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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Yuyi Morales: Inspiring Creativity Without Borders / Yuyi Morales: Inspirando Creatividad sin Fronteras
by Rini Ghosh, Educator Yuyi Morales, a captivating voice in the world of children’s literature, gifted us with an unforgettable afternoon. The renowned Mexican-American author shared her inspiring journey as a writer and illustrator, leaving an indelible mark on everyone present. Since her arrival in the United States, Yuyi has faced the challenge of adapting […]
Crafting Stories, One Panel At A Time
by Samaira Gupta, Grade 8 Tell me you haven’t caught yourself doodling on the back of your math notebook or the back of your hand. Well, same: I have always been intrigued by comics and how these illustrations portray so much with little to no words, and when I saw the name of the workshop […]
Fairytales, with a Climate Twist
by Amishi Daga, Grade 8 Most of us grew up listening to fairy tales such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty, recorded by the Grimm Brothers during the early 19th century. The world has evolved since then and the environment in which those narratives are set in no longer exists. Due to decades of rapid […]
Papercut Portraits: Masterclass by Thao Lam
By Nikhita Chatterjee, Grade 10 For her masterclass titled “Papercut Portraits”, author-illustrator Thao Lam was greeted by a room packed with enthusiastic children eager to make their portraits. During this engaging session, Thao explained the inspiration and backstory behind her picture book “Thao”. She introduced the book by reading aloud a few short excerpts to […]
From Gond Art to Animation: Masterclasses at NLF
By Shashank Pai, Grade 11 The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘master’ as ‘someone having or showing great proficiency’. This proficiency was on full display during the masterclasses at the Neev Literature Festival 2023. I had the pleasure of attending three masterclasses discussing topics such as Gond art, graphic novels and animation. The first masterclass about creating […]