This development comes days after Penguin Random House India decided not to publish the book over what it called a “particular issue”
Ending the uncertainty over Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, HarperCollins India on Friday (September 4, 2026) officially announced that it will bring out Ms. Gandhi’s memoir in India on November 10, the same publication date as its international edition.
The issue of its domestic release had become uncertain following an “impasse” between the author’s representatives and Penguin Random House India (PRHI).
The book was initially expected to be published in India by PHRI. However, the publisher subsequently withdrew from the project following differences over the manuscript.
The development had triggered a political controversy, with senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath accusing Penguin India of bowing down to government pressure. Mr. Gehlot alleged that sections relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and China’s occupation of Indian territory during the Modi government’s tenure had become a point of contention. PRHI, however, denied any external pressure.
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With HarperCollins India now taking up the book, Belonging will be published in India alongside its international release by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on November 10.
‘Much-anticipated release’
Described by HarperCollins as “one of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time”, the book is a personal account of Ms. Gandhi’s life and offers an insider’s view of India’s political journey.
The memoir begins with Ms. Gandhi’s childhood in post-war Veneto, Italy, and traces her move to Cambridge, where she met Rajiv Gandhi, grandson of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
It recounts her marriage to Mr. Gandhi and her introduction to his mother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It also describes her efforts to adapt to life in India, including learning Hindi, wearing saris and adjusting to Indian food and customs.
The memoir covers the tragedies that shaped the Gandhi family, including the death of Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash, the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
The book also traces the political events surrounding the Congress-led alliance’s victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha election, after which Ms. Gandhi declined the Prime Minister’s post and led the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance, which remained in power for a decade.
Published – September 04, 2026 12:39 pm IST
