Penguin Random House India launches New Imprint, Penguin Veer, To Publish Stories From The Indian Armed Forces

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Ebury Publishing and Vintage, a division of Penguin Random House India, is proud to launch a new imprint, Penguin Veer, which will be dedicated to centering stories from India’s long-established armed forces legacy. Under the direction of industry veterans Milee Ashwarya, Publisher of Ebury Publishing and Vintage, and Gurveen Chadha, Senior Commissioning Editor & Foreign Rights Lead, Penguin Veer will begin by publishing close to three new titles annually and debut its first list of books in 2021.

Commenting on the launch of the imprint, Ashwarya said, “Penguin Random House India has been home to the best writers and experts in the genre of war, defence and military stories, and we felt it was the right time to launch Penguin Veer, to bring greater focus and ambition to the esteemed list. Over the next few years, we hope to expand the list, and publish newer voices, while working closely with our existing brand authors. With the wide and growing readership that this genre enjoys, Penguin Veer will offer depth, diversity, and quality to its readers. I am proud to add this new imprint to our division, and look forward to the support of our authors and readers in making it a success.”

Penguin Random House India has published many bestselling and eminent titles about Indian Armed Forces, including The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories, 1965: Stories from the Indo-Pak War and Kargil by Rachna Bisht Rawat; and Vijyant at Kargil: The Biography of a War Hero by Col. VN Thapar and Neha Dwivedi. The titles in this genre, along with new forthcoming publications, including Major General Ian Cardozo’s 1971; Major General Rajpal Punia and Damini Punia’s Operation Khukri; Kulpreet Yadav’s The Battle of Rezang-La; and many more, will be brought under the new imprint.

“The Indian Armed Forces are the epitome of valour and selflessness, and we are so proud to announce Penguin Veer, an imprint dedicated to writings on our illustrious military history. From retired military officers to the best defence writers and war journalists in the country, our list of celebrated authors will bring readers stories of unsung heroes and icons, of lesser-known battles and military operations, capturing the courage and fearlessness displayed by our soldiers in the line of duty. These are stories that will fill hearts with pride,” said Chadha.

Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India and SEA, said of the new imprint, “Penguin Random House India aims to nurture our relationship with our readers, and having witnessed the popularity and demand our books on the Indian Armed Forces receive, we hope to bring more drive and diversity to this genre with our new Penguin Veer imprint. We add this imprint with great confidence to enrich our readers’ reading experiences, and build an inspiring catalogue that will be a testament to our country’s armed services.”

Ebury Publishing and Vintage is a publishing division of Penguin Random House India. Ebury Publishing is home to the most successful and celebrated list of popular fiction, non-fiction and business books in the Indian subcontinent, while Vintage hosts a select and specially curated list of literary fiction and literary non-fiction books. There are over half-dozen imprints under this division with the addition of Penguin Veer, each offering unique reading experiences. This new imprint will be the first of its kind to be dedicated to telling stories of and from India’s defence forces landscape.

Comments from authors about the new imprint Penguin Veer-

‘Putting together all books by Penguin on the Indian military under the banner of Penguin Veer is an excellent idea. India has fought five wars since independence and there are many stories to tell. Indian citizens know very little about India’s defence forces. They have a stake in the security of the country and for this they need to know more about how we in the armed forces live and behave in peace so that we know how to fight and die in war. For this, there is a crying need to understand the values we live by in peace, so that we can deliver victory in war. I am glad that this vacuum is being filled by Penguin by its far-sighted vision to bring the lives of the personnel of the armed forces closer to the man in the street. The privilege of leading men into battle is given to very few. It needs to be honoured.’

– Major General Ian Cardozo, author of 1971: Stories of Grit and Glory from the Indo-Pak War

‘Soldiers don’t die on battlefields. They die when an ungrateful nation forgets their sacrifice.’

The popular perception of soldiers is as G.I. Joe figures trained to kill and die glorious deaths. Fact is that they are young boys and girls, often straight out of college, with dreams in their eyes who decide to place the country before self. It is only when we read or tell their stories that we realise courage often comes bundled with values like commitment, responsibility, honour and a code of moral conduct that we don’t just want to see in our soldiers but also in ourselves and people around us. These stories need to be told. These acts of courage documented. Because only if we keep our heroes alive in public memory can we ensure that their qualities shall seep into future generations of Indians. I congratulate Penguin Random House on the launch of Penguin Veer which is a step in this direction. Soldiers don’t die on battlefields. They die when an ungrateful nation forgets their sacrifice. I hope that Penguin Veer shall keep them alive in our hearts forever.’

– Rachna Bisht Rawat, author of bestselling books Kargil, The Brave, Shot.Dive.Fly, to name a few

‘As an officer who’s spent two decades in uniform, it gives me great pleasure to learn that Penguin is coming out with a new imprint for books dedicated on military. Penguin Veer will help bring the courageous stories of our soldiers that are waiting to be told to the masses, both in India and abroad. A great initiative. Congratulations.’

– Kulpreet Yadav, Commandant (Retd) and author of The Battle of Rezang La