Vizag Junior Lit Fest returns this weekend with top authors and storytellers

“Books, stories, laughter and chatter: these volition specify the Vizag Junior Lit Fest,” says Sandhya Venugopal Godey, 1 of the fest directors, arsenic the squad prepares to invited hundreds of children to the city’s astir awaited literate event.

The sixth variation of the fest, organised by the LitLantern for Culture & Literature Welfare Society, volition instrumentality to Visakhapatnam astatine Hawa Mahal connected November 8 and 9, promising a play devoted to imagination, find and the joyousness of increasing done stories.

This year’s taxable draws inspiration from the fest’s ain travel implicit the years — 1 of evolution, find and growth. The sessions volition research however stories and storytellers person grown alongside the children who person been attending since its aboriginal editions. “The fest has matured and truthful person the young readers who archetypal came present holding their parents’ hands. Growth is, therefore, not conscionable our taxable but the thread that connects each communicative this year,” says Sonal Sarda, 1 of the fest directors. VJLF 2025 volition big astir 50 sessions each day, with astir designed for children successful the property radical of 4 to 16. Some are shared spaces for parents and children to listen, question and laughter together, portion a fewer are tailored exclusively for parents and educators. Beyond the sessions, the fest retains its hallmark: a curated publication just by LitLantern and acceptable up by Pages Book Store featuring a plethora of children’s books from publishers crossed the Indian subcontinent. It is simply a abstraction wherever young readers tin browse done representation books, illustrated stories and graphic novels and besides conscionable the creators who imagined them.

The line-up this twelvemonth reflects the diverseness of storytelling. The fest volition invited authors, illustrators, storytellers, puppeteers, theatre performers, environmentalists and societal behaviour specialists. Among them are Asha Nehemiah, whose playful narratives person charmed readers; Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, writer and storyteller known for her lyrical works; Nandita da Cunha, who weaves modern realities into children’s fiction; Devika Cariapa, an writer who brings past live done her penning and storytelling; and Vaishali Shroff, who writes of rivers, clime and quality resilience. There are besides Abhishek Talwar, Ajit Narayan, Ameen Haque, Ankit Dwivedi, Vikram Sridhar, Nupur Aggarwal and duplicate illustrators Bob and Bobby, among others.

Helen O Grady theatre troupe from Mumbai volition signifier 2 performances successful the evenings: The Tempest connected Saturday and The Sound of Music connected Sunday — offering audiences an instauration to stagecraft and classical storytelling done performance.

Inclusivity and outreach proceed to specify the fest’s spirit. As portion of LitLantern’s assemblage programme, storyteller Vikram Sridhar volition behaviour sessions for authorities schoolhouse children successful and astir Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram. On November 7, helium volition sojourn the Ambedkar School, engaging astir 300 students done interactive storytelling. On the inaugural time of the fest, helium volition clasp a peculiar league for differently-abled children from the Sunflower Special School, assisted by a motion connection interpreter.

This volition beryllium the 3rd consecutive twelvemonth that VJLF has created abstraction for children crossed abilities done specified sessions. The inaugural is supported by Poornamidam, an organisation led by Kavya Poornima, which promotes inclusivity and accessibility successful learning spaces. “Stories beryllium to everyone,” says Priya Uppalapati, different fest director: “And we privation to marque definite each child, careless of inheritance oregon ability, tin beryllium portion of that world.”

The lawsuit is expected to big implicit 2,000 registered participants, with further slots for walk-in registrations. For those who similar spontaneity, determination are unfastened sessions wherever visitors tin simply articulation successful and listen. The organisers urge that families research these unfastened outdoor sessions arsenic well. “We ever archer parents not to program it similar a checklist of things to finish,” says Sonal with a smile. “Come with curiosity. Let children wander, listen, talk, devour and simply bask the time arsenic they would connected a picnic oregon astatine a movie.”

Over the years, VJLF has transformed into much than conscionable a literate gathering. It has go a abstraction for reflection connected however children prosecute with stories successful a changing world.

The fest volition besides person nutrient counters serving a cheerful premix of section favourites and treats — bhajji, moori mixture, cupcakes, alongside regular luncheon and snacks.

For galore successful Visakhapatnam, the yearly fest is present an eagerly awaited taste marker. It celebrates language, ideas and the quality transportation that stories bring. As Sonal puts it, “The travel of the fest mirrors the travel of the children. Each year, they grow: successful thought, curiosity and successful their quality to spot the satellite differently. That, successful itself, is the communicative we are each trying to tell.”