Penguin launches Satyajit Ray library, to bring out 5 unpublished works

Satyajit Ray with Ravi Sankar recording for Pather Panchali (Image: Wikimedia commons)

In some good news for Satyajit Ray fans, five previously unpublished titles of the master filmmaker author will be brought out from 2020 onwards.

Penguin Random House India has announced an association with the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives (Satyajit Ray Society) and the legal estate of the Ray Family to publish these five titles under the aegis of The Penguin Ray Library.

These works consist of previously unpublished essays by Ray, Tarini Khuro translations by Ray and a lot of his illustrated works remain unseen till date among many others.

“The Penguin Ray Library will give Ray's works a unique look of their own. Establishing a series with a distinct identity, these new titles will be presented in a special layout with quintessential aesthetics inspired by Ray's sensibilities. The Penguin Ray Library will be an endeavour to capture the brilliance of a Renaissance man and share his works with a wider readership,” Penguin said in a statement.

“Ray was an ace designer, music composer, illustrator and a gifted writer. This association will celebrate his contribution to the world of art, literature, cinema and music and take his work to the next level - opening them up to new platforms and readers,” it said.

Sandip Ray, member secretary of the Satyajit Ray Society and Ray's son, says, “We are excited to be a part of vision that Penguin Random House has for perpetuating Ray's luminous legacy. The Penguin Ray Library and The Penguin Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture are excellent platforms to introduce his works to new audiences.”

Premanka Goswami, senior commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India, terms it a historical moment for the publishing house to be able to engage with Satyajit Ray's works in this way.

“We have visualised the Penguin Ray Library to be a hallmark of the master's work as a confluence of aesthetic subtlety and creativity. The series of new titles is a first step to building an enduring and meaningful relationship with Satyajit Ray Society and the Ray family,” Goswami says.

Penguin is also collaborating with the Satyajit Ray Society to be a part of the annual lecture that is held in Ray's memory each year. This year, The Penguin Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture, as it will be called hereon, was delivered by renowned filmmaker Tarun Majumdar on April 27.

Further establishing the lecture as one of the most prestigious cultural events of the year, Penguin will work collectively with the Ray society and family towards building the property further, as a true tribute to Ray's life and body of work.

Niti Kumar, senior vice president of Marketing (digital and communications) at Penguin Random House India says The Penguin Ray Library and The Penguin Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture are the publishing house's gestures to commemorate the greatness of Ray.

“This association is definitely aiming to step up and scale up the showcase he truly deserves. We have concentrated our efforts to be present in different mediums and induct more people to the iconic world of Ray's books and other works of art, given the right exposure and platforms,” Kumar says.