About
The mission of Pippa Rann Books and Media is to nurture democratic and humane values among Indians and among others who love India.
In pursuit of that mission, we ourselves publish:
- Books and media by authors of Indian origin, on any subject that serves the purpose mentioned above – broadly interpreted
- Books and media by authors of non-Indian origin, on any subject connected with India or with the Indian diaspora, which serves the purpose mentioned above – again, broadly interpreted.
All books are on topics of interest to any intelligent Indian reader, and they are written by people of contrasting ideological, religious, philosophical, and political commitments.
Launched on August the 17th, 2020, Pippa Rann Books & Media is the first imprint of Salt Desert Media Group Limited, which was founded in 2019, and is a Member of the Independent Publishers Guild, U.K.
A second imprint, Global Resilience Publishing, started publishing books from 2022.
Our titles are available:
– in the UK via Gardners,
– in 17 Asian countries via Penguin Random House India,
– in North America (Canada and the USA) via Independent Publishers Group/ Trafalgar Square Publishing, and
– in the rest of the world via Prologue Sales.
“Independent-minded, intellectually free-ranging titles on India.
– Professor Robbie Goh, Provost, Singapore University of Social Sciences
Philippa Guptara (Pippa Rann)
This imprint is named after Pippa Rann, because she became a publisher, as it happened, just before the family moved countries suddenly and unexpectedly. That publishing initiative therefore dried up. Having been born and raised in the Home Counties of the UK, “Pippa” – as she was called by family and close friends – studied at what is now Oxford Brookes University, worked at Pergamon Press as well as at All Souls College, Oxford, before going to India, at the age of 22, to work at the international headquarters of an NGO.
Having spent some 5 years in India, she felt totally integrated – she made friends easily and loved them deeply, learnt Hindi, had a saree as preferred wear, and enjoyed Indian music and cuisine.When she married Prabhu in Delhi in 1976, they intended to spend their lives in India – but, sadly, only a few months later, Prabhu became a political exile from India. They arrived in the UK with the intention of returning to India as soon as possible – and though they returned for family visits when possible, the course of life as well as of developments in India and abroad took them in a different direction.
Wild flowers, gardens, classical music, architecture, history, fiction, and films delighted her and, whenever she had a moment, she would happily turn to singing, playing music, macrame, knitting, baking, cooking, gardening or sudoku. The challenges and opportunities facing women, students, and younger people, were close to her heart, and she was always willing to go out of her way to be a mentor or a shoulder to cry on. Indian-style, she made her home an “open” one. There was always space for guests, whether they were expected or unexpected – at the table (regardless of however straitened were the financial circumstances of the family), and in the home (however small the house in which they lived!).
Philippa was promoted to Heaven after a two-year battle with cancer, and is sorely missed by Prabhu, their children and grandchildren. Wherever she lived, she continued to love India, and took the initiative to organise the annual “India Day” celebrating India’s Independence Day, as well as to organise an “Indian Christmas”, both of which had, at their centre, home-made Indian cuisine and live Indian music, and both of which always concluded with the Indian National Anthem.
he offered the Taj
Mahal all I grow is this
little bine of books
Publisher
- from checking tickets at a theatre to being a distinguished professor,
- from coaching Indian students for the IAS exams to being an interviewer for a market research company,
- from in loco parentis to an international medley of students at a British university to chairing international conferences,
- from a film censor for the UK to Drama Script Editor for the BBC,
- from a pundit and presenter on mainstream radio and TV in several countries to writing on international culture, politics and economics …
- to then becoming a consultant – eventually, a consultant to some of the largest companies in the world.
This imprint is Prabhu’s labour of love in memory of his wife, for the sake of the land where his heart still is.
Internships
We offer a summer internship, which focuses on PR, social media and communications
Thank you!
Many thanks to the Independent Publishers Guild, U.K. for taking this rookie publisher under its wing, and for providing an incredible amount of prompt help and support;
also to the following, who have given, and continue to give, so much of their expertise and time – far beyond what can be expected ordinarily:
- Audience Relations: Anna Lindsay, Poet & Novelist, http://www.eden-undone.com
- Digital Growth Advisors: Ruah Technologies & Solutions, www.ruahtech.com.au
- Distribution: Rob Wendover, Prologue Sales
- Editorial Advisors: Jyoti Banerjee; Martin Casimir; Ram Gidoomal CBE; Professor Robbie Goh, Provost, Singapore University of Social Sciences; Jonathan Harris; Miles Poynton; Dr Mukesh Williams, Professor of Humanities, Soka University, Japan.
- I.T. Director: Roy Child
- Press Liaison: John L. Oakes, Quercus Public Affairs, U.K.
- Print Co-ordinator: Geoff Watts, Blue Sky Publishing
- Technology & Backstage: Finn Schwarz, www.blickwinkel-media.net
Would you like to:
– know more about Pippa Rann Books & Media?
– request a review copy or high res picture?
– interview one of our authors?
– attend one of our events?
– have any other PR-related queries?
– discuss co-publishing, marketing, distribution, and other possibilities?
– explore possible licencing of rights (domestic, extract, dramatic, audio, etc)?
Please Contact Us.