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David Davidar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth27 September 1958

Age64 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceNagercoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

ProfessionNovelist, Publisher

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRachna Singh

FamilyFather - tea planter; Mother - teacher; Sister - Ruth Swamy (dietician and nutritionist)

David Davidar Biography

Indian novelist and publisher David Davidar rose from journalism to leadership roles in major publishing houses before founding Aleph Book Company. He is a

Early life and background
David Davidar was born on 27 September 1958 in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. He grew up in a family where his father worked as a tea planter and his mother was a teacher. He attended Sainik School in Amaravathinagar and went on to study at Madras Christian College, graduating in 1979 with a BSc in Botany. Later, he pursued further study at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and holds a diploma in publishing.

Career
After college, Davidar moved to Bombay to begin a career in journalism. In 1979 he took his first job at the weekly magazine Himmat and over the next several years worked in editorial roles for publications such as Keynote and Gentleman while freelancing for newspapers including The Hindu, The Indian Express and Mid-Day.

In 1985 he joined Penguin Books, training at their London headquarters and becoming part of the founding team for Penguin India. He managed publishing programmes there and later took on leadership responsibilities at Penguin Canada, where he was appointed president and publisher and led the publishing team.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s Davidar moved between senior roles in publishing. He served as managing director of Dorling Kindersley’s India branch from 2000 to 2003 and became CEO of Pearson India in 2003. In 2010 he was appointed CEO of Penguin International, a division that encompassed Penguin Canada, Penguin India, Penguin South Africa and Penguin Arabia.

Alongside his executive career, Davidar built a profile as a novelist. His first novel, The House of Blue Mangoes, was published in 2002 after around a decade of work and was translated into multiple languages. He followed that with The Solitude of Emperors in 2007, which earned a nomination for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and Ithaca in 2011. In 2015 he edited and published A Clutch of Indian Masterpieces, a collection of thirty-nine short stories by major Indian writers. In 2022 he edited A Case of Indian Marvels: Dazzling Stories from the Country’s Finest New Writers, an anthology that gathered contemporary short fiction by millennial and Gen Z authors and was issued by Aleph Book Company.

In 2011 Davidar co-founded Aleph Book Company in New Delhi with R. K. Mehra and Kapish Mehra, creating an independent publishing house that went on to receive industry recognition; Aleph was named Publisher of the Year at the Publishing Next Industry Award in 2022.

Public profile
Davidar’s work in both publishing and fiction has kept him visible in India’s literary scene. His novels have engaged with a range of themes and his publishing career has seen him help bring works by prominent Indian writers to broader readers. Physical details sometimes included in public profiles note his height at approximately 175 cm (5'9"), weight around 80 kg (176 lbs), dark brown eyes and black hair.

Personal life
David Davidar is married to Rachna Singh, a bookseller; the couple married in 1997 and do not have children. He is an Indian national and his zodiac sign is Libra.

Controversy
In 2010 an allegation of sexual harassment and assault was made by an ex-employee of Penguin against Davidar; the matter resulted in legal action that was later settled. Public statements from his legal representative denied the accusations.

Latest updates
In recent years Davidar has continued to lead Aleph Book Company and to edit and publish collections that foreground contemporary Indian writing. In 2022 he edited A Case of Indian Marvels, which features rising writers addressing subjects that include sex, sexuality and LGBTQ themes. Aleph’s recognition as Publisher of the Year at the Publishing Next Industry Award 2022 is a notable recent honor for the company.
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Recent Work

A Case of Indian Marvels: Dazzling Stories from the Country’s Finest New Writers

Editor; anthology of short fiction by millennial and Generation Z Indian writers, published by Aleph Book Company in 2022.

2022
A Clutch of Indian Masterpieces

Editor; collection of thirty-nine short stories by established Indian authors, published in 2015.

2015
Ithaca

Novel published in 2011.

2011
The Solitude of Emperors

Novel published in 2007; nominated for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.

2007
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Career Highlights

  1. Part of the founding team of Penguin India and later president and publisher of Penguin Canada
  2. Served as managing director of Dorling Kindersley India and CEO of Pearson India
  3. Appointed CEO of Penguin International in 2010
  4. Co-founded Aleph Book Company in New Delhi in 2011
  5. Novelist with multiple books including The House of Blue Mangoes, nominated works and edited anthologies
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was David Davidar born?

27 September 1958

What is David Davidar known for?

Novelist, Publisher

What is David Davidar’s marital status?

Married

Who is David Davidar married to?

Rachna Singh