Westland Books, a major player in the Indian publishing market, will soon be shut down by Amazon, as per a statement released by an Amazon spokesperson on 1 February.
"After a thorough review, we have made the difficult decision to no longer operate Westland. We are working closely with the employees, authors, agents, and distribution partners on this transition and we remain committed to innovating for customers in India," the statement read.
Amazon had acquired Westland five years ago, turning the publisher into one of the highly acclaimed bodies with its variegated bag of fiction and non-fiction titles.
The list spanned bestselling authors like Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi and literary fiction and non-fiction from the likes of Nisha Susan, Manu S Pillai, Harsh Bhogle, Josy Joseph, and many others.
The news came as a shock to the authors, editors, and readers alike, who took to Twitter to express their anguish. The exact reasons behind the decision are yet to be known.
While reports suggest that Amazon is looking out for the employees who will be affected by the closure, the fate of the books under the label is uncertain. It is the first time in recent years that a major publisher of the order of Westland will be shut down in the Indian market.
(With inputs from Mint Lounge and Scroll.in.)
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