Bertelsmann and Penguin Random House, including seeking an expedited appeal,” it said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Penguin-Simon & Schuster mega publisher merger blocked by US court

The Taliban promised that media would be "free and independent," after taking control of Kabul. However, now the group has laid out the limits of that freedom.

Taliban's Government Media and Information Center (GMIC), Qari Muhammad Yousuf Ahmadi, while meeting several Afghan media outlets in September, announced a publishing/broadcasting guide containing 11 directives. Few rules were similar to laws and editorial policies under Afghanistan's elected government.&nbsp;

There were rules that gave the Taliban wide control over the content. These include directives saying that media should coordinate with the GMIC when preparing content and report "carefully" on events not confirmed by an official.

As per watchdogs and locals journalists, these directives are a sign that the Taliban plan to censor content inside the country. 
Sadaqat Ghorzang, a TOLOnews reporter for the eastern provinces, was quoted by VOA as saying, "The new rules plainly mean censorship."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-uses-social-media-as-a-key-tool-in-their-new-form-of-governance-here-is-all-you-need-to-know-412192">Also read |&nbsp;Taliban uses social media as a key tool in their new form of governance, here is all you need to know</a>

"It does not only create problems for journalists to do their job, which is providing information to the people, but also violates freedom of expression."

A copy of the guide, which was circulated online and discussed by media watchdogs, contained 11 rules. As per rules 1-3, media and journalists are forbidden from publishing or broadcasting anything against Islam, insulting national figures, or violating privacy. Rules 4-6 instruct journalists to follow the principles of journalism and balanced news reports and to not distort content. Rules 7-8 say that matters that have not been confirmed by officials or could have a negative impact on the public's attitude should be treated with care.

As per rule 9, media outlets have to be impartial and truthful in their coverage.

Rule 10 and 11 advise journalists to coordinate with the GMIC when working on "detailed report(s) on an issue."

RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire described the guidelines as "spine chilling." They can be used coercively and "bode ill for the future of journalistic independence and pluralism in Afghanistan," he said in a statement.

The Taliban promised that media would be "free and independent," after taking control of Kabul. However, now the group has laid out the limits of that freedom. Taliban's Government Media and Information Center (GMIC), Qari Muhammad Yousuf Ahmadi, while meeting several Afghan media outlets in September, announced a publishing/broadcasting guide containing 11 directives.

The Taliban promised that media would be "free and independent," after taking control of Kabul. However, now the group has laid out the limits of that freedom. Taliban's Government Media and Information Center (GMIC), Qari Muhammad Yousuf Ahmadi, while meeting several Afghan media outlets in September, announced a publishing/broadcasting guide containing 11 directives. Few rules were similar to laws and editorial policies under Afghanistan's elected government. There were rules that gave the Taliban wide control over the content. These include directives saying that media should coordinate with the GMIC when preparing content and report "carefully" on events not confirmed by an official. As per watchdogs and locals journalists, these directives are a sign that the Taliban plan to censor content inside the country. Sadaqat Ghorzang, a TOLOnews reporter for the eastern provinces, was quoted by VOA as saying, "The new rules plainly mean censorship." Also read | Taliban uses social media as a key tool in their new form of governance, here is all you need to know "It does not only create problems for journalists to do their job, which is providing information to the people, but also violates freedom of expression." A copy of the guide, which was circulated online and discussed by media watchdogs, contained 11 rules. As per rules 1-3, media and journalists are forbidden from publishing or broadcasting anything against Islam, insulting national figures, or violating privacy. Rules 4-6 instruct journalists to follow the principles of journalism and balanced news reports and to not distort content. Rules 7-8 say that matters that have not been confirmed by officials or could have a negative impact on the public's attitude should be treated with care. As per rule 9, media outlets have to be impartial and truthful in their coverage. Rule 10 and 11 advise journalists to coordinate with the GMIC when working on "detailed report(s) on an issue." RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire described the guidelines as "spine chilling." They can be used coercively and "bode ill for the future of journalistic independence and pluralism in Afghanistan," he said in a statement.

Taliban issues new publishing and broadcasting directives

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