New Delhi:
Penguin Random House India Sunday announced the acquisition of 12 new titles in English by controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, with the first of these books to come out in 2021.
The titles will range from autobiographical writings to essays, fiction, short stories, and poetry.
Nasreen said this body of work represents her dream of an ideal world – one which is equal in all aspects, whether gender, caste or religion.
“With these books, I am sharing my thoughts and ideas in different formats – essays, novels, and poems – each focussing on very pertinent social issues, from feminism to humanism, and giving a voice to the voiceless,” the author said.
“It is an honour to be a woman writing in this day and age, removed from fear and bound by the vision of a society that respects women and diversity. Publishing with Penguin is a huge opportunity for me to take my ideas to a wider audience, perhaps even inspire them to build a world that isn’t based on compromises,” she added.
The 12 books will be published from 2021 onwards under the Hamish Hamilton imprint of Penguin Random House.
Nasreen is known for her powerful writing on women’s oppression and unflinching criticism of religion, undeterred and unruffled by forced exile and numerous fatwas demanding her head. Her 43 books have been translated into 30 languages.
Nasreen had to leave Bangladesh in 1994 in the wake of death threats by fundamentalist groups for her alleged anti-Islamic views. Since then she has been living in exile.
She has also stayed in the US and Europe during the last two decades.
At present, she is staying in India on a residence permit. A citizen of Sweden now, Nasreen has been getting residence permit on a continuous basis since 2004.
According to Premanka Goswami, senior commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India, “Nasreen is one of the most fearless voices of our times. Through her writings, she has always envisioned an egalitarian society.”
Ranjana Sengupta, deputy publisher, Penguin Random House India said Nasreen is not just an “immensely talented writer, but the clarity of her vision records the world with unflinching honesty and compassion”.
