HarperCollins India Acquires Sanjena Sathian’s Debut Novel

India’s leading publishing house HarperCollins India has acquired journalist Sanjena Sathian’s debut novel. The book, title Gold Diggers, will be launched in India in May 21. In a tweet on Monday, the publisher stated that journo’s debut work will be a profoundly intelligent and bitingly funny exploration of identity and coming of age, this brilliant debut marks the arrival of a major talent.

Gold Diggers is a story spanning across two continents, portraying the author’s take on the ways to achieve the American dream. According to the official announcement on Harper India’s website, the book is a story of Neil Narayan, the only child of Indian immigrants in America, and his journey of realizing his dreams and fighting the high expectations of his parents. The book will launch in the United States in April, where it is being published by Penguin. Commenting on the India launch, Sanjena said,

“As the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Malayali translators, my own literary heritage begins in India, and I’ve long dreamt of having readers there. Living in Mumbai for several years myself and interviewing my family about their time growing up and attending college in then-Bombay was essential in writing the book, so I’m delighted to bring the work to India.”

Speaking about the acquisition of the highly anticipated novel, Literary Publisher at HarperCollins India, Udayan Mitra stated that the story is a genre-defining saga about Indians in America. He further added that Sanjena is a major new talent and will connect powerfully with Indian readers.

About the Author

Sanjena Sathian is a former Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow, and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Raised in Georgia by Indian immigrant parents, Sanjena has worked as a journalist in Mumbai and San Francisco with elite media houses like The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, et al. She has also taught creative writing to students in Iowa, Alaska, New Zealand, and India.