David Davidar,who was President of Penguin Canada until a sexual harassment suit forced him out last year,returns to India to start a new publishing house,Aleph Book Company. Davidar,who published many major Indian authors when he set up Penguin India,has tied up with Rupa Publications for his Delhi-based venture. Excerpts from an interview with Nandini Nair: What can we expect from Aleph? We are going to start with the best literary books we can find. Rupa sells and distributes thousands of books. They will apply those strengths to sell our books better. We are looking at world-class books. Sure,we will publish poetry,if we find something as good as Vikram Seths Golden Gate. Of late,we have seen an increase in interest in non-fiction writers. How do you see the genre? I am tremendously excited about non-fiction. But weve not seen the non-fiction that we deserve. Its a matter of economics. We dont have books (in India) like Perfect Storm (Sebastian Junger,1997). Non-fiction authors have a degree of eminence in their field,but they need support to do that kind of work. Its not the publishers fault. There are government and non-government organisations that writers can go to. (Nandan) Nilekani and (Ramachandra) Guha (through the New India Foundation) give writers a stipend to sit and write. We need more such initiatives. Publishers can only come up with ideas. We need the government and non-government organisations to come up with the money. Which writers are you excited about in your new venture? I cant tell you that,can I? I know what I want. Aleph will reveal a first launch list of 15-20 books sometime next April. I can only certify that they will be the best books. If you wouldnt tell us about the writers you want to work with in the future,who are the writers you wish you had worked with? Im fortunate to have worked with star authors across the world. Im sure I have some regrets. Maybe Gabriel Garcia Marquez. But he was published long before I came on the scene. We want to publish great authors. Theres a certain magic to publishing an extraordinary novel. What has changed in the publishing world since you left India seven years ago? When I left the country,Indian publishers were punching way above their weight. Trade publishing in India is only 25 years old. We are the youngest in trade publishing. I once joked with Nilekani that before we became India Shining,our two great exports were our software and novels. The domestic market here has developed. Rupa has developed the commercial market. The world of publishing is going through a revolution. Its an exciting time to be a publisher. Whats your new book Ithaca about? And why the name? The new novel starts in Bhutan. It is a magical place,I am looking forward to going there (for the Literary Festival in Bhutan). The novel takes place across Thimphu,Toronto,New York,London,Frankfurt and New Delhi. Its about the world of publishing. These places are the hubs of publishing. Ithaca is my favourite poem by Greek poet Constantine Cavafy. It was also Jacqueline Kennedy Onassiss favourite poem and was read at her funeral. You should hear Sean Connery reciting it. The book,like the poem,is about how you should treat life; its about lifes journey.
