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Penguin acquires three new books by Amitav Ghosh

Three books, including two new non-fiction works and a yet to be titled novel, by acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh has been acquired by Penguin Books India, publishers said on Wednesday. 

The deal includes non-fiction, "The Great Derangement" and "Invisible Hand", and an as yet untitled novel. "The rights were acquired by Meru Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief, Literary Publishing at Penguin Random House in India, from Sarah Chalfant at The Wylie Agency," publishers said in a statement.

The first book set to be published in 2016 is "The Great Derangement", and is based on Ghosh's recently delivered Berlin Family Lectures at the University of Chicago. Part memoir, part analytical essay, it is also an extended reflection on the history of the carbon economy and the politics of global warming. "'The Great Derangement' will be the culmination to Amitav's long-term exploration of the tumult unleashed by climate change. This is a timely and urgent book which will change the way we think about our relationship with nature," Gokhale said. The second non-fiction "Invisible Hand: China and the Making of My World" is at once a travelogue, memoir and an essay in history, drawing on ten years of archival research, and charting the influence of China in the wider world. It deals with subjects as diverse as the invention of commodities futures markets, the mythologies of capitalism, the creation of the souvenir industry and the history of flowers and gardening. 

The book sports extensively illustrations with examples of 19th century Chinese 'export art'. "'Invisible Hand' will allow Amitav's readers to travel with him on the journey he took while writing the 'Ibis Trilogy.' It will be an important and far-reaching commentary on the shift in global power paradigms," Gokhale said. The new novel is set to be published at a later date.

Ghosh said,"Penguin Random House has published the 'Ibis Trilogy' and my backlist with great success and I am very pleased that my relationship with the house is to continue. I look forward to working with Meru Gokhale and her team over the next few years."  The internationally bestselling author had been shortlisted for "Sea of Poppies", the first novel in the 'Ibis Trilogy'. It was followed by "River of Smoke," and "Flood of Fire"  He has also written ten other novels and works of nonfiction.
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