Introducing new Penguin Random House Imprints

KOKILA (Penguin Young Readers, USA): Celebrates diverse voices with stories reflecting global richness and new beginnings, led by VP Namrata Tripathi

on Jun 28, 2024

Introducing new Penguin Random House Imprints

Over the past year, our global publishing organizations have announced or launched interesting new imprints. The imprints' goals and missions range from providing a platform and publishing home for more diverse voices to producing specialized material for digital devices and creating supplementary goods that capitalize on the power and influence of our most successful authors. Here's an overview of some of our new imprints:

KOKILA - Penguin Young Readers (USA)
The new Penguin Young Readers brand, KOKILA (pronounced KO-ki-la), will bring together a diverse community of authors and artists, publishing professionals, and readers to study and celebrate stories that represent the richness of our world. Namrata Tripathi, former Associate Publisher and Editorial Director of Dial Books for Young Readers, will lead Kokila as its Vice President and Publisher.

The word Kokila is derived from the Sanskrit term for the Koel bird. The kokila is an important figure in Indian poetry and mythology, and it is regarded as a symbol of new beginnings. In the spirit of its name, Kokila seeks to center stories from the edges and allow storytellers to explore the entire range of their experiences, giving subtlety and depth to how children and young adults perceive the world and their place in it. Kokila will publish works from Pablo Cartaya, Sherine Hamdy and Myra El-Mir, Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña, and Nilah Magruder. The imprint's first list of books will be published in the summer of 2019.

"The idea exchange resulting from mixing cultures and languages has shaped the way I see the world," Namrata Tripathi tells me. "At Kokila, we aspire to foster a community of authors, artists, and readers that believe in the value of sharing stories from a wide range of experiences. They will be assisted by publishing professionals who are deeply committed to that mission."

ONE WORLD - Random House (USA)
Last year, Random House relaunched ONE WORLD, with Chris Jackson as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. His objective is to renew and extend the historic publishing program, which was founded in 1991 as the first multicultural imprint at a major publishing business.

According to Mr. Jackson, "The fundamental mission of One World is to provide a home for writers—including novelists, essayists, memoirists, journalists, and thinkers and writers unconstrained by genre—who want to tell stories and explore ideas that help us reimagine our politics, culture, and inner lives, without the filter of the dominant culture. One World was founded twenty-five years ago as an imprint dedicated to telling tales for, by, and about all of us—a goal that is still bold and vibrant today. I'm excited that we'll be reviving that concept and increasing its capabilities to capture the planet in its entirety at this time."

The imprint's first two publications, BONES by Joe Tone and WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN
POWER by Ta-Nehisi Coates, received widespread critical praise.

Last October, Penguin Random House UK (Ebury), a leading non-fiction publisher in the UK, launched a new label called Pop Press, which focuses on creative gift publishing. Pop Press, managed by Laura Higginson, Editorial Director, and Elen Jones, Senior Commissioning Editor, will publish 18 titles per year, focusing on trend-driven, gorgeously designed, impulse-priced gift books.

Recent and future works include: THE PERIODIC TABLE OF FEMINISM, which explores the history of feminism via some of its most notable proponents; HOW TO BE A PRINCESS, a collection of inspirational fairy tales for modern heroines to commemorate the upcoming Royal Wedding in May; STOP LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE, an illustrated manual that reminds us that we can live without our devices; and for some Christmas enjoyment, WHERE'S THE MERMAID?, a fun WHERE'S WALLY-style book for mermaid aficionados of all ages!

With books increasingly sharing retail space with luxury greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, and stationery, Pop is Ebury's approach of focusing its collective, creative energy on ensuring that its books are the gifts that customers choose.

PENGUIN LIFE, Penguin Random House Australia.
Penguin Random House Australia launched Penguin Life, a personal development and healthy living brand, in January of this year.

Penguin Life will release six books this year, beginning with THE LONGEVITY DIET by Valter Longo, director of the University of Southern California's Longevity Institute. Longo's book has sold over 300,000 copies in Italy.