Supriyo Chakraborty in Conversation with Aditi Dasgupta

AD: Every publishing house has its own origin story. Could you share the journey behind the inception of Penprints?

SC: Penprints was born from a simple belief: every meaningful story deserves a dignified home. We started not as a business chasing trend, but as a literary space committed to discovering voices that might otherwise remain unheard. We found that many people faced difficulty finding a publisher for their poetry anthologies because they were keen to publish their literary work with a global brand. We started Penprints to create a space for these poets and authors to work with an Indian publisher.

AD: The literary landscape is getting increasingly crowded. How does Penprints approach the process of selecting voices and manuscripts? What draws you towards a piece of writing?

SC: It is true that the literary landscape is getting crowded, and some unprofessional publishing houses are taking advantage of such authors. We have an editorial team led by Prof. Sreetanwi Chakraborty, and all manuscripts are reviewed by multiple editors because we are less interested in whether a manuscript fits a category and more interested in whether it leaves an imprint. A compelling manuscript often carries authenticity, emotional depth, intellectual courage, or a perspective we have not encountered before.

AD: A striking aspect of Penprints is its openness to voices that may not always fit neatly into marketable categories. Such literary experimentation might not always be commercially viable for a hybrid publishing house. What, for you, makes a manuscript “necessary” even when it may not be conventionally commercial?

SC: Commercial potential matters, but cultural value matters more. Some books generate revenue; others generate meaning. We believe publishing needs both. The publishing industry is not a revenue-driven sector; we deal with intellectual literary properties, where content is the most “necessary” thing to consider.

AD: Many independent publishers speak about giving writers a platform, yet Penprints appears equally invested in giving them a presence. Do you see publishing today as less about producing books and more about constructing literary visibility?

SC: Today’s publisher must help authors build visibility, readership, and engagement. However, showcasing a book at different festivals can boost its initial sales, while quality content makes a book sustainable. Literary visibility, promotional campaigns, and marketing a book as well as its author are important to us, but if the content is not good, what should we promote? Readers are equally intelligent, and they know what to read and what not to read.

AD: As a publisher, did you feel you had to change your company vision given the shift in marketing trends?

SC: Our methods have evolved, but our vision has not. All our books are available in Kindle versions, and we have integrated some of the best technologies into our operational systems to save time and increase our effectiveness. The tools have changed—from bookshops to social media, from catalogues to digital campaigns—but our mission remains the same: to publish meaningful work.

AD: In an industry that often forces publishers to choose between curation and scale, how does Penprints protect the emotional integrity of a manuscript while still building a sustainable publishing ecosystem?

SC: Growth should never come at the cost of literary integrity. We approach each manuscript as a creative partnership rather than a product line. Sustainable publishing is not about publishing more books; it is about publishing the right books while building systems that allow those books to thrive.

AD: Penprints has published a range of distinctive and emerging voices, many of which may not usually find space within conventional publishing houses. How do you view the role of an independent press in shaping, preserving, and expanding such contemporary literary conversations?

SC: Independent presses are often the first responders to literary change. We have the freedom to take risks, support emerging voices, and champion subjects that larger commercial structures may overlook.

AD: Do you think the future of independent publishing will depend as much on technical literacy as editorial vision? What skills and sensibilities do you think will become increasingly important for publishers in the coming times?

SC: Editorial vision helps us identify what matters; technological literacy helps us deliver it effectively. The publishers of tomorrow will need curiosity, adaptability, data awareness, digital fluency, and, above all, the ability to recognize genuine human stories amidst increasing informational noise and artificial intelligence.

AD: There is often an unspoken emotional economy behind first books from debut authors. What responsibility does a publishing house hold when it becomes the first institution to legitimize such a writer’s voice?

SC: When we publish a debut author, we are not merely producing a book—we are validating a voice. We always try to provide a platform for new voices to showcase their literary talents. In fact, we have found some debut authors to be commercially successful as well.

AD: As an experimental publisher, in the age of AI-generated writing, what do you think still remains uniquely irreplaceable about literature that is anthropocentric?

SC: AI can generate text, but literature is more than text. Literature emerges from memory, vulnerability, contradiction, grief, joy, and lived experience. AI does not have a brain to think, emotions to feel, eyes to cry, or skin to sense.

AD: What is Penprints’ view on trends in the writing and publishing industry?

SC: We are witnessing a fascinating shift. Readers are increasingly interested in niche subjects, regional voices, interdisciplinary works, and visual storytelling. Horror and detective fiction are trending, but are they sustainable? Many of these works have similar plots, storylines, and characters. Penprints does not follow trends blindly; we always focus on sustainability, and we remain committed to our future readers.

AD: As you look toward the coming year, what kind of voices, themes, and forms of storytelling are you hoping to champion or discover?

SC: We are particularly interested in stories that explore identity, memory, ecology, migration, technology, cultural heritage, and social transformation.

AD: When future readers look back at the body of work Penprints has published so far, what kind of literary atmosphere do you hope they encounter?

SC: I would like readers to feel that Penprints was a place where different voices, disciplines, languages, and perspectives could coexist—where literature was not confined by convention but enriched by diversity. We always say “Penprints Family,” and our readers are also part of our family.

AD: What would you like to say to emerging authors, poets, and even independent publishers who are trying to find their footing in the literary world today?

SC: “At Penprints, we do not simply publish books; we publish possibilities. Every manuscript is an opportunity to expand the conversation about who gets to be heard, remembered, and read.”

Do not wait for permission to create meaningful work. The literary world has always been shaped by people willing to take risks. Write honestly, make mistakes, and publish responsibly. Build communities rather than audiences. Success may fluctuate, but authenticity endures.