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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

There is space for good stories, and we are here to publish them

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Milee Aishwarya, publisher at Penguin India, stated that readership in India is growing annually by 10-15 percent, driven by economic development and school initiatives.
  • She emphasized the importance of reading for developing independent thought and understanding complex issues in an era of social media.
  • Aishwarya believes there is ample space for good stories and that publishers like Penguin India are dedicated to bringing them to readers.

Milee Aishwarya, publisher and senior group vice president of the Adult Publishing Group at Penguin India, believes there is a continuing and growing need for books, even in the age of social media.

Reading opens up a new world. You learn about things and places you have never directly encountered; it opens your mind.

— Milee AishwaryaDiscussing the importance of reading in today's world.

"Reading opens up a new world. You learn about things and places you have never directly encountered; it opens your mind," Aishwarya said in an interview with the Kathmandu Post. She stressed that reading is crucial for young people to develop independent views and form their own opinions, especially when social media often dictates perspectives.

And I think when people want to have their own independent views, [when] you want to have your own understanding of an event, of history, of things, then you need to read.

— Milee AishwaryaExplaining why reading is essential for forming independent opinions.

Speaking from her experience in India, where she oversees the publishing of over 250 books annually, Aishwarya noted that readership has grown by 10-15 percent each year. She attributes this growth to India's economic development, which increases disposable income, and to schools actively encouraging reading habits from a young age. "Our readership has grown at about 10-15 percent every year as per the latest report, and I see it growing more in the future too," she stated.

Our readership has grown at about 10-15 percent every year as per the latest report, and I see it growing more in the future too, because as India is developing and people have more disposable income, they are spending on other things, but also on books.

— Milee AishwaryaDetailing the growth of readership in India.

Aishwarya, who has worked with prominent authors like Arundhati Roy and Sudha Murthy, remains confident in the enduring appeal of literature. "There is space for good stories, and we are here to publish them," she affirmed, highlighting the ongoing demand for quality narratives and the vital role of publishers in meeting it.

So I stand firmly behind what I said eight years ago, there is space for good bo

— Milee AishwaryaReiterating her belief in the continued demand for good books.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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