National, 06 May 2025: Westland Books is truly delighted to announce that I Am On the Hitlist, a powerful and unforgettable book of narrative journalism by the author Rollo Romig, has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction 2025.
The book has already received praise from readers and critics alike: “a powerful, effective chronicler of this bleak moment in Indian politics” (The New York Times); “murder mystery, travelogue and deeply felt homage to Romig’s adopted country” (Suketu Mehta); “Compelling, sometimes chilling” (Kirkus Reviews). The Pulitzer Prize cements its place as a modern classic in the making.
I Am On the Hitlist is a powerful narrative that blends immersive reportage with analysis. Set in the aftermath of the murder of Gauri Lankesh, the book is as much an investigation into a chilling crime as it is a fearless exploration of press freedom, power, authoritarianism, and dissent in contemporary India. The book takes readers through facts, ideologies, and human stories, while never losing sight of the heartbreak at its core.
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With this nomination Rollo Romig joins an exclusive list of Indian authors whose work has been recognized on the Pulitzer stage, breaking new ground for narrative nonfiction in India and beyond.
Speaking on this, Ajitha G.S., Publisher, Context, at Westland Books, said, “All of us at Westland are beyond thrilled to see ‘I Am on the Hit List’ as a Pulitzer Prize finalist—so well deserved. The book is, of course, a gripping tale of Gauri Lankesh’s life, her death, the investigation into it, but it is equally a story of the new India, and of a certain ferment in South India. I hope this helps more readers discover Rollo’s nuanced, unputdownable book.”
I Am On the Hitlist is available at all major bookstores and online platforms.
About Westland Books
Westland Books is an award-winning Indian publisher with a diverse and exciting range of books from popular and literary fiction to business, politics, biography, spirituality, popular science, health, and self-help. Its key publishing imprints include Context, which publishes award-winning literary fiction and non-fiction; Ekadā, which publishes the best of contemporary writing in Indian languages and in translation; Tranquebar, home to the best new fiction from the Indian subcontinent; the eponymous Westland Sport, Westland Business, Westland Non-Fiction, and Red Panda, which publishes a range of books for children of different ages. Indie Press, a self-publishing imprint was added in 2023 which now is a home to varied and exciting new and old voices. In 2024, it also launched IF, the list for speculative fiction. Westland also collaborated with Pratilipi Comics to bring compelling graphic stories to its readers.
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