Bookaroo Children's Literature Festival returns to Srinagar for its 7th Edition

Srinagar, June 19: Bookaroo Children’s Literature Festival is returning to Srinagar for its seventh edition at Delhi Public School (DPS) Athwajan here.

The organisers in a statement said the festival is set to take place on June 22 and 23 from 10 am to 3:30 pm at DPS Athwajan . Bookaroo, founded under the aegis of the Bookaroo Trust, a registered public charitable trust based in Delhi, has visited 17 cities across India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, completing 45 editions since its inception in 2008, the statement said.

“This year’s Srinagar edition promises an enriching experience with 30 speakers from eight cities presenting 58 sessions. The sessions will encompass a wide range of activities, including storytelling, crafts, book readings, doodling, poetry, and music, aiming to bring books to life and spread the joy of reading among children. While the festival primarily conducts its sessions in English, it also includes sessions in local languages such as Kashmiri and Urdu,” it said.

Bookaroo is dedicated to making literature accessible and engaging for children. It endeavors to revive the wonder of imagination and reconnect children with the world of literature through interactions with authors and storytellers. In 2017, Bookaroo won the Literary Festival Award at the London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards, marking the only instance an Indian literature festival has received this recognition.

“Srinagar has always been special for us ever since we began in 2010. And it is an even more fantastic feeling to be here for the seventh time. Bringing the joy of books and reading has never been more delightful. This year’s spread of programmes for the weekend has many interesting sessions. We thank our speakers, the publishers who supported and backed us to the hilt as well as DPS, Srinagar, which has been home to Bookaroo for seven years,” said Swati Roy, festival director.

Vikas Dhar, member of managing committee at DPS Srinagar and another key figure in organiaing the festival, remarked, “Bookaroo’s return to Srinagar symbolizes our commitment to fostering a love for literature among children in this beautiful city. Each year, we see the excitement and engagement grow, which makes all our efforts worthwhile.”

This year’s festival will feature a variety of engaging sessions on topics such as science, water experiments, Qissebaazi performances, STEM, dinosaurs, art, craft, food, music, nature, environment, emotions, Ladishah, Kamishibai, space travel, and adventure. Attendees will also have the chance to meet the Gruffalo, from Julia Donaldson’s famous character, and explore the world of Mister Water.

Among the distinguished speakers are Adil Shaikh, a passionate STEM trainer who has been sharing the joys of science with children for nine years and aims to take STEM learning across India; Anupama Jain, an author of five books and 13 anthologies, who is an acclaimed community builder, mentor, educator, and multi-award-winning blogger; Archana Garodia Gupta, a winner of the TV Quiz BBC Mastermind India, who has a talent for weaving delightful nuggets of information into engaging tales for children.

Besides Canato Jimo, an art director from Nagaland who loves to see picture books come alive; and Garima Gupta, an artist and picture book maker currently working on a series of pop-up books about mental health for young readers are among the speakers. Other notable participants include Nicholas Hoffland, Niloufer Wadia, Pragati Sureka, and many more, each bringing their unique perspective and expertise to the festival.