Bookaroo brings children and books together in Delhi

It’s time for the 40th edition of Bookaroo and it returns to Delhi for the 14th time with an unabated enthusiasm

In the sprawling, picturesque backdrop of the National Rail Museum at Chanakyapuri, the country’s first and most travelled literature festival for children -- Bookaroo -- is once again set to delight young readers,  parents and teachers with scintillating storytelling and poetry sessions, workshops, art and craft activities and book stalls, this weekend.

The Bookaroo-2022 marks the 14th edition in Delhi and the 40 th edition journeying through 17 cities since 2008. Organised by the Bookaroo Trust, it promises to be non-stop fun with books for children between four and 14 years. The festival’s mission is to bring back the wonder of imagination in children and make reading books a fascinating experience for them., says Swati Roy, festival director.

Last year, 7,900 visitors braved the post-pandemic environment and Delhi’s winter to make the event a success. This year, 48 speakers from 12 Indian cities will be joined by international speakers — from France, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Dubai, the US, Germany and Sweden – after a gap of three years. A total of 64 sessions have been crafted to suit the age group of children.

The organisers say that the support from publishers, arts councils, authors, illustrators, embassies, parents, teachers and sponsors is overwhelming and the footfall is expected to be much higher this season.

The story of Bookaroo is the story of spreading the joy of reading for pleasure., says Swati, and hopes all the children who have experienced Bookaroo will carry the concept forward.

The list of speakers includes Anushka Ravishankar, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, Sudha G Tilak, Arunava Sinha, Tilottama Shome, Seema Wahi Mukherjee, Vasundhara Bahuguna, Seema Chari, among many others.

Apart from the story telling, reading and writing sessions, creating or drawing stories, some new elements have been added this year. These include easy DIY science tricks in Hindi and listening to stories of women scientists from India. History Express will help the children learn about ancient art galleries, temples and iconic monuments.