Wordless Warmth
by Ira S Kapany, Grade 6, and Riddhi Mantri, Grade 7 In the Masterclass ‘Wordless Warmth,’ author-illustrator Ogin Nayam introduced the audience to his wordless picture book When the Sun Sets, shortlisted for the 2025 Neev Book Award. He noted how everything was left to the reader’s interpretation in wordless picture books, how the ideas […]
Crafting Books that Pop, Sing & Glow
by Shivank Singh, Grade 8 Pratyush Gupta’s session ‘Crafting Books that Pop, Sing & Glow’ was an extraordinary dive into the fusion of Indian classical music and interactive storytelling. Through his book Master of the 7 Swars, he showed how creativity can transform reading into a whole new experience including a new visual and auditory […]
The Noise Inside Boys: What Does It Mean to Be One?
by Vishesh Singh, Educator “Boys are a different breed!” “He’s such a boy!” “He’s not really a boy.” These are phrases we toss around so casually, assuming we know what it means to be a boy—especially based on how they act, talk, dress, or perform masculinity. After attending Pablo Cartaya and Anthony McGowan’s session ‘The […]
Bringing History Alive
by Adarshini Chandrakanth, Grade 11 Currently, studies in archeology are as close as we can get to a time machine, the only scientific discipline that can whiz us back to the past. Prolific science writer Sam Kean agrees… but also disagrees. To set the stage, Mr. Kean candidly expressed his opinion that archeologists are the […]
Feeling Shy, Feeling Brave
by Pranat Jain, Grade 12 In the session ‘Feeling Shy, Feeling Brave,’ Rishita Loitongbam engaged with audiences ranging from 6-year-old students to teachers and fellow authors. In her own language of visual metaphors and imagery, Ms. Rishita explained how pictures and colors can be used to depict one’s sentiments. The book Thoithoi Feels Shy is […]
Winning Big
by Agastya Awasthi, Grade 11 “Palwankar Baloo wanted a chance for everyone” – Mamta Nainy Mamta Nainy’s session, ‘Winning Big’, based on her book Baloo’s Big Win, was one that took me aback in a good way. The mood of the lawn was electric: kids’ eyes gleaming with interest and delight as they listened to […]
We, the People of India
by Alisha Patil, Grade 11 ‘We, the People of India’ was a session that happened at the Kathashala on Day 1 of NLF. Featuring Ashok Rajagopalan, the illustrator of 5 Fantastic Facts about the Indian Constitution, this session’s purpose was to make the history and ways of our people accessible to young children, between the […]
Shifting Perspectives
by Arianna Sethi, Grade 10 Aparna Kapur’s Masterclass ‘Shifting Perspectives’ at the Neev Literature Festival 2025, highlights the importance of how different perspectives work together and enhance a story. In her book An Absence of Squirrels, the main character is a 12-year-old girl named Katli, who has seven different personalities, with different thoughts, opinions, and […]
Avian Antics
by Adarshini Chandrakanth, Grade 11 The ‘Avian Antics’ masterclass, conducted by author and wildlife advocate Rohan Chakravarty, was a spirited session that left a strong impression on young readers and nature lovers to continue keeping their fervour for feathered beings alive. Mr. Rohan began the session by asking the audience what birds meant to them, […]
Make Some Noise
by Kabir Singh, Grade 9 At the whimsical session ‘Make Some Noise’, author Vibha Batra helped remind us that books aren’t just about what we see, but can also portray what we hear, smell, touch, or even taste on an everyday basis. We often focus solely on visual imagery, forgetting how powerfully other senses shape […]