“Where can I engage with the language and words and texts that I love in a way that makes a difference?” For Namrata Tripathi, President and founder of Kokila, a Penguin Random House imprint for young readers, a career in publishing was the answer. Namrata has turned to children's books as her means of “instilling radical imagination in children.”
The students beginning this year’s NYU Summer Publishing Institute largely agreed. Hailing from Uruguay, California, Arkansas, New York, the Carolinas, and more, my fellow students and I looked to Tripathi with fresh eyes, ready to sink into every word. As our keynote speaker, Namrata provided her best advice and diagnosis for what the publishing landscape needs from incoming professionals. “I came here so I could get to you first,” Namrata said.
“Publishing can be cyclical,” Namrata noted. “So, build a broad skill set.” Whether we see ourselves in editorial, sales, marketing, or contracts, SPI is a unique opportunity to get familiar, hands-on experience with every aspect of the publishing industry, and it’s important that we take full advantage of all the resources NYU provides. As we worked towards our final projects, collaborating with our classmates on the intricacies of the book publishing process to build our own imprints, Namrata’s advice of keeping an open mind quickly proved to be both wise and practical.
“One of the hardest truths my friend confided in me was that she thought ‘my dreams were too small.’” Namrata learned to practice her own radical imagining, and encouraged us to do the same. Dream bigger, were her friend’s exact words, and Namrata urged this for us as well.
She enlists this mentality in her work at Kokila, which she says was born at the intersection of optimism and rage. “We make art about the things that are important to us,” Namrata said. “And the silence sends a very clear message to our kids of what’s important.” Kokila aims to fill that silence. As written in their mission, Kokila brings together an inclusive community of authors and illustrators, publishing professionals, and readers to examine and celebrate stories that reflect the richness of our world. That richness became evident as Namrata was smiling ear to ear, beaming with pride, as she shared her imprint’s vision with us. “Namrata Tripathi taught us that children are the voice of our future and our responsibility is to ensure their voices are being heard within our stories,” SPI student Jennifer Bravo remarked.
“I am an evangelist of Children’s Books,” Namrata said. “Children’s books don’t just make readers, they make us.” After asking if anyone in the room had a book from their childhood that put them on their path to SPI, a sea of hands raised. By creating children’s books that realistically reflect the rich landscape of young readers, Namrata intends to change the world. “These kids will grow to be adults, and thinkers, and legislators, and voters,” Namrata said. “We have a responsibility in our books to give them the tools to do so.”
“My main take away from Namrata’s talk was that children should not only be celebrated but respected by the publishing industry,” SPI Student Penelope Martinez said. “Most readers have their first interactions with books when they are young, and that love grows from there. It is important that the literature they have access to guides them as they grow.”
According to Namrata, the best advice for all of those hopeful future editors is to “be an interesting person first.” Book publishing is not just about having a passion for books. We should be able to articulate and share our point of view that makes us unique contributors to this industry. Good editors know who they are and what they bring to the table. As we come into these roles, work on the skills you need for the job but also “work on being the best version of yourself.”
“Namrata Tripathi showed us that our identity is important to publishing,” SPI Student Lauren Cekada said. “If we appreciate our own unique traits and keep an open mind to those who differ from us we’ll create not only better books, but also a better community of readers.”
Paige Fuhrman is a recent graduate of the 2024 NYU Summer Publishing Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Arts English Literary Studies with a minor in Business from Hendrix College. Her goal is to apply her experience from previous editorial, marketing, and publicity roles to the book publishing landscape.
