Amazon Publishing acquires rights for Chetan Bhagat's next six books

Jeff Belle, VP, Amazon Publishing (left), next to author Chetan Bhagat, during the press conference held at St Regis. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Amazon Publishing's announcement yesterday, at a press conference at St Regis in Parel, is packed with exciting news for Chetan Bhagat fans. "Amazon Publishing is excited to work with Chetan and publish his books to a wider audience, including readers both in India and abroad. Millions of readers have enjoyed Chetan's work for over a decade. His books deftly weave together the everyday life of youngsters with the prevalent social milieu of our time," said Jeff Belle, vice-president, Amazon Publishing, at the press conference, revealing that they had signed Bhagat for his next six books - three fiction, three non-fiction.

On the same page
Westland Publications, which was acquired in January 2017, is the official distributor of Amazon Publishing titles in India. Bhagat's next fiction novel, scheduled for release this October is - in the words of Westland CEO Gautam Padmanabhan - "tightly under wraps". Bhagat was tight-lipped too. "I like to surprise my readers so, without giving much away, all I can say is that my next novel is going to be very different from the work I have done before." Bhagat said he relates with Amazon, in that its goal is similar to his - encouraging people to read more. "Their online advantage and commitment to reach every corner of India ties in well with my goal of inspiring every Indian to read books," he added.

Speaking about his non-fiction books, a genre not much associated with the author, Bhagat said it will be much like his already published non-fiction works - 'What Young India Wants' and 'Making India Awesome', a compilation of his columns.

Keeping with the times
"I observe what's happening around me and in India. So, my stories essentially come from there. [As compared to] 2004, when I wrote my first book, things are very different now. I think one of the biggest differences in the lives of young people today is the advent of technology and social media. When I wrote 'Five Point Someone', none of this was there. I think my books will be taking into account these phenomenal changes. So, you can expect the new books to have a lot more references to stuff like WhatsApp and Instagram," he explained, talking about how the changing ethos of his readership had metamorphosed his work.

Bhagat's works have been hailed as accessible, in terms of language and content, and therefore, inclusive of more readers. However, often his readers are not acquainted with the work of other authors. "I have always encouraged everyone to read more and make it a part of their lives. I tell them read anything and everything, because reading increases concentration and is good for you in so many ways. They can't be reading only my books!" he said, adding that among the Indian authors who have caught his attention are Amish Tripathi, Durjoy Datta and Devdutt Pattanaik.

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