From AI Innovations to Women’s Role in Publishing: Jaipur BookMark 2025 Unveils Key Discussions

The 3rd day of BookMark’s sessions had wrapped up with an Editors’ Roundtable led by Arunava Sinha featuring professionals from the Indian publishing industry. Amrita Talwar, Chiragh Thakkar, Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Karthika VK, Manoj Satti, Moutushi Mukherjee, Rahul Dixit, and Sushant Jha shared their perspectives on the state of publishing in India and around the world.  For Mukherjee, watching Indian authors gain international popularity and accolades has been a highlight of the past few years. VK expressed excitement about the growing appreciation for publishing novels in multiple Indian languages. The conversation veered into more serious topics, with Dixit bemoaning the difficulty of selling novels from new authors. The speakers agreed that the rising cost of producing books has made selling new novels a riskier venture, as well. The conversation turned more positive, as they seemed optimistic about the future of literature in India and globally. They mentioned that the increasing interest in literature festivals can benefit the publishing industry, too, by providing more spaces to promote new authors.

Day 4 of Jaipur BookMark’s sessions started with a lively conversation with Anand Gandhi and Vinay Shulka, moderated by Hemali Sodhi. The duo reflected on their process for film and game development, and some of the peculiar perspectives that shaped ‘Shasn,’ one of India’s most popular board games.  Gandhi reflected on how he broke into film writing, through his mother's love for pop culture. Shukla offered a humorous perspective on his start in the film industry, calling himself “mediocre at everything” until he managed to win a short film competition that Anand Gandhi was a judge for. The pair explained that ‘Shasn’ is an extension of their 2016 film An Insignificant Man, and their goal was to encourage the players to reexamine the way they view political engagement.

In the session, Passion Projects: Books Distilled with Love’, MK Ranjitsinh began by sharing his spiritual connection with mountains and nature, while Bandeep Singh discussed his documentation of Naga Sadhus in his book. Ramya Reddy revealed how her research-driven project of Nilgiri tribal communities evolved into a passion. Each person shared unique insights into their creative processes and motivations.

‘What are the latest trends in the world of Tamil publishing?’ was the question in focus for the session ‘Putiya Katru: The Fresh Breeze in Tamil Publishing’. Presented by Kalachuvadu, the panel included Ival Bharathi, Gayathri Ramasubramanian, and Nivedita Louis in conversation with Kannan Sundaram. The publishers shared their experiences of starting publishing houses, discussing how the wave of women writers and publishers has challenged the patriarchal world of literature. They spoke about their journeys from small villages to big dreams, inspiringly leaving stable jobs to follow their passions. Actively seeking new talent, the publishers provided further insights into Tamil literature, emphasizing the importance of translations in making its beauty accessible to a wider audience.

At the Indian Language Publishers’ Roundtable, publishers from around the country came to take part in a vital conversation, discussing issues that impact them, and finding points of common interest. The panel included Ashok Maheshwari, Govind Deecee, Harsha Bhatkal, Jai Prakash Pandey, Jeeva Karikalan, Kannan Sundaram, Nivedita Louis, Vasudhendra, and Vishal Soni in conversation with Aditi Maheshwari-Goyal.

Now in its 12th year, Jaipur BookMark 2025 reaffirms its position as a leading platform for exchange and collaboration in the publishing industry, driving innovation and progress. With a focus on storytelling that transcends both geographical and linguistic boundaries, the conclave continues to celebrate and amplify the diverse voices that are shaping contemporary publishing trends. Jaipur BookMark 2025’s final day will conclude with invigorating roundtables, including the Festival Directors’ Roundtable which will focus on literature amid conflict and change.