After Penguin India Ditches Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir, HarperCollins Steps In to Publish ‘Belonging’

HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India on 10 November 2026, after Penguin Random House India dropped plans to publish the book.

The memoir was initially expected to be published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI), but its publication in India ran into difficulties after the publisher sought certain changes and deletions in part of the manuscript. Several Indian publishers were subsequently in the fray, with HarperCollins reported to be close to finalising an agreement to publish and distribute the book in India.

PRHI which was expected to publish Belonging: A Journey of Love, would not do so in India after sources said the publisher had sought “editorial changes and deletions” in “a part of the manuscript”. The proposed changes were rejected by Sonia Gandhi.

The memoir had met roadblocks while Gandhi was in talks with Penguin India over its publication. Following Penguin India’s exit, several Indian publishers were in the fray to publish the book in India.

It was reported that Penguin India may no longer publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir. The publishing house had backed out of the project over certain “editorial changes and deletions” it wanted to make to “a part of the manuscript”. The proposed changes were reportedly turned down by the author.

HarperCollins India is an active book publisher and a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers UK. It publishes around 200 to 250 new books every year across various literary and educational genres.

In an earlier announcement, Alfred A. Knopf announced November 10, 2026, as the release date for Belonging: A Journey of Love, described as the “riveting memoir by one of the world’s most prominent women leaders”, Sonia Gandhi.

The US-based Knopf had emphasised that the book tells a “richly engaging story of love, family, and an endlessly fascinating country: India.”

Penguin Random House India on Monday, August 31, denied that any external pressure influenced its decision not to publish veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s much-anticipated memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, saying discussions over the manuscript reached an impasse on “a particular issue”.

The publisher declined to disclose details of the disagreement, citing its agreement with the author and the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

According to Penguin India, some of its suggestions were accepted by the author’s team, while on other matters, the publisher accepted the author’s position.

However, the two sides ultimately failed to reach an understanding on one particular issue.

“Since the content of the book is confidential and under embargo, there was no external pressure whatsoever,” the publisher said.

Some senior Congress leaders, however, claimed that pressure had been put on the publishing house to remove portions of the manuscript relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and “the occupation of Indian territory by China during Modi’s rule”.