We are delighted to announce the recipients of the UK-India Publishing Fellowship 2025. We look forward to welcoming the Fellows to Jaipur BookMark in January and London Book Fair in March, and to building new connections between the UK and Indian publishing sectors.
Company: Chanda Pustaka
From: Bangalore (India)
Vasudhendra, an Indian author who writes in Kannada, has had 15 of his books translated into many Indian languages, English, and Spanish. One of Kannada’s only gay writers to have come out, he has been successfully running a Kannada publishing house, Chanda Pustaka, for the past 20 years, and recognises emerging talent in writing. He is an enthusiastic hiker, who has trekked across the Western Ghats, Mount Kilimanjaro, Kailash-Mansarovar, and many other mountains in the Himalaya.
Company: Fly on the Wall Press
From: Manchester (UK)
Isabelle Kenyon, Managing Director of a publishing house called Fly on the Wall Press, was named a Future Leader by the Bookseller in 2024. Founded in 2018, she has led Fly on the Wall Press from Small Press of the Year finalist status at the British Book Awards 2021-23 to their win in the North in 2024. She is also a northern writer and the author of the psychological thriller The Dark Within Them and poetry collections including Growing Pains.
Independent publishers often begin as outliers who then go on to animate the mainstream with fresh perspectives. They have ideas that make great and important books. Whether they come with an understanding of the business of publishing or simply with a conviction that a book must see the light of day, they bring real diversity and energy to the world of publishing. Time and again, independent publishersprovide the seedbed to nurture first time authors, spark off an eclectic list and find new pathways to markets that were waiting to be tapped.
In recognition of the critical need to encourage diverse voices in the publishing ecosystem, British Council and the Jaipur BookMark, India’s premier platform for the publishing industry nested in the Jaipur Literature Festival,are supporting independent publishers from the UK and India to come together at the Jaipur BookMark. The British Council has in the past, arranged exchange visits for publishers from the two countries as part of the International Publishing Fellowship, as well as facilitated their participation in the programme at Jaipur BookMark.
Through an open-call application process, one publishereach from India and the UK will be invited to visit and participate in the Jaipur BookMark (30 Jan-3 Feb 2025) and the London Book Fair (11-13 March 2025)to encourage exchange and collaboration between diverse publishers from India and the UK.
The Jaipur BookMark and the British Council will extend full support to the Fellows to meet publishing and literature professionalswho will help to widen their professional expertise and further the objectives of the fellowship. Targeted suggestions and introductions will be facilitated during the course of their stay in Jaipur and London.
The Jaipur BookMark has a full programme of panel discussions, interviews with industry veterans and roundtables that focus on various aspects of publishing across the globe. There will be opportunities to network with industry professionals, meet translators, booksellers, literary agents and potential authors. Many publishers explore the buying and selling of rights of their titles at the JBM.
In addition, the publishers will be expected to be proactive in advance of the Festival to get to know each other better. They are encouraged to explore areas of mutual learning and cooperation that extend beyond the Festival. They will be requested to keep themselves available for press interviews as required with due facilitation from the British Council and the Jaipur BookMark.
Fellows will get to experience the magic of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival and the Jaipur BookMark.As a speaker, the publishers will be entitled to attend any other sessions and Roundtables that are of interestat the Jaipur BookMark and the Jaipur Literature Festival. There will be access to the Speaker’s Lounge, the vibrant Music Stage and other cultural evenings that are hosted in tandem with the Festival. (Do check out the website of the Jaipur BookMark and the Jaipur Literature Festival for programme updates.)
The UK leg of the programme will include a visit to London during the London Book Fair to make connections with the UK and global publishing industry. The London Book Fair (LBF) is the global marketplace for the sale and distribution of print, audio, TV, film, and digital content. As a B2B fair, it is one of the most important platforms for the international publishing industry to do business and network and welcomes 25,000 visitors each year.
The Fellows’ programme will include bespoke meetings, networking events, and suggested professional seminars. There may also be an opportunity to participate in a panel discussion, details to be confirmed closer to the time. There is also an expectation that the Fellows will pursue their own connections and interests or be available to attend other meetings as required by their publisher.
The programme will cover the Fellow’s:
Fellows would be expected to cover their own travel insurance, personal expenditure and travel to the airport in their country of residence.
Arrangements for the reciprocal UK trip in 2025 will be made in consultation with the successful Fellows after the JBF programme concludes.