More Exciting Book News!

The UK Edition comes out today :)

It’s been an exciting few weeks on the publishing front. My latest picture book, A Vaisakhi To Remember, debuted last week at SXSW in Austin, Texas. We also had a launch event in the motherland (San Antonio), where family and friends came out to support.

Today, I have more exciting news. Five years after it first came out, Fauja Singh Keeps Going is getting its own edition in the United Kingdom! You can order the book here (and if you do, please take a moment to rate and review it)!

The success of this book means so much for so many of us. It demonstrates to publishers everywhere that there is global demand for diverse stories. It affirms my belief that, when given the chance, people really do care about people who look different from them.

And perhaps, most importantly, it’s another gift to Fauja Singh, who turns 114 years old in just a few days!

When I first met him, he shared one of his biggest regrets with me: That he hadn’t done enough to positively impact the young people of our world. His regret inspired my decision to write this book. It was a tiny thing I could do for someone who had done so much for so many.

I worried then that he wouldn’t live long enough to see the picture book come out, especially when the global pandemic hit in 2020. He made it, though, and sent the most touching video when he first received it, poring through the pages, describing and reflecting on each illustration.

A couple of years later, I got to share with him the Japanese edition, a reminder of his reach and influence. That felt great too, though I still hoped to get a United Kingdom edition of the book given that he’s called England his home for the past few decades. I’m thrilled that he lived to see this milestone, and hope that people of all ages—kids and parents and grandparents and even great-grandparents—continue to take inspiration from his incredible life and story.

I’m grateful to Penguin UK for bringing this dream into reality, to my Kokila family at Penguin Random House, and, of course, to Fauja Singh and Harmander Singh, for all they have done to support this journey.