Annual Subscription Rs 5.00; 50 paise per copy May 2017 • Vol 35 No. 5 Contents Literary Festival at Cuttack Literary Festival at Cuttack 1-2 Storytelling for Children 2-3 Bologna Children’s Book Fair 3 National Book Festival at Hyderabad 4 Seminar on Children’s Literature 4 Literary Programme at Ranchi 5 Obituary 5 Self-help Books @ NDWBF 6 Excerpts ational Book Trust, India Sriramchandra Bhavan, Cuttack from 7 Ncelebrated National Book Festival 23 – 25 March 2017. “In the process,” in March 2017 across the country. she said, “NBT has been instrumental During the Festival special exhibitions in enriching Odia language and PICK OF THE MONTH of NBT’s publications, book release literature.” functions, seminars, workshops for “Bringing in quality books to children, storytelling sessions for readers at their doorstep,” Dr Pratibha children, cultural programmes, etc. Ray added, “NBT has been able to were organised across the country. The create a large readership.” programmes were organised in New Dr. Ray also expressed her Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and happiness over NBT’s role in promoting Uttar Pradesh. the mainstream Odia writers at national “NBT plays an important role level and bringing out an exclusive not only in promoting reading habit anthology of short stories by young and popularising books, but also by women writers of Odisha. bringing out quality Odia books, both On this occasion NBT books in originals as well as translations,” said Odia language viz. Faturanandanka Dr. Pratibha Ray, noted litterateur and Shrestha Hasyagalpa, Biography of Jnanpith awardee while inaugurating Binod Kanungo; Nabalekhan: Odia the three-day literary festival held at Lekhikanka Kshudragalpa and Odia A Touch of Glass Sukanya Datta 978-81-237-7960-7; Rs 235 MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 1 translation of Nabalakhan: Bangla Birendra Mohanty and Dr Govind other speakers on the occasion included Galpa Sankalan and A Simple Life of Chandra Chand participated in the well-known Odia writers including Swami Vivekananda were released. symposium. The speakers observed Shri Nanda Kishore Singh, Shri Goura Prof. Sanghamitra Mishra, the that imagination is the lifeline of the Pattnaik, Dr Sricharan Mohanty, Shri compiler of the Nabalekhan: Odia children’s literature as it develops Manoj Pattnaik among others. The Lekhikanka Kshudragalpa; Dr. creativity in children. Dr Maheswar speakers talked about the inherent Dhaneswar Sahu, eminent educationist; Mohanty, noted children’s litterateur music of Odia poetry and talked about Shri Jagabandhu Mishra, a prominent and Sahitya Akademi presided over rich poetic tradition of Odisha since journalist and member of NBT’s Odia the function. Shri Pradipta Kishore ancient times. Advisory Panel; Prof. Nityananda Mohanty, Programme Assistant, The function was presided over by Swain, well-known writer also spoke on Cuttack BPC proposed the vote of Shri Gourahari Dalei, President, Odia the occasion. Dr. Bijayananda Singh, thanks. Geetikabi Samaj. President, Utkal Sahitya Samaj presided Four Odia translations of the NBT Members of Odia Geetikabi over the programme. books for children including From Samaj, Shri A Maheswar Rao, Shri On the second day of the festival, Pumpkins to Pickles, Aankho Dekhi, Shekhar Ghosh, Sushree Deepti Dash, a symposium on ‘Odia Children’s Rintu and His Compass and The Lost Ant Shri Paramananda Sahu and Shri Literature: The Flight of Imagination’ were released on the occasion. Sukant Pradhan presented some Odia was held on 24th March 2017. Shri On the concluding day, a lyrics with music. The function came Nadia Behari Mohanty, Sahitya symposium on ‘Odia Lyric: A Quest to an end with a vote of thanks by Academy awardee was the chief guest for Musical Beauty’ was held in Smt Sandhya Mitra of Odia Geetikabi on the occasion. Noted writers in collaboration with Odia Geetikabi Samaj. contemporary Odia children’s literature Samaj, an organisation of Odia lyricists The Festival was organised in including, Dr Sunamani Rout, Shri of the state. Prof. Santanu Kumar collaboration with Utkal Sahitya Manas Ranjan Samal, Smt Minakshi Acharya, an eminent Odia author was Samaj. Dr Pramod Sar, Odia Editor, Devi, Smt Anasuya Nanda, Shri the chief guest on the occasion. The NBT coordinated the event. Storytelling for Children s part of National Book Festival, Prakash Manu said, “He was fascinated ANational Book Trust, India towards books since his childhood organized a session on storytelling and and always looked for an opportunity creative writing for children at Pragati to read books.” “However,” he said, Maidan on 23 March 2017. “Unlike these days, books were not Shri Prakash Manu, well-known available easily. We could find only a few children’s writer, and Ms Fouzia, well