Turning Point

As a young man fired by idealism, Sanjay Sonawani felt that he was cut out for a career in journalism. His natural flair for writing 8211; by the time he was 16, he had published his first novel in Marathi 8211; combined with a desire to interact with people from all walks of life, propelled him into his first job as reporter with the Hindi daily, Aaj Ka Anand, in 1983. Today, Sonawani is still involved with the written word but in the capacity of chairman, Pushpa Prakashan Ltd.

Talking about changing career tracks, Sonawani says, 8220;As a boy who had been raised in a village, the three years that I spent as a journalist widened my world-view and experience.8221; Initially assigned the court beat, Sonawani rose to the post of chief reporter the following year. 8220;Regardless of their stature, human beings are motivated by the same passions and inspired by the same ideals 8211; this was one valuable lesson I learnt through those early years,8221; he says. While his career had its rewarding moments, the initial idealism began to pall, and before long, Sonawani felt the need for a shift. 8220;When I joined, I thought I could change the world through the power of my pen. But when I realised that I was mainly involved in chasing newsmakers and that nothing concrete came of writing about an issue, a kind of frustration set in and I decided to quit in 1986,8221; he says.

Sonawani, who had continued to write fiction and poetry in Marathi, had come into contact with many publishers. 8220;My association with them made me realise that authors successful in a certain subject were being strait-jacketed into a slot, and that young promising authors were not being given the chance to get their works published.8221; Sonawani hoped to correct this through his own publishing concern.

8220;There were difficulties in the transition period and I even had to borrow the initial capital from friends and relatives. The book distribution network was disorganised, the prices of books were on the rise, and in the post-cable period, the reading habit was on the decline.8221; But Sonawani was ready to take on the risks, and with 700 published titles so far, he finds himself successful. 8220;Potential sales is not always the criterion for publication. One has to identify authors, subjects and reader interests. If the subject is interesting, although it may not find enough readers, it is still worth publication,8221; he says. Currently engaged in setting up an English division which will translate the work of Marathi authors into English, and thus gain a wider audience, Sonawani says, 8220;I consider my job a vocation, not a business8221;.