Hassan’s first children’s litfest draws young readers

Hassan: Hassan city witnessed a vibrant celebration of books and ideas as many students, parents, teachers, and citizens came together for the first-ever Hassan Literature Festival – Children's Edition.The city-based Vijaya School organised a two-day festival at its campus here from Saturday.
The festival was dedicated exclusively to children's literature. It created a rare and much-needed space in the city to engage with stories beyond textbooks and examinations.Author Girish Rao Hatwar (Jogi), along with HB Madan Gowda, vice-president of the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, Bengaluru, inaugurated the festival.Jogi appreciated that when a school opens its vision and activities to the larger community, it helps foster a strong literary culture. Speaking to the students, he emphasised that literature plays a vital role in nurturing both the mind and the heart, and encouraged them to cultivate reading as an integral part of their daily lives.Over two days, children will have the opportunity to meet and interact with authors who write passionately for young readers, he said.Nandita Rao conducted an engaging read-aloud session from her book ‘Buffalo Baby', while Anupama K Benachinamaradi presented an interactive session on Kempi.The first day witnessed the participation of over 500 students.On Sunday, writer and activist Vaani Periyodi will lead a dialogue titled ‘Constitution for Children', encouraging children to understand constitutional values in simple terms. Storyteller BA Apoorva will conduct storytelling and creative writing workshops, inspiring students to experiment with their own ideas.According to the parents, the festival was a refreshing and meaningful experience. "We never had such a platform in Hassan to meet authors and explore books like this," said a parent.