Penguin India to launch Bollywood crime imprint

Penguin India is to launch a new imprint, Blue Salt, dedicated to crime and thrillers with a Bollywood connection.

True crime writer S Hussain Zaidi will be co-publisher of the list, which is planned to release around four books a year.

It is the first new imprint launched by Penguin India since it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Penguin Random House earlier in the year.

The first books to come from the new imprint will be Ghalib Danger by Neerah Pandey and A Convenient Culprit by Vibha Singh. Both writers have either written or directed major Bollywood films.

Zaidi told Business Today: "Most—though not all—the books brought out under this imprint will be crime novels or thrillers. All of them will be written by people who have some connection with Bollywood. We plan to bring out about four books a year. My job will be to choose the authors and finalise themes and ideas with them. Once the manuscript is delivered, the editing and marketing will be handled by Penguin India."