Announcement
HarperCollins India issued a press release on 7 August 2026 from New Delhi announcing that it will publish The Meat of the Matter, a new book authored by public‑health doctor and researcher Dr Sylvia Karpagam. The book is now open for preorder and is slated for public release on 18 August 2026.
Book Details
The title tackles the intersection of food, politics, and prejudice, questioning common assumptions such as whether eggs raise cholesterol, if red meat is unhealthy, whether soy is a healthier meat substitute, and if dairy products qualify as ‘pure veg’. It also probes whether vegetarian diets can meet all nutritional needs and examines how caste, religion, and corporate interests shape India’s nutrition policies, including the mid‑day meal scheme in schools and the Public Distribution System. Dr Karpagam argues that access to nutrient‑dense food is limited not by scarcity but by political and ideological interference.
Author Background
Dr Sylvia Karpagam is a public‑health doctor with an MD in Community Medicine from St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, and over two decades of experience at the nexus of health, food systems, and social justice. She serves on the expert committee of ALEPH2020 and is recognised as one of India’s most influential voices on food‑security and nutrition policy.
Publisher Information
HarperCollins Publishers India, a division of the global HarperCollins group, publishes approximately 250 new books each year across ten imprints, maintaining a catalogue of more than 3,000 titles in print and digital formats. The house has published award‑winning works such as The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and Girl in White Cotton by Avni Doshi, and has received the “Publisher of the Year” award multiple times. It also represents international publishers including Harvard University Press, Lonely Planet, Oneworld, Nosy Crow, Usborne, and National Geographic Children. The company has been certified as a Great Place to Work for two consecutive years.
Endorsements
The book has received endorsements from Fr. Jerald D’souza, National Secretary of the Jesuit Commission for Ecology and Justice, who praised its confrontation of cultural, political, social, and economic dimensions of nutrition; Nina Teicholz, PhD, bestselling author of The Big Fat Surprise, who lauds its challenge to the myth of vegetarian superiority; Sally Fallon Morell, author of Nourishing Traditions, who describes the work as a “stunning exposé” of enforced malnutrition; and Dr Amar Jesani, Editor of the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, who calls it essential reading for anyone viewing food as both nourishment and pleasure.
Contact
For further information, inquiries can be directed to shabnam.srivastava@harpercollins.co.in.
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