Encourage children to read by showing them love and by your own reading behavior, and through innovative ways using theatre, graphics and audio-visual media, and by developing appropriate high quality literature for children,” this was the message that came across from the noted writers, illustrators and experts from around India at the second Children’s Literature Conference held in Goa.
The second Bal Sahitya Parishad organised by Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Goa and the directorate of Official Language was held recently at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. The conference was attended by over 700 teachers and students from all over Goa.
Rajesh Joshi, a noted writer from Bhopal delivered the keynote address. He observed that a writer of children’s literature has to leave his childhood behind and enter into the childhood of the present generation which is a very challenging task.
The first session focussed on ‘Reading material for children: content, context and contemporary compulsions’, with talks by Swayam Prakash, Dr Kiran Budkuley and Sushil Shukla. Swayam Prakash, a renowned Hindi writer, spoke of the need to answer children who ask candid questions about topics like sex and violence. Shukla, who edits ‘Chakmak’ and ‘Pluto’ the children’s magazines, explored the thinking of children and showed how even a 5-year child can produce highly creative texts and images. Dr Budkuley, former Dean of Language and Literature faculty of Goa University framed the qualities of good children’s literature and showed how texts for kids can be enhanced by oral and visual means, using modern media.
The second session with N S Madhavan, Jerry Pinto and Jose Lourenco dwelt on encouraging reading to develop local, national and world awareness in children. NS Madhavan, a Katha -prize winning author from Kerala, spoke of how children’s literature evolved from the times when it was not deemed as needed, to emerging as a strong and specific genre. The popular Mumbai-based writer Jerry Pinto, who also writes children’s fiction, appealed to the teachers to show love to the children as they taught them to read. Children imitate adults, and as they see parents engrossed in cell phones they too seek the same pleasures. If we want the young ones to read, teachers and parents must read first. Jose Lourenco spoke of the imbalance caused by growing up with western-centric literature. A pocket book series of adapted literature in easy Konkani, Hindi, and translations from other Indian languages is needed to fill the gap of suitable books for teenagers and young adults in Goa, he said.
Ghumche Katarr Theatre, a Ravindra Bhavan Production, presented plays based on children’s stories to show how love for reading can be stimulated through theatre. A workshop on illustration for children’s literature was also conducted by Ms Taposhi Ghoshal, a Delhi-based illustrator.
The second day had Dr Sonika Kaushik - an NCERT consultant, Dr Prakash Parienkar of Goa University, and Taposhi Ghoshal talking on ‘Ideal Children’s Literature - The Way Forward’. Parienkar stressed on the need to create strong characters in Indian children’s literary world just the way the West has been able to do it. He also suggested that the natural elements and their dynamics should reach to children through minute detailing at their level. Taposhi Ghoshal spoke about the need of variety in illustrations in children’s books. She narrated her experiences by showing various types of illustrations that she has done for various children’s magazines and books. She stressed on leaving scope for the child to explore and expand the horizons of imagination. She also traced the evolution of illustration in children’s books. She said, it is indeed a challenge to retain the scope for imagination when the illustrations have travelled from mono colour to multicoloured pictures.
Dr Kaushik observed that we fix the so called ‘ideal literature’ in our minds but it keeps on changing. It should change for children’s literature too. She gave examples from oral traditions and their variations according to the region. She stressed on the fact that we need to portray relatable and real things in children’s literature, or else a deprived child may start thinking that something is wrong with their life.
The last panel comprising Ms Sujata Noronha, Ms Geeta Ramanujam and Ms Geetanjali Kulkarni discussed ‘Means and Mediums to take Children’s Literature to Children’. Ms Ramanujam, in her innovative and animated style, showed how visualisation is achieved through storytelling. Her good-humoured presentation was peppered with anecdotes and tales that drove home some valuable lessons for teachers. Ms Kulkarni spoke of her work with the NGO ‘Quest’ and their ‘Goshtarang’ programme that takes stories and theatre to tribal and rural children. Her two-member group then regaled the audience by acting out a story by the Swedish writer Tomas Wieslander, of a cow who cycles into a forest to set up a swing, helped by a crow. Sujata Noronha outlined the various outreach programmes of Bookworm that take literature to children, with a focus on under-privileged communities.
An exhibition and sale of children’s books was held as part of the Conference activities, with stalls by Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Goa Konkani Akademi, Abhinav Creations, Dogears Etc, and other institutions. Prashant Naik, Chairman of Ravindra Bhavan, informed that books worth over two lakh rupees were sold over these two days. In his remarks at the closing event, KBM President Chetan Acharya emphasized that the conference and the regular KBM workshops for teachers were part of an ongoing journey to nurture the reading habit in children by developing and providing high quality suitable reading material for teachers and students in Goa.
