New Delhi [India], September 4 (ANI): HarperCollins India will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' on November 10, following controversy over Penguin Random House India’s decision not to publish the book.
Announcing on Friday, HarperCollins India described the long-awaited memoir as among 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,… pic.twitter.com/cNWuNRgXXP
"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.
The announcement comes amid a row after Penguin Random House India issued a statement clarifying that it is not the publisher of Sonia Gandhi's memoir.
The publisher made the clarification following media reports, which claimed that it had withdrawn from releasing 'Belonging' in the country, as she had reportedly rejected proposed editorial changes.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 note read.
The publisher said it was still "keen to publish the book" and stressed that fact-checking and suggesting editorial changes are part of its responsibility.
"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.
The memoir chronicles Sonia Gandhi's journey, from her childhood in post-war Italy and her romance that brought her to India to the devastating personal losses that profoundly shaped her life and her relationship with her adopted country.
In the memoir, the 79-year-old Congress veteran, who holds the distinction of being the party's longest-serving president, revisits her childhood in Italy, her relationship with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during their time at Cambridge, and the assassinations of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, and husband, Rajiv Gandhi. (ANI)
