There were sessions on subjects such as children’s literature, the art of translation, marketing thrillers, literary magazines, new media, board games, the author-editor relationship, artificial intelligence and creativity, graphic novels, and Hindi, Tamil and Telugu publishing. In addition, there were roundtables featuring editors, publishers, retailers and festival directors.

JBM Director Manisha Chaudhry mentioned that those keen to enter the publishing industry but having no prior experience or connections could “register as delegates, attend sessions that align with their interests and connect with whoever they want to”. It was a precious opportunity because publishing, like many other industries, has gatekeepers.

Having a story to tell is not enough. Grabbing the attention of someone willing to publish it can be quite difficult. JBM had literary agents giving practical advice and pointing out harsh realities. Jayapriya Vasudevan, founder of Jacaranda, said, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a short story but anthologies are the hardest to sell.” She has observed that a collection made up of interconnected stories, which feels like a novel, tends to have more takers. Mita Kapur, founder of Siyahi, underlined the importance of sending “a cleaned-up proposal” and being patient and professional while contacting agents to represent one’s work.

Kanishka Gupta, founder of Writer’s Side, spoke about the trend of publishers signing contracts with online influencers who lack writing skills but have a large following on Instagram. He said he preferred working with people who have “the skill set and sensibilities of a writer”.

The challenges that authors face also came up for discussion. Photographer Bandeep Singh, who is working on a book about the Naga Sadhus he met at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, said publishers often look for “cost-cutting mechanisms” which can be hard for authors who want to work with someone really passionate about their project.

MK Ranjitsinh, who played a major role in drafting the Wildlife Protection Act of India, and has written several books on wildlife conservation, said, “Publishers must realise that they are dealing with the lifeblood of the author and not think only of commercial gains.”

Ravi Mantri, whose Telugu book Amma Diary Lo Konni Pageelu, sold a thousand copies within two days of being published, said that another publisher had rejected it only because of the book’s unconventional title. He advised writers to be fearless in expressing themselves, noting that “stories should come from the heart” and not be geared towards validation.

Manisha Chaudhry had some good news for aspiring authors: “Going forward, we may look at having pitching opportunities to editors and agents at designated times via registration and appointment,” she said. While pitching does happen informally now, a structured format would hopefully streamline the process and also be more productive for all parties involved.

A writer-editor relationship is special. Delhi-based lawyer Malavika Rajkotia, author, Unpartitioned Time: A Daughter’s Story (2024), said the editor is like a film director while the author is like an actor. Ravi Singh, publisher and co-founder, Speaking Tiger Books, indicated that “it is an equation of equal trust”. Meru Gokhale, former publisher at Penguin Press, spoke of the professional boundaries that need to be set even though “editing is an act of care”. As an introvert who cherishes her solitude, she did not want to be “a therapist or a friend”. Such expectations, she believes, can “complicate the editor-author relationship”.

While it is hard for any forum to capture India’s vast multilingual publishing landscape, JBM made an effort by publishing a rights catalogue featuring 58 titles by 30 publishers in 10 languages. The idea was to ensure that books have long lifespans not only through translation and sale of rights in new territories but also as audiobooks and e-books and via film and OTT adaptations. Manasi Subramaniam, Editor-in-Chief and Vice-President of the Hamish Hamilton, Allen Lane, Viking, Penguin and Penguin Classics imprints at Penguin India, noted that “a big prize can really change the game in terms of selling foreign language rights”.

One of the highlights at this year’s JBM was a session celebrating 30 years of Kalachuvadu, the Tamil publishing house run by Kannan Sundaram and Mythili Sundaram. They were in conversation with Neeta Gupta, publishing director at Tethys Books, and historian AR Venkatachalapathy, professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies. “Nothing warms the Tamil heart as much as an acknowledgement of Tamil culture outside,” said Venkatachalapathy, who unveiled Perumal Murugan and artist Appupen’s graphic novel Vaadivaasal: The Arena, an adaptation of CS Chellappa’s 1959 novel revolving around the sport of jallikattu. Venkatachalapathy also gave a talk entitled Palm leaf to Pagemaker that traced the evolution of India’s book culture from traditional manuscripts to contemporary publishing.

This year’s edition of JBM also addressed many crucial issues. Ajay Jain, founder of Kunzum Books, pointed out that Amazon is a pet peeve for booksellers like himself. Brian Murray, CEO of HarperCollins Publishers, addressed concerns about the e-commerce giant. “Handselling to local communities is absolutely important,” he said, adding that authors often use social media to highlight indie bookstores where readers can buy their books.” He also pointed out that Amazon “helps people who don’t live within a 10km radius of a bookstore”.

Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo and French illustrator Cheyenne Olivier discussed their book Poor Economics for Kids, which engages children in learning about complex economic concepts without talking down to them. Queer feminist activist Rituparna Neog, who runs Akam Foundation, an NGO building free libraries for children in Assam, said, “Our shared responsibility is to have conversations with children. We need to raise critical thinkers.” Both Duflo and Neog also spoke about the need for children’s books that reflect diverse childhoods.

The influence of sales figures on editorial decisions came up during the Editors’ Roundtable, which also grappled with the shrinking space for poetry and plays in Indian publishing. Norwegian writer and publisher Jon Krog Pedersen shared that the Norwegian government buys copies of books and puts them into libraries. This encourages writers and publishers to make room for experimental books because they are assured that copies will get sold.

Former intellectual property lawyer Palak Yadav and editor Vidhi Gupta offered a workshop on using Editrix.ai, which combines artificial intelligence with human editors, while literary agent Hemali Sodhi, founder of A Suitable Agency, moderated a conversation with filmmakers Anand Gandhi and Vinay Shukla about their board game called Shasn that combines politics, strategy and ethics, with players taking on the roles of politicians.

Speaking about the Royal Norwegian Embassy’s support for JBM since its inception, May Elin-Stener, the country’s ambassador to India, said, “Promoting literature strengthens bilateral ties between Norway and India.” Apart from the cultural diplomacy angle, she also spoke about India as “a priority market for Norwegian art and culture” and about Norway’s mandate to advance “values like democracy, freedom of expression, and sustainability”.

JBM collaborated with the British Council to support the participation of independent publishers from India and the UK. The initiative included Bangalore-based Kannada writer Vasudhendra, who runs a Kannada publishing house called Chanda Pustaka, and Manchester-based writer Isabelle Kenyon, Managing Director of the publishing house, Fly on the Wall Press.

Leading figures from Indian publishing like Ananth Padmanabhan, Ashok Maheshwari, Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Karthika VK, Aditi Maheshwari-Goyal, Udayan Mitra, Ranjana Sengupta, Govind Deecee, Arunava Sinha, Chirag Thakkar, Moutushi Mukherjee and Arcopol Chaudhuri spoke at the event. The international line-up had Michael Hofmann, Tiffany Gassouk, Emmanuelle Collas, Irenosen Okojie, Mélody Enjoubault, and Michael Houlgate.

While JBM was tucked away in a quiet nook amidst the chaos of JLF, it was the place where decision makers congregated to talk about the past, present and future of the publishing industry. As JLF Co-Director Namita Gokhale said, “JBM is the heart of the literature festival. It celebrates the core values of publishing and the ecosystem of books and narratives.” Hopefully, future editions will also offer more masterclasses and workshops for publishing industry professionals who feel the need to upskill amid fears that technology might render them redundant.

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based journalist who writes about books, art and culture. He can be reached @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.