Local Support
With publishing houses in the West in a slump, literary agencies have begun to eye the booming Indian market. One of the best-known British agents in India, Gillon Aitken, has just opened an office in India. But that million-dollar advance may still not happen—as yet. The idea is to provide “local support” to the existing list of 14 Indian authors, which includes Pankaj Mishra, Manju Kapur, Aatish Taseer and Tarun Tejpal—but not V.S. Naipaul, who broke up with his long-time agent last year. And to tap the creative hub that India is fast becoming, churning out new authors by the minute. Shruti Debi, ex-editor of Picador India, will head Aitken Alexander Associates’s India office. She plans to add at least 20 new authors this year to the existing list. So happy signing to all of you aspiring authors.