EVENT: Book release in Ahmedabad at CEPT University on Feb 18

Mapin Publishing and the Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University cordially invite you to the release of a monograph on architect Poppo Pingel. The book will be released by renowned architect Prof. Balkrishna V. Doshi. At North Lawns, CEPT University, Kasturbhai Lalbhai Campus, Navrangapura, Ahmedabad.

Eminent architects of Ahmedabad are coming together to highlight Poppo Pingel’s work at the book release event. The evening will have a presentation of his work by the author as well as a unique opportunity for students to interact with Poppo Pingel.

EVENT: Book release in Hyderabad on 4 February at Oxford Bookstore

Our new short story collection The Purple Lotus And Other Stories, published under the MapinLit imprint, will be released in Hyderabad on Saturday, 4 February at 6 pm. Actress-Activist Amala Akkineni will release the book and Outlook magazine’s editor-in-chief Krishna Prasad will lead the author in a conversation. The book event is being held at Oxford Bookstore, The Park, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad.We invite you all to join us for this.

Author Ratna Rao Shekar is the Editor of Wow!Hyderabad and Housecalls magazines.

Purple Lotus Invitation and Programme

Video interview with Bipin Shah, Managing Director and Publisher

The website, Not Just Publishing, recently featured a video interview of Bipin Shah, Mapin’s Managing Director and Publisher. In this candid interview Mr Shah reveals his personal journey from an engineer to publisher. This insightful interview reveals not only an entrepreneur’s vision but also several aspects of Indian publishing in the 1970s and ’80s.

The interview was conducted by Vinutha Mallya. A transcript is available for reading on the website.

How Mapin Publishing Put Indian Illustrated Books on the Map

Bipin Shah, Publisher of Mapin Publishing, recounts how he ventured into publishing illustrated books on India for the rest of the world—and built a global brand.

Ever since it was set up in 1983, Mapin Publishing has operated out of Ahmedabad — an industrial city in western India that was once known as “Manchester of the East” because of its textile mills. Many felt then that Ahmedabad was an unlikely location within India for a publishing house such as ours, but we have succeeded in bringing together the global and the local.

In the Loop in Frankfurt

At the Frankfurt Book Fair 2011, the word coming through every day was that exhibitors in Hall 8 – where the US, UK publishers are located, and described by David Davidar in his new novel, Ithaca, as the “nerve centre” of the Fair – were crying that they’ve had fewer meetings and deals at the Fair this year. This was evident when one took a stroll along the aisles of Hall 8 (after undertaking the long walk from Hall 5.0, where the non-multinational Indian publishers and printers were exhibiting).

The Mapin Stand, all dressed up! © Mapin

A Tour of India Finds Publishers Focused on the Digital Future

A little Indian publishing tourism, anyone?

Yes, the Frankfurt Book Fair may only be on the horizon and is likely the focus for many Indian publishers, but a sudden spurt of homegrown conferences and events is bound to lead the industry professionals towards interesting directions.

Until recently, publishing conferences were few and far in between in India, but the trend that has seen events proliferate across the globe has finally come our way and the four months before the end of the year sees numerous conferences and book fairs on the calendar.

The Digital Haystack: Where Are India’s Digital Publishing Programs?

Although strong IT capabilities in India are setting stage for the country to be a natural hub of publishing services, publishers within India are yet to jump on to the digital bandwagon. The value of publishing services outsourced to India is projected to reach $1.2 billion in 2012. Concerns of quality notwithstanding, India commands 60% of global publishing outsourcing.

The Indian Invitation: Why India Makes a Perfect Publishing Partner

Ranked as the sixth-largest publishing industry in the world, India has its entire gamut of publishing activities and services available in-house. An annual output of 90,000 books, with 19,000 publishers publishing them, has put the book market in India in the spotlight over the last few years.

The combined advantage of being the third-largest publisher of books in English and having competitive rates for publishing and printing technologies has made India a formidable player in the international publishing scene. The industry has been boosted by an infusion of capital since the year 2000, when the government of India allowed 100% equity in the publishing industry. The result has been several new opportunities and challenges for the Indian publishing industry.

Read more of this post on Publishing Perspectives.