October 8, 2018— On the eve of the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, the annual international celebration of the global book marketplace, Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade-book publisher, announces the extension and expansion of its commitment to local publishing in Asia, currently represented by its Penguin Random House North Asia and Penguin Random House India companies, with the launch of its Penguin Random House South East Asia publishing operation in 2019.
The mandate of the newly established company, to be based in Singapore, will be to discover and publish local and international voices across English-language adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction formats for Singapore and Malaysia, as well as from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Myanmar (Burma). At its outset, the company hopes to publish some fifty titles in print and digital formats, adding to the robust and diverse literary creativity of the region, which is seen as one of the most promising of the emerging publishing regions, with much great writing across genres in English and regional languages.
Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO, Penguin Random House India and South East Asia, will oversee Penguin Random House South East Asia’s company, which currently is named Penguin Books Singapore. As its first hire, he announces the appointment of Nora Nazerene Abu Bakar as Executive Editor, effective November 2018, reporting to him. She will be responsible for building the local publishing list, managing acquisitions, and author relationships, with close retailer and marketing support initially from Penguin Random House India.
Nora Nazerene brings with her twelve years of experience in the publishing industry, during which she served in several positions in Pearson Education South Asia and, most recently, Marshall Cavendish Education. As an Acquisitions Manager with Marshall Cavendish, Nora played a key role in growing the company’s core lists comprising print and digital content, with which it maintains its position as a market leader in the Singapore K-12 market, and expands its reach into the surrounding region. Her network of relationships and keen knowledge of the region will be key in establishing a publishing presence for Penguin Random House in Southeast Asia.
Picture Courtesy: Penguin Random House India
Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of our Singapore-based Penguin Random House South East publishing operation, which joins our thriving imprints in India and China and our growing English-language publishing programs worldwide. This new trade publishing program with original books written by local authors is a natural extension and complement to the longstanding business we have selling adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction by our international authors into this vibrant market and community.”
Gaurav Shrinagesh said, “These are exciting times for book lovers, as publishing transcends geographies and languages to open access to literature from all over the world. Penguin Random House’s expansion into South East will broaden our audience reach and local consumer insights to create publishing opportunities to further develop our editorial portfolio by supporting local authors in emerging markets and building their audiences.”
“I am delighted to join the Penguin Random House team, and look forward to tapping into my experience to build a strong list and grow the business in the region,” says Nora Nazerene Abu Bakar about her new position.
In June, Penguin Random House India further enhanced its presence in its home market with the acquisition of Hind Pocket Books, one of the country’s oldest and most respected Hindi-language publishers.
About Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson, who own 75 percent and 25 percent, respectively. With nearly 275 independent imprints and brands on five continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital English- and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With over 15,000 new titles, and close to 800 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House’s publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.
About Penguin Random House India
Penguin Random House India is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books. The children’s titles are published under the Puffin imprint.
Penguin Random House India’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honours.
Penguin Random House India is also the exclusive distribution partner for several leading local and international publishing houses in India and the sub-continent.