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Booked Out in India: A Whirlwind October Tour

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This October, I had the absolute joy of embarking on a whirlwind and unforgettable book tour across India. An experience that still feels a little like magic. The journey swept me from the lower ranges of the Himalayas, where the air feels sharp and ancient, all the way down to the geometric modernity of Chandigarh in Punjab, and finally into the vibrant, exhilarating capital, Delhi. By the end of it, I was well and truly booked out, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

In Delhi, I stepped into some of the city’s oldest and most iconic bookshops. Places with creaking wooden shelves, bibliophiles drifting between aisles, and that unmistakable scent of paper and ink that makes you feel as though you have stepped back in time. To my amazement, I found my book proudly displayed in front windows, often right beside the incomparable Arundhati Roy. More than once, I stopped in my tracks, overwhelmed by the surreal joy of seeing my work shoulder-to-shoulder with a literary hero.

Over the course of the tour, I signed well over 200 books, where each signature for me was a small moment of connection with its future reader. There is an energy and a hunger for Indian readers to explore the urgency and humanity of climate issues through an Indian lens. The welcome I received was beyond anything I expected; I was made to feel like a literary queen!

I owe immense gratitude to my UK publisher, LID Publishing, and my Indian publisher, Jaico Publishing House, for orchestrating this incredible adventure. Their belief in the book is what carried it through mountains, cities, and countless conversations.

And here’s the biggest revelation I took away from every bookseller, every manager, every book counter I visited in Delhi and Chandigarh: India is ready…not just ready, but eager for more books on the climate crisis that go beyond textbooks. Booksellers told me again and again that while climate literature exists, much of it is academic or technical. There are very few accessible narratives, personal explorations, or compelling stories about climate change set in or written for India. They are excited to champion my book because it fills a much-needed gap.

This tour wasn’t just a milestone. It felt like the beginning of a larger, deeper conversation, one I’m honoured to help spark.

 

Why Words Matter in Sustainability/Legacy

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Here it is! I was invited to host a special episode of the podcast, Why Words Matter, which was focused on sustainability and legacy for 26: Membership Organisation. I was joined by brilliant guests, Emily Buchanan and Olivia Sprinkel.

Together, Emily, Olivia, and I explore what happens when nature is under stress. Where our words are no longer tools of communication, but instead become catalysts. We discuss how stories can stir empathy, and the right words can shape the world we want to protect.

We dive into climate grief, the art of listening to nature, and how words can shift heart, spark action, and keep hope alive.

Importantly, we find out what happens when we stop telling the stories that put us to sleep and start telling those that wake us up.

Listen here

Henley Literary Festival

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A fabulous Saturday afternoon spent with Henley Literary Festival in collaboration with A Greener Henley, talking about the climate crisis on 4 October at 4 pm. We had about 150 people in the room.

I was sitting on the yellow sofa alongside the brilliant Tony Juniper, CBE, British campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser, and environmentalist. Tony is currently Chair of Natural England, and hearing Tony was a treat whose warmth, wisdom, and deep understanding of our natural world truly inspired me.

 

This conversation wouldn’t have flowed or been possible without the insights and thoughtful questions from Mike Barry, former head of sustainability at Marks and Spencer. Mike focused on our books. Mine, What Will Your Legacy Be? and Tony’s, Just Earth.

People often ask, ‘What can I do about the climate crisis?’ The truth is, it starts with talking about it. Conversations like this one matter; it’s where change begins.

Science at the Heart of the Vatican’s Pan-European Climate Summit

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The Vatican Pan-European Climate Resilience Summit, held from 28 to 29 August in Vienna, brought together mayors, youth leaders, scientists, innovators, and policymakers to tackle Europe’s most urgent climate threats. It was hosted by the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences with European partners; the summit spotlighted solutions in mitigation, adaptation, and societal transformation. Outcomes from Vienna will feed directly into the 2026 Vatican Global Summit, shaping a Universal Protocol for Climate Resilience to protect people and ecosystems across generations.

This was a Summit of hope, and one of the key participants was Ingmar Rentzhog, Founder and CEO of the global, pro-planet platform We Don’t Have Time. One of the things We Don’t Have Time did was to create a special video, which discusses the importance of facing the reality of the climate crisis and not denying scientific facts. This short film emphasises the need for people to speak up and take action, as the majority of the global population wants to address the issue.

Importantly, this film highlights the Vatican and the Pontifical Academy, which are working together to bring people from different backgrounds together to raise awareness and make a change. The video also mentions the inclusivity of the event and the importance of making science a priority.𝅺

And a highlight for me is that my book, What Will Your Legacy Be? – Conversations With Global Change-Makers About The Climate Crisis, has a walk-on part in the film. Can you spot it?

 

OmTalks: Legacy And The Wild with Sangeeta Waldron & Melvyn Carlile

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On 17 June, I will be in conversation with the very brilliant Melvyn Carlile.

Mel is a visionary founder and the pioneering force behind the Mind Body, Spirit Festival, London. His work has helped to shape the modern holistic movement.

I could not be more excited about this event for many personal reasons. As a young girl of about 7, I used to be my mum’s plus one to the Mind Body Spirit Festival in London, held those days at Olympia. Never did I imagine that one day, I would be in conversation with the founder of this Festival about my book.

Life has just given me lemonade!

Tickets are only £4.50 and to book, click here

Indian Bestseller Nectar on the Seven Hills by Local Based Author Prabhu Ram to Be Published in the UK

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Delighted to be working on this Indian bestseller, Nectar on the Seven Hills, by London-based author Prabhu Ram, To Be Published in the UK. Nectar on the Seven Hills has been compared to Harry Potter.

Announcing New Book, What Will YOUR Legacy Be? – Conversations With Global Game Changers About The Climate Crisis

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My third book, What Will YOUR Legacy Be? – Conversations With Global Game Changers About The Climate Crisis is out on 30 January 2025 and is already receiving strong interest. I wrote to help readers to understand some of our biggest environmental challenges and how individuals, communities, organisations, and nations are restoring our planet. The book explores different themes – from science, food to the ocean, global politics, business, to the media, arts and music, communities, and more.

What Will YOUR Legacy Be? has a collection of conversations with thirty-six global influencers, thought leaders, and change-makers about the climate crisis and sustainability. The list of personalities and game changers includes a diversity of voices from – Ingmar Rentzhog, (CEO and Founder We Don’t Have Time), Julian Lennon (Founder, The White Feather Foundation and musician), Dr Kimberley Miner (NASA climate scientist), Rachel Cartwright (naturalist), Sunita Narain (Indian environmentalist and activist), and Nemonte Nenquimo (indigenous Waorani leader). In sharing their activities, wisdom, and knowledge, I present takeaway tips to inspire readers to become “climate change aware” and help create a sustainable mindset for themselves.

The book has received great endorsements from Mark Hoda, Chairman, The Gandhi Foundation, who says,“Gandhi told us ‘to be the change that we wanted to see in the world’, and Sangeeta’s book captures the spirit of Gandhi’s statement to remind us, that everyone can do something to help the planet. It starts with us.”

It has also been endorsed by Mark Seddon, Director, Centre for UN Studies, University of Buckingham. Former Speechwriter, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, former UN correspondent, Al Jazeera TV.

What Will YOUR Legacy Be? is a book, where the reader goes on a journey to understand the profound changes that our planet is undergoing and to think about the legacy that they would like to make for future generations.

 

 

New Book: Hindu Astrology – Myths, Symbols And Realities By Dr Anthony P. Stone

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Why does Hindu astrology work? That is the central question explored in the book, Hindu Astrology by the late Dr. A. P. Stone, a book campaign that Serendipity PR & Media is now working on.

Originally published in hardback, it is now being published in paperback by Pippa Rann Books after being out of print for decades. Its publication date is 20 June 2024 and is available for pre-order from all bookstores and online retailers.

Hindu Astrology transcends all cultures and is a classic, answering questions from – where and how Hindu astrology developed; to what are its similarities with other astrological systems; when does it not work; and everything that the professional astrology and general reader would want to know about this intriguing topic. The book foreword is by Garima Garg, expert and author of, Heavens & Earth: The Story of Astrology through Ages & Cultures.

The author, Dr. Stone, was a mathematics graduate, with a PhD in theoretical physics, both from the University of Oxford. He learnt Sanskrit specifically for the purpose of reading the source documents in their original language and went on to write this authoritative book.

Originating in ancient India, and based on the Vedas (the oldest sacred text of Hinduism), Hindu astrology tracks planets, stars, and constellations to predict the future, while Western astrology uses the position of the Sun. Hindus believe that their astrological system gives an insight into personalities, and trust it for decision-making regarding everything from marriage to moving home, to business deals, and even when or what to eat or drink.

Prabhu Guptara, Founder, of Pippa Rann Books & Media says, “Hindu astrology is a fascinating subject and a powerful tool that is trusted by over a billion people to provide valuable insight and guidance on every aspect of life. I wanted to reprint this book and release it in paperback so that the work of Dr. Stone becomes accessible to all who want to understand more about this ancient system”.

Both the publisher, Prabhu Guptara and Garima Garg, who wrote the book foreword are available for any media interviews – contact us for any media queries.

 

More about the author – Dr Stone arrived in India in 1956, and taught mathematics at colleges in Bengal, Kerala, and Delhi. He became intrigued with the Hindu obsession of astrology and learned Hindi at Delhi University and Sanskrit at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to understand the subject. He was accepted as a Fellow of the Indian Association for History and Philosophy of Sciences, and a Life Member of the Indian Mathematical Society and of the Indian Society for the History of Mathematics.

The renowned psychologist Carl Jung, in his book Psychology and Eastern Religion, says about astrology, “Everything that we are not consciously in contact with, appears to us as destiny”.

India’s External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar In London

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India’s External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar was in London in November. To mark his visit, I was invited to a special event, entitled, How a Billion People See the World, organised by foreign policy agency Wilton Park in partnership with the High Commission of India in London. It was an in-conversation session, with Lionel Barber, ex-editor of the Financial Times with the Minister held at the Royal Over-Seas League.

It was a gritty conversation and Barber put Dr. Jaishankar in the hot seat, where China, Canada, Russia, oil, and India’s rise of secularism were discussed and climate change came up twice. On the issue of China, Dr. Jaishankar emphasised that the rise of China is a reality but there is an equal reality which is the rise of India, and said, “The rise may be different…quantitatively or qualitatively they may not be identical.” While on Canada’s allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, he said, “Look, if you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. We are not ruling out an investigation and looking at anything that they may have to offer. They haven’t done so” adding that Canada has not yet shared any evidence on Nijjar’s murder with India.

On the topic of secularism, he said it does not mean non-religious, but equal respect to all faiths, that the “appeasement” government policies of the past made the biggest religion of the country feel like it had to be self-deprecatory in the name of equality, adding that the political and social changes seen in India in the last few years have partly been a reaction “at an intellectual and political level” to this sense of unfairness. Jaishankar was also asked if India had changed since the Nehruvian era to become less liberal and more “Hindu majoritarian” under the BJP-led government. While asserting that India had certainly changed, Jaishankar was categorical that the change did not mean India being less liberal but rather “more authentic” about expressing its beliefs. “We are more Indian, more authentic. We are not today, either currying favour before a global audience or really trying to live up to some kind of left-wing liberal construct which a lot of Indians felt was not us.”

This question-and-answer session marked the minister’s final engagement in London as he concluded his five-day UK visit, oh and to add we were all given a copy of Dr. Jaishankar’s book that day, and I managed to get mine signed!

 

 

 

Podcast – Where Does It Come From

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They say there’s no rest for the wicked and it’s true! Soon after the Business Show, I did a podcast conversation with Jo Salter, host of the Where Does It Come From podcast about greenwashing, corporate social responsibility (CSR), fast fashion, the power of local communities, fake news, and of course my book, CSR Is Not PR.

So if you have time, do have a listen to my dulcet tones and let us know what you think!