Stories
HarperCollins to Publish Sonia Gandhi's Memoir After Penguin India Row
- •HarperCollins India announced it will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love in India," on November 10, 2026.
- •The publication follows Penguin Random House India's withdrawal due to a dispute over proposed editorial changes.
- •"Belonging" is described as a dramatic and deeply personal story covering love, identity, duty, and belonging, offering an insider's view of India's journey.
- •Penguin India reportedly sought "editorial changes and deletions" in the manuscript, which Sonia Gandhi rejected.
- •HarperCollins India emerged as the frontrunner among several publishers interested in the book after Penguin's exit.
Key Questions Answered
Reports suggest the dispute arose because Penguin Random House India requested editorial changes and deletions in parts of the manuscript, which Sonia Gandhi declined to make. However, the publisher has disputed this account. Instead, Penguin Random House India stated that discussions with the author's representatives stalled over a confidential "particular issue" during the normal editorial and fact-checking process.
The memoir is expected to offer new political insights, providing an insider's view of India's journey and a unique perspective on the country's social and political changes over six decades. It will also offer a perspective on India's tumultuous post-independence history and its present political struggles, while detailing her entry into public life, her years in politics, and her decision to turn down the prime ministership in 2004.
