Publisher Profile: Sambasivan & Parikh
The CBC asks Ambika Sambasivan and Suhani Parikh, Co-founders & Publishers, questions about the publisher.*
How did your publishing house start out?
The seed for Sambasivan & Parikh was planted as a question on a community discussion board. Ambika had been running Yali Books, a children’s press that centers equality, equity, and justice in stories that celebrate South Asian cultures, and she helped bring fellow South Asian storytellers together to form South Asian Kidlit. This informal community has been a vibrant space for support and collaboration for South Asian creatives through the pandemic years and beyond.
In a question to the community, Ambika asked if anyone had found a business partner after starting a children’s press and wondered how one would look for a co-publisher. This question caught the attention of Suhani, who had founded Modern Marigold Books just before the pandemic lockdowns began. Inspired by her own life experiences, Suhani was creating a space for social and emotional learning in young readers rooted in identity and culture. One text exchange led to phone calls, followed by a memorable lunch, and soon we found ourselves brainstorming names for a new company!
As celebrating identity was a common thread connecting our work, we used our last names to name the new press. This choice is emblematic of the idea that identity and heritage are not parts of us that we need to minimize to fit in, but rather that they serve as the foundation for everything we are building together.
What is your publishing house most known for?
2024 marks the official start of business for Sambasivan & Parikh, a children’s press on a mission to publish books that highlight the experiences of children growing up across geographies and between cultures. When we talk about inclusive storytelling, we believe it is not enough for books to simply feature “diverse” characters. We want to fill bookshelves with nuanced, rooted, authentic stories that create wonder and respect for the richness of our human experience. The stories we publish portray specific experiences, laced with universal messages that can resonate with all readers.
Our independent presses are now imprints, guided by their original editorial focus. Yali Books will continue to open windows to South Asia, inviting readers to explore its many cultures, histories, and traditions through stories that emphasize equality, equity, and justice. In Ritu Weds Chandni (Picture Book, 2020), as an example, a child challenges entrenched homophobia that threatens to ruin her cousin’s wedding day in a way that restores joy to the North Indian Hindu celebration. Another book, Lioness of Punjab (Young Adult, 2022) shines a light on Mai Bhago, a 17th-century warrior-saint, revered in the Sikh faith and a deserving feminist role model for young adults everywhere.
Modern Marigold Books will continue to center social and emotional growth through stories that uplift identity and family, while amplifying early-generational experiences. In Shreya’s Very Own Style (Picture Book, 2020), young readers share in the emotions of a child living with alopecia areata and are invited to reflect on their inner and outer selves. Immigrant children and children navigating change will see themselves in the poems of See Us Bloom (Picture Book, 2023) featuring a Jewish-Korean child’s experiences of moving to a new place and attending a new school.
Where in the country is your house based? What do you love about being based there?
We are based in the Capital Region of NY, and we are excited to build a vibrant local business here. While we are at a commutable distance from the publishing industry in New York City, we are actively working to build relationships locally with schools, libraries, and universities in the region, and deepen our impact by partnering with nonprofits. We are also inspired by the numerous small businesses we are surrounded by and are already dreaming of ways to expand our work beyond publishing in the years to come.
What conventions and conferences does your publishing house usually attend?
We attended ALA Annual and NCSS in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and this year, we will be at NCTE Annual. Our goal is to attend one library or educator conference every year, national or local. Librarians and teachers are our strongest allies in amplifying our stories, and we hope to learn from and support their work in as many ways as we can.
Which genres does your house prefer to publish?
We find each genre within children’s literature presents opportunities for us to learn and grow. Picture books represent a bulk of our catalog today, and we have some experience creating impactful books in this genre. However, we are always experimenting and learning with each new book. In an upcoming picture book featuring a budding friendship between a Deaf child and his hearing classmate, for example, we are blending comic book elements with illustrations to create a fresh and engaging way to tell their story.
Chapter books and middle-grade series present an exciting growth area for us as we work to develop memorable characters that kids connect with over multiple books.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
We believe in utilizing as many formats to tell a story so the customer can choose what makes the most sense for their needs. Having a variety of formats and price points, particularly affordable formats like e-books and softcover books, helps get our stories into the hands of many more young readers.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
Continuing to build a robust library of free and open resources for teachers and caregivers to support education beyond the book is a top priority for us. We are working with nonprofits and academic institutions to create comprehensive classroom kits to complement our books. We are deeply committed to strengthening the educational offerings for each book with thoughtful and well-crafted supplementary material.
Which title does your house feel deserved more love than it got?
We would love for more teen readers to dive into the complex world of House of Glass Hearts (Young Adult, 2021) where family secrets manifest as monsters, even as we discover the very real history of India’s forced participation in World War II and the horrific aftermath of the Partition of India and Pakistan. This book is twisty horror meets historical fiction, born from author Leila Siddiqui’s grandparents’ histories.
On a different note, Bina the Bookworm (Picture Book, 2020) brims with love for words and reading! A bookworm who discovers that books are better read than eaten will have young readers giggling in pure joy. We would like nothing better than for English language teachers to share this fun book with their students.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
We have the sweetest picture book scheduled for an October 2024 release, and we can’t wait to share this book with the world!
Written by Gus Singh and illustrated by Delzin Choksey, Billu Buttons features a determined Sikh boy who tackles the tough challenges of buttoning his shirts and tucking and tying his shoelaces with characteristic confidence. “I’m fine as I am” is Billu’s refrain throughout the story, and we hope his message of acceptance of imperfection and perseverance in the face of peer pressure will spread far and wide.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a classroom? Which grade?
We have some incredible picture books lined up for 2025 but one that we would like to highlight is Sign Up for Adventure!: Dynamic Duo vs. The Spaghetti Monster (tentative title, Grades 1-3). Written and illustrated by Lavanya Karthik, this picture book features a growing friendship between a Deaf child and his hearing classmate. We love how Lavanya has created a fun picture book using comic book elements highlighting the superpowers of empathy and communication. We would love for more educators to incorporate sign language into curricula for hearing students and we hope this book is a small step in that direction.
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
We both love using culture and food as vehicles to explore educational themes and you’ll see this reflected in the stories we publish. Two of our favorites would have to be: Milky Way (Picture Book, 2017), a gorgeous book that transports readers to the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh, India. Author Mamta Nainy artfully incorporates STEM learning through a cultural lens by exploring the Tibetan community’s relationship with the moon. You will also be introduced to the local cuisine. Momos and thukpa, anyone?
Sandwiches & Samosas (Picture Book, 2021) is a delicious story that takes an elementary class on a journey through cuisines around the world, emphasizing how different cultures can find common ground through the shared experiences of preparing and eating traditional food.
What else would you like to tell us about your house and the amazing work you all do?
Over the years, we’ve heard from a number of educators who have voiced the need for more resources and assistance to build inclusive curriculum for their classrooms. To support teachers in this area, we are developing workshops for educators to thoughtfully incorporate cultural content into classrooms by drawing on the experiences of our authors and illustrators as well as the expertise of nonprofit partners.
Thank you, Sambasivan & Parikh!
* PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE
Sambasivan & Parikh: Sahm-buh-shi-vuhn & Puh-rik
Ambika Sambasivan: Uhm-bi-kaa Sahm-buh-shi-vuhn
Suhani Parikh: Soo-haa-nee Puh-rik
