12th edition of Bookaroo children's lit fest over the weekend

Over the weekend, the sprawling grounds of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will resound to the chatter of young voices as the 12th edition of Bookaroo, India's biggest Children's Literature Festival brings together.

85 speakers and authors and 120 fun-filled sessions of storytelling, drama, workshops and art & craft for 4-16-year-olds, parents and teachers.

"It is heartening to see that our mission of bringing children and books together through an exclusive children's literature festival is gaining ground. As a pioneer in the field it is really encouraging to see so many literature festivals, especially for children, being set up around the country," Festival Director Swati Roy said.

"Despite the difficulties of finding funding we have stayed true to our objective of being inclusive and kept the festival open to all where entry is free," she added.

Organised by the Delhi-based Bookaroo Trust, the festival, which began in November 2008 as a solo edition in New Delhi, has since travelled to 15 cities across India and has completed 35 editions overall.

Speakers at this year's edition of Bookaroo come from eleven cities in India and eight countries including Australia, France, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and Sri Lanka.

So, what's new this time?

A reintroduced Schools' Day, sessions for adults, a Tree Walk and music.

Five books, "Tales for Yoga", "Young Pandavas", "Haa Haa Hasya! (English)". "The Middle" and "Darkless".

"Bookaroo's mission is to bring back the wonder of imagination and make reading books fascinating in today's world for children," a statement said, adding: "As in earlier years, Eureka!, the festival bookstore, will stock all the visiting authors' books for Achildren to browse, buy and get them signed by the authors on the spot."

Entry is on a first come, first seated basis through Gate No 2 on Rajendra Prasad Road. Parking on the grounds is available but visitors are advised to use the Metro as far as possible. The nearest Metro station is Central Secretariat.-IANS