It’s the last weekend of November and Bookaroo, India’s biggest Children’s Literature festival is all set for its 12^th edition in New Delhi bringing celebrated authors, stories and books in all forms, shapes and sizes!

Organised by Delhi-based Bookaroo Trust – it is India’s first literature festival of its kind. 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.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) on Rajendra Prasad Road, the venue for Bookaroo 2019 will witness two days of non-stop fun and learning with books on November 30^th and December 1^st 2019.

According to Venkatesh M, festival director, Bookaroo, “We are thankful to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA for collaborating with Bookaroo since 2010. This year has been a particularly tough one financially. We are grateful to Fevicreate (Pidilite) and Childline India Foundation for giving us a big push out of trouble. Others like British School, DK, Hachette and Pathways Aravalli pitched in generously. A special thanks to Takshila Educational Society for standing by us..”

Swati Roy, festival director, Bookaroo adds, “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. 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.”

So, what’s brewing? Eighty five speakers will be conducting more than 100 sessions on:

• Dramatized reading & storytelling
• Art & illustration workshops
• Craft
• Climate change & recycling
• Music
• Nature & wildlife
• Puppets
• General knowledge
• History
• Growing-up issues
• Travel
• Mythology

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?

Schools’ Day:This year, Bookaroo has re-introduced Schools’ Day. A pre-registered event, it will be held on Nov 29. Schools’ Day will have several schools across Delhi and NCR bring their children to IGNCA to attend over 16 sessions by 17 speakers.

Sessions for adults: For the first time, this year will also see special sessions for parents, teachers and guardians touching upon a variety of subjects ranging from what children are scared of to how to decide what is a good book to stereotyping children and their behaviour to growing up issues.

Tree Walk: There will be a tree walk between 9:30 am and 10:15 am on both days (Saturday and Sunday). Conducted by Kavita Prakash, children will be taken on a walk of IGNCA to identify the five trees. This is a pre-registered event.

Music: Bookaroo Delhi 2019 has many sessions based on music. Also on exhibit during the days of the festival will be a unique collection of rare and cool musical instruments from countries as far as Peru and Krygyztan! Children can rediscover the joy of music and the materials and the science and cultures behind the instruments.

FIVE book launches.

• Tales for Yoga : The ogress and the rainbow bird  illustrated by Delphine Renon will be launched in English in India. The book has been published by Om (Kidz) Books International.
• Young Pandavas: A series of books based on the Mahabharata written and illustrated by Anupam Arunachalam. Published by Hachette India
• Ha… Ha… Hasya! (English): written and illustrated by Ashok Rajagopalan. Published By Tulika Books
• The Middle : written by Richa Jha and illustrated by Eva Sanchez. Published by Pickle Yolk. Both are participating in Bookaroo this year.
• Darkless : written by Tanu Shree Singh and published by Puffin.

As in earlier years, Eureka!, the festival bookstore will stock all the visiting authors’ books for your children to browse, buy and get them signed by the authors on the spot.

Bookaroo’s mission is to bring back the wonder of imagination and make reading books fascinating in today’s world for children. The programme includes simultaneous sessions (in various sub venues) based on dramatized reading and theatre, non-stop storytelling for younger children, craft activities, art and illustration workshops, poetry sessions.

Entry is on first come, first seated basis through Gate no 2 on Rajendra Prasad Road. Parking on grounds is available but visitors are advised to use the Metro as far as possible. Nearest metro station is Central Secretariat.