The two-day Vizag Junior Literary Fest (VJLF) 2019, brought back a great time for both the young and old of the city. Woven yet again with wonderful storytellers, famous authors, puppetry, book fair, workshops, and laughter, it offered a great time for children and parents alike. Organized at the scenic location of Hawa Mahal, the event was inaugurated on November 16 by Chief Guest Sri Justice DVVS Somayajulu. The Guests of honour were Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana and Pravin Kumar, IAS.
A few young authors from the city were shortlisted through a contest held across schools, and their stories were put together in a book titled ‘Once upon a time’. The book was launched in the presence of the dignitaries, winners and a large audience. During the inaugural, Mr. Somayajulu spoke about the old days of the city, and how great poets, orators, and writers have all been a part of the fabric of the city since its past. This was followed by storytelling by Roger Jenkins, the International storyteller, and Founder of Asian Storytellers. He engaged both the young and old with his fascinating style of storytelling.
From the co-founder of Karadi Tales, Shobha Vishwanath to award-winning storytellers, book writers, and illustrators, the two-day event featured interactive sessions, storytelling, and workshops on writing, illustrating and theatre as well. From the traditional art of Tholu bommalata that told the story of Sunderakanda to the life-size puppets from The Puppetarians, evenings of both days brought together many people from the city as well.
Panel discussions and workshops for adults, along with many other elements made the Vizag Junior Literary Fest 2019 just as wonderful as the first season. With a book fair set up by the Pages bookshop, people had a whale of a time picking and choosing from their favourite Indian writers and getting copies signed. Seamlessly organized by the program directors Sandhya Godey, Priