Ieagle123 at 05:32, 25 November 2025

2025-11-25T05:32:29Z

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{{short description|Indian journalist and autobiographer}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Ashok Chopra
| image = File:Ashok Chopra.JPG
| imagesize = 180px
| caption = Ashok Chopra
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|02|26|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Shimla]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], India
| occupation = Writer, author, [[publisher]], editor
| language = English, [[Hindi languages|Hindi]]
| nationality = Indian
| alma_mater = [[Panjab University]] <br>[[Mass communication]]
| genre = [[Journalism]]
| notableworks = A Grain Of Sand In The Hourglass of Time: An Autobiography<ref>A Grain Of Sand In The Hourglass of Time: An Autobiography [http://www.ashokchopra.com/a-grain-of-sand-in-the-hourglass-of-time.html][https://www.amazon.in/Grain-Sand-Hourglass-Time-Autobiography/dp/9381431493][http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/angry-rao-blasted-suggestion-of-making-sonia-cong-chief-arjun/969789/] Publisher: Hay House (5 July 2012)</ref>
| spouse =
| children =
| awards =
| website = [http://www.ashokchopra.com/ Ashok Chopra]
| portaldisp =
}}

'''Ashok Chopra''' (born 26 February 1949) is a publisher, author, editor, and literary columnist.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/ashok-chopras-a-scrapbook-of-memories/article6882844.ece|title=Journey with the written word|last=Salam|first=Ziya Us|date=2015-02-11|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Author of ''Memories of Fire: A Novel,''<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/uncategorized/memories-of-fire/|title=Memories Of Fire - Penguin India|work=Penguin India|access-date=2018-04-05|language=en-US}}</ref> ''A Scrapbook of Memories: My Life with the Rich, the Famous and the Scandalous''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://harpercollins.co.in/book/a-scrapbook-of-memories-2/|title=HarperCollinsPublishers India {{!}} A Scrapbook of Memories|website=harpercollins.co.in|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> and ''Of Love and Other Sorrows'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/non-fiction/love-sorrows-ten-modernists/|title=Of Love and Other Sorrows - Penguin India|work=Penguin India|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003717/https://penguin.co.in/book/non-fiction/love-sorrows-ten-modernists/|url-status=dead}}</ref> he has co-authored ''Agnostic Khushwant: There Is No God''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hayhouse.co.in/books/agnostic-khushwant/|title=Agnostic Khushwant: There is No God! : Hay House Publishers India|website=www.hayhouse.co.in|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> with the Indian author-columnist [[Khushwant Singh]] and ''A Grain of Sand in the Hourglass of Time''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hayhouse.co.in/books/a-grain-of-sand-in-the-hourglass-of-time/|title=A GRAIN OF SAND IN THE HOURGLASS OF TIME : Hay House Publishers India|website=www.hayhouse.co.in|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref>'' ''with [[Arjun Singh (politician, born 1930)|Arjun Singh]], which he completed after his death on March 4, 2011, in 2012.<ref>[http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/angry-rao-blasted-suggestion-of-making-sonia-cong-chief-arjun/969789/ Angry Rao blasted suggestion of making Sonia Cong chief: Arjun]</ref> He was executive editor with Vikas Publishing House, vice-president [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] India, publishing director [[UBS Publishers]], executive director and publisher of the [[India Today|India Today Book Club]] and Books Today, as well as chief executive and publisher of [[HarperCollins]] Publishers India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://penguin.co.in/author/ashok-chopra/|title=Ashok Chopra - Penguin India|work=Penguin India|access-date=2017-12-14|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214124307/https://penguin.co.in/author/ashok-chopra/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pilf.in/ashok.html|title=PILF :: Speakers|website=pilf.in|language=en|access-date=2017-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214182552/http://pilf.in/ashok.html|archive-date=2017-12-14|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SNseAgAAQBAJ&q=ashok+chopra+vikas+publishing+house&pg=PT18|title=One to One: Glimpses of Indian Publishing Industry|last=Ghai|first=S. K.|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=9788120791985|language=en}}</ref> Presently, he is the chief executive of Hay House Publishers in India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/indians-would-rather-spend-on-shoes-not-books-publisher-ashok-chopra-ians-interview-115032200087_1.html|title=Indians would rather spend on shoes, not books: Publisher Ashok Chopra (IANS Interview)|last=IANS|date=2015-03-22|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref>

==Early life and journalistic career==
Ashok Chopra was born in [[Shimla]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], the son of an artist, B. R. Chopra.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} He did his schooling from [[St. Edward's School, Shimla]] and went on to do his undergraduate studies from S. D. Bhargava College later. He joined the diploma course in [[Mass Communication]] and Journalism in 1971, of the [[Panjab University]] in [[Chandigarh]], and further worked with theatre historian [[Balwant Gargi]], for a year, at the Department of Indian Theatre in Chandigarh. From here he embarked to his career in [[Journalism]], in 1973, as a sub-editor with [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)]]. Besides contributing articles and features regularly he also acted as the paper's film and theatre critic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98sep20/sunday/modern.htm|title=Tribuneindia... Modern Classics|website=www.tribuneindia.com|access-date=2017-12-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98jul19/sunday/modern.htm|title=The Tribune... Modern Classics|website=www.tribuneindia.com|access-date=2017-12-11}}</ref>

In June 1975, he joined the [[Indian Express Limited]] as its Himachal Pradesh correspondent based in Shimla.<ref>Memories of Fire: Ashok Chopra tells us a story about childhood friends, and history [https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/books/2018/feb/16/memories-of-fire-ashok-chopra-tells-us-a-story-about-childhood-friends-and-history-6161.html]</ref> He left journalism for book publishing in April 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.instituteofbookpublishing.com/p/Publishing-Today-Jan-2008|title=Publishing Today Jan 2008 - Institute of Book Publishing|website=www.instituteofbookpublishing.com|access-date=2017-12-11}}</ref> Chopra also wrote book reviews, features and opinion pieces regularly for [[India Today]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.india-today.com/itoday/19990920/books.html|title=Books: Midnight and She|website=www.india-today.com|access-date=2017-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000126020218/http://www.india-today.com/itoday/19990920/books.html|archive-date=2000-01-26|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/story/20000710-book-review-of-kamila-shamsie-salt-and-saffron-779042-2000-07-09|title=Book review: Kamila Shamsies Salt and Saffron|access-date=2017-12-11}}</ref>

Presently he lives in [[Gurgaon]].<ref>[https://kslitfest.com/kslf-2017/our-star-cast-2017/ About Ashok Chopra][https://penguin.co.in/author/ashok-chopra/ Ashok Chopra profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214124307/https://penguin.co.in/author/ashok-chopra/ |date=2017-12-14 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chopra, Ashok}}
[[Category:Indian autobiographers]]
[[Category:Indian publishers (people)]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Indian editors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian male journalists]]

Ashok Chopra - Revision history

Ieagle123 at 05:32, 25 November 2025