by NR Indran / INT

Mumbai : Disney Publishing Worldwide (India) today announced the winners for its Pitchkiaow initiative, an exciting literary competition inviting writers to pitch an original idea for a children’s story. The panel of judges selected two winners Gayathri Ponvannan from Chennai and Rasil Ahuja from Bangalore who will be awarded INR 50,000/- each and Disney will help them develop the stories.

“The response from writers across India was overwhelming and we are glad that this initiative has provided a platform for inspiring new talent and to showcase their creativity and originality”, said Roshini Bakshi, VP, Consumer Products, Publishing and Retail.

To participate, writers had to submit a 500-600 word synopsis and 800-1000 words of the first chapter in physical printed format to Disney Publishing.

Network engineer, Gayathri Ponvannan of Chennai and now living in Dubai, submitted a beautifully crafted saga of a youth who realizes his dreams and changes history forever. Gayathri’s story successfully captures the nuances of a magical era with her prolific writing.

Ms. Ponvannan, who counted Susan Coolidge, Enid Blyton and JK. Rowling among the authors who inspired her said, “It was Disney’s Pitchkiaow initiative that prompted me to take up writing for children. Once I got going, I found it really great. I had a critic on hand in my 10-year old son! My favorite reads are still children’s books”

Rasil Ahuja, a teacher by profession, submitted an original, heart-warming story of a young girl. The protagonist’s character in the story has been inspired from her own childhood experiences. Rasil has a breezy spark in her writing style.

“When I was 10, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had no clue what grownups did while I was away at school, but I knew the books I loved to read were written by them. So, I said to myself – I want to become a children’s writer. One morning I caught a little blurb in the local newspaper about a writing contest called Disney’s Pitchkiaow. And I decided to grab the opportunity with both my hands,” said Rasil.

The judges included the renowned Piyush Pandey, executive chairman & national creative director India and South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather, Radhika Meganathan, editor, Chillibreeze and Arnab Chaudhri, executive director, Content and Creativity, Walt Disney Television International India.

“I am delighted by the sheer number of brilliant storytellers that exist in this country. I am glad to see that a brand like Disney, with its heritage of magical storytelling, is supporting local talent and providing them with a platform to realize their dreams. I found both Gayathri and Rasil’s stories to be inspiring for kids and their families and I wish them all the best,” said Piyush.

Disney’s Pitchkiaow, was launched last year with the television business, where Disney invited new show ideas as a part of a first-of-its-kind nationwide pitch that sought to promote new creative talent.

This year the contest was promoted online by the event partner, Chillibreeze.com.

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