While Penguin Random House's distributing unit has already existed in Singapore, the establishment of a publishing arm could open up more opportunities for Southeast Asian writers.
On Monday, October 8, Penguin Random House announced that it will expand its publishing operation to Southeast Asia with a new headquarters in Singapore, Straits Times reports. The new Southeast Asian headquarters is called Penguin Books Singapore and will begin operation in 2019 with 50 titles in print and digital formats.
According to a statement on the publisher's website, Penguin Books Singapore's aim is to "discover and publish local and international voices across English-language adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction formats for Singapore and Malaysia, as well as from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Myanmar (Burma)."
Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India and Southeast Asia will oversee the operation of the company in Singapore.
On the decision to choose Singapore as the location for its new headquarters, Shrinagesh said that the country's sensibilities for a mixture of Asian and Western literature as well as its significant role in the literary scene in Southeast Asia make Singapore a sensible choice.
“These are exciting times for book lovers, as publishing transcends geographies and languages to open access to literature from all over the world," said Shrinagesh.
[Photo via Straits Times]
