New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Publisher Westland Books and Godrej DEI Lab, the diversity and inclusion initiative of the Godrej Industries Group, on Wednesday announced the launch of new imprint 'Queer Directions' (QD) dedicated to amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices across genres spanning non-fiction, poetry, and fiction.
The imprint, which will see the release of six new titles this year, aims to celebrate queer expression, identity, and lived experiences. Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej DEI Lab and author of "Queeristan", will serve as series editor for 'Queer Directions'.
"The idea is to build a bridge, not a border. At a time when queer rights are being challenged across the world, this imprint stands as both an act of solidarity and a space to nurture fresh, authentic voices from within the LGBTQIA+ communities. It will showcase the rich diversity of queer lives to straight allies and non-queer readers,” Shahani said in a statement.
Westland Books, which has steadily built a credible LGBTQIA+ list over the years -- from "Queeristan" to a recent fiction by Unmana and Santanu Bhattacharya -- said they have taken a bold step forward with this focused publishing programme.
"It has been a long-cherished hope that someday we would be able to launch a thoughtful, inclusive and truly intersectional imprint that is focused on discovering and nurturing new voices in the LGBTQIA+ space. 'Queer Directions' is that,” said Karthika V K, publisher at Westland Books.
Westland Books, which houses a diverse range of books, has other key publishing imprints including 'Context', 'Ekadā', 'Tranquebar', 'Westland Sport', 'Westland Business' and 'Red Panda'.