BANGALORE: The city's young readers are in for a treat as the annual Neev Literature festival is getting ready to return to its physical location after two years of taking place online. The two-day festival will take place at the Neev Academy Campus in Yemalur, Bangalore, on September 24 and 25. The festival's theme this year, "Reading takes you somewhere," emphasises the ability of books to liberate readers to explore different cultural viewpoints and imagine new locations in our globe.

The largest carefully curated marketplace of books for readers of all ages will also be on display at the event. Numerous events will be held during the festival, featuring renowned writers, librarians, award-winning filmmakers, and storytellers who will engage the audience in conversation about a wide range of subjects.

This year, the Neev Literature Festival will host 92 sessions with more than 60 international speakers to educate young minds on subjects including climate change and writing from conflict zones. The occasion provides readers with a forum for conversation with eminent writers including Roopa Pai, Anushka Ravishankar, Paro Anand, Jane De Suza, Samina Mishra, Venita Coelho, Shabnam Minwalla, Sandhya Rao, Bijal Vaccharajani, Arundhati Venkatesh, and Menaka Raman.

Arefa Tehsin will discuss growing up as the daughter of a naturalist while Priya Narayanan will lead an interactive discussion on mythology and math. Andaleeb Wajid, a well-known YA author, will teach students how to develop their own writing style in a masterclass. For parents of women who made a name for themselves as documented in ancient sources dating back hundreds of years, historian Devika Rangachari will lead a Masterclass. Katie Day and Nadine Bailey, two international teacher-librarians, will discuss recent findings and methods used to develop readers in the classroom.

This festival is likely to be a literary paradise of fascinating talks and knowledge-gathering with 42 book readings by authors, 17 interactive sessions, 20 master courses for students, and 13 programmes for parents and teachers. The festival, which is focused on promoting the joy of reading, will address some current, thought-provoking issues and make it an engaging experience for both young and elderly.

The Neev Book Award jury members will reveal the winners in each of the four award categories -- Early Years (5-7 years), Emerging Readers (6-8 years), Junior Readers (9-12 years), and Young Adult -- at the conclusion of the first day of the event (13-18 years).

The sixth edition of the Neev Literature Festival aims to promote the value of reading for lifelong learning and the ability of Indian literature to foster a sense of national identity. Children's books are now the literary mirrors and windows to the entire universe of potential due to shifting family arrangements and frequent digital invasion. 
With a report on the State of Indian Children's Writing that informs us that the children's book market is limited and dominated by Western publications, the festival and book prize are adjusting their focus. Indian writings that concentrate on personal chronology, mythology, and folklore are fantastic, but they also need to portray the ideals and aspirations of India at 75 and India at 100. In India, the field of children's literature must also become more financially viable. Kavita Gupta Sabharwal, co-founder and festival organiser, stated that this is a community and environment that she and the other festival founders are dedicated to creating for the future of our children.

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