books with black & white illustrations known storyteller, were the special in school library.” He remarked that guests on the occasion. During the good reading habit which he developed programme they interacted with the in the childhood helped him become a children and shared their experience in writer. storytelling and story writing. Shri Prakash Manu appreciated Recalling his childhood days, Shri that now a large number of books on 2 NBT NEWSLETTER MAY 2017 wide range of topics in beautiful Sharing her experience as a formats and colour illustrations storyteller she said, “To become are available for the young a storyteller, one need not be minds. He added that children a writer. One has to read a must take advantage of this fact story over and over again to and read more and more books understand the characters of as reading helps in becoming the story well and how they a good writer. He also told express themselves in different children that they can create manner.” She added that their own stories by observing before presenting a story, the people and situations around storyteller must read the story them. loudly at least four to five times. Later, Ms Fouzia, the first More than 200 students woman Dastango of modern from Kendriya Vidyalaya, times, narrated a story titled Pitampura; Sarvodayay School, ‘Kajari Gayen Phisalpatti Par’ to Anand Vihar and from various NGOs the children. The people present on participated in the event. the occasion were mesmerized by Shri Dwijendra Kumar, Dr her performance of Dastangoi, an Kamlesh Kumari and Ms Surekha interesting form of storytelling which Sachdeva, Editors at NBT coordinated dates back to the 16th Century. the programme. Bologna Children’s Book Fair ational Book Trust, India Entitled ‘Sharing a Future: Nparticipated in the 54th Books in Catalan in Bologna edition of Bologna Children’s 2017’ and organised by the Book Fair organised at Bologna, Institut Ramon Llull with the Italy, from 3 -6 April 2017. collaboration, the guest of The Fair provides platform honour presentation highlighted to the publishing industry for the quality of illustrations in B2B activities like the trade in Catalonia and the Balearic copyrights, etc. The Fair also islands and a wide range of provides unique opportunity books in the Catalan language to the participants and the for children and young people. visitors to discover the latest The other highlights of developments in the sector, meet the Fair were the Illustrators’ the leading illustrators and Exhibition where the works authors and the winners of the most participated in the Fair. Catalonia and of 75 illustrators, from 26 different prestigious awards. the Balearic Islands, were the Guests countries, representing diverse cultures, The Trust displayed over 150 select of Honour at the Fair which have a sensibilities and styles were displayed; books in English and Hindi from long tradition of publishing books for Bologna Digital Media where various publishers across the country. children and young people since 15th international brands like Google and The visitors including publishers at century. Amazon discussed about augmented the Fair showed keen interest reality, creative technology and the and appreciated the books new printing and digital services; representing children’s content a number of workshops, seminars of India. Publishers from USA and debates were organised in and UK expressed their desire which noted publishers, authors, to buy NBT’s Punjabi books; illustrators, and translators and rights of two NBT books participated. titled My Umma’s Sari and Ravan Shri Kamal Ahmed, Hindi respectively. Editor and Shri Samaresh This year, 1300 exhibitors Chatterjee, Senior Artist, from over 75 countries represented NBT at the Fair. MAY 2017 NBT NEWSLETTER 3 National Book Festival at Hyderabad o commemorate 60 Classes; Shri D Prabhakar Tyears of its foundation, Rao, Chairman, Official National Book Trust, India Language Committee, in association with Dept. of Telangana; Dr B Sayanna, Language and Culture, Govt. Director, State Resource of Telangana organized several Centre, Telangana and programmes during National well-known authors like Book Festival at Ravindra Sh. Jukanti Jagannatham, Bharathi, Saifabad, Hyderabad Dr Shajahana, Sh. Reddi from 22-27 March, 2017. Ragavaiah among others. Prof. N. Gopi, Sahitya Besides, a workshop on Akademi awardee and book review for university Member, NBT Telugu students; essay and painting Advisory Panel inaugurated competitions for school the Festival. He appreciated NBT’s NBT books were released including children were also organized. Over two efforts in organizing special book Navalekan Telugu Short Story Anthology, hundred students from various schools exhibitions. He also suggested that Jhoot Ka Thailaand Nanhe Kargosh