Penguin and Jaipur Literature Festival announce a Mentorship Programme for Unpublished Writers
New Delhi, 9 December 2022: The leading publishing house in India, Penguin Random House India, marks its 35th year in India with the launch of a one-of-a-kind platform to discover and mentor emerging writers from the country, in association with the world’s largest literary festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival. Titled The Perfect Pitch, it is a mentorship initiative to scout for the best pitch for unpublished, submission-ready work by aspiring writers and storytellers, where the candidates can win an opportunity to be guided by experts in publishing and the literary world and polish their pitch. The Editor Recommends, a fast-growing, popular literary social media influencer, comes on board as a knowledge partner for this programme.
Aspiring writers from all over the country are invited to present the pitch of their finished manuscripts to a jury panel made up of editors, literary experts, and notable authors. Call for entries opens today, 7 December, and closes on 25 December. Criteria and guidelines are listed in the annexure. The finalists will be invited to Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 to present their pitches to the esteemed jury and in front of an audience in an exclusive session. Jaipur Literature Festival is scheduled from 19 January to 23 January.
The writer with the best pitch will be awarded an opportunity to be mentored in one-on-one sessions with experienced editors from Penguin who have commissioned best-selling and award-winning works, an acclaimed author who has published with Penguin and Shreya Punj, also known as The Editor Recommends. The winner’s work will also be considered for a book deal with Penguin, should it meet the publishing house’s requirements.
Speaking about this partnership, Natasha Kapur, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Penguin Random House India says, “Penguin and Jaipur Literature Festival have a longstanding association with common aspirations to make reading, books and authors accessible. On the occasion of Penguin’s 35th anniversary in India, we join hands with Jaipur Literature Festival to present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to India’s budding writers with a chance to pitch their book to an eminent jury of editors and authors in front of an audience of potential readers. As a publisher, we aim to discover and promote the best of Indian writing and with Jaipur Literature Festival we get the chance to bring together all elements of the literary community under one roof- the writers, the readers, and the editors, and celebrate India’s vibrant and burgeoning literary culture.”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “It’s a delight for the Jaipur Literature Festival to partner with Penguin Random House in creating a space for writers to find their voice. Through this initiative, we aim to bridge the gap between new writers waiting in the wings and the global arc of publishing so that new writing can be brought to the forefront.”