Jugal Hansraj to be published by HarperCollins

 

is delighted to announce the acquisition of

THE COWARD AND THE SWORD

by

Jugal Hansraj

Film Actor, Writer, and National Award-Winning Film Director

 

The journey of a timid young Prince as he learns that true bravery lies within one’s own heart and should be used to create peace, not war.

 Talking about this acquisition, Jugal Hansraj says, “Honoured and thrilled to be a part of the HarperCollins India family. Looking forward to my novel ‘The Coward and the Sword’ being published under their umbrella, and to my association with them.”

Tina Narang, Publisher – HarperCollins Children’s Books says, “Delighted that Jugal Hansraj, the child star etched in our minds from the memorable ‘Masoom’, went on to not just a successful acting career and film direction, but also to writing commendably for children and we are keenly looking forward to publishing him at HarperCollins.”

 

About the Book

The Kingdom of Kofu, ruled over by the benevolent and brave King Rissho and his charming wife Queen Kanito, is a peaceful and happy one. Its people are resourceful, and more importantly, just like their beloved King, courageous. Well, all except one. Prince Kadis, the young sixteen-year-old heir, is anything but that. Kadis, quite simply, is a coward. Scared and anxious of almost every possible thing, he confines himself to his room for most of his young life. He prefers to stare dreamily out of his window, and wonder why he can’t be brave like the rest of his family and the people of his Kingdom. Until one day, a seemingly chance encounter with his wise old uncle Shonin, changes his life completely. He soon learns of the troubled history of Kofu and the impending clouds of war looming over them. Thus begins the adventure of the timid and shy Prince, and his two young friends, as they embark on an epic trip into the enemy Kingdom of Molonga. As soldiers of peace, they are armed with nothing but noble intentions and a family heirloom, the mystical sword of Kofu. Will they succeed in ending the decade-old conflict between the two Kingdoms? Will peace win against war? Prince Kadis knows that the answers can only be found within his own heart…

 

About the author

Jugal Hansraj is a feature film actor, writer and National Award winning film director. He began working in films as a child, starting with the much acclaimed ‘Masoom’ (1983) and went on to do leading roles in several films in the ‘90s and early 2000s – most notable ones being ‘Papa Kahte Hain’ (1996) produced/directed by Mahesh Bhatt and ‘Mohabbattein’ (2000) produced by Yash Chopra. His first film as writer/director was the animation film ‘Roadside Romeo’ (2008) which was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures as their first Indian Animation film. His second film was the romantic comedy ‘Pyaar Impossible’ and starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the lead. He is also a published author. His first children’s fiction novel titled ‘Cross Connection – The Big Circus Adventure’ was published in 2017. He relocated to New York City in 2018.

 

About HARPERCOLLINS INDIA

HarperCollins India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2000 titles across 10 imprints. HarperCollins India authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, the DSC Prize, the New India Foundation Award, the Atta Galatta Prize, the Shakti Bhatt Prize, the Publishing Next Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Crossword Book Award and the JCB Prize. HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Oneworld, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet. HarperCollins India is also the only publisher to have been awarded the Publisher of the Year Award three times: at Publishing Next in 2015, and at Tata Literature Live! in 2016 and 2018.