Jana’s in India, folks.

Well of course she’s in India. That’s where Jana Bibi’s Excellent Fortunes is set.

What I mean is, in addition to the original book put out by Henry Holt (a MacMillan company), soon there will be an edition for sale on the Indian subcontinent, published by Random House India.

RHI offices are in a high-rise building in Noida, a glittering modern town across the river from Delhi. Noida didn’t even exist when I was growing up in India! Holt  is headquartered in the iconic Flatiron building in New York.

The people at both publishers are dyed-in-the-wool book lovers, totally passionate about books. In other words, they’re saving civilization as we know it!

They’re both also fun to work with, whether in person or at a distance. The RHI folks recently tweeted me to say they were about to have lunch and Tarot card readings at a restaurant in Hauz Khas Village, in south Delhi. Jana should have been there to pick up a few pointers!

And I’ve mentioned before that Joanna Levine at Holt knows how to make my day with her cartoons of Mr. Ganguly.

Drawing: Joanna Levine

The world sometimes seems so small and intimate! As I walk around talking to the squirrels in the woods of New Hampshire, it makes me happy to think that I’m connected to teammates on both sides of the globe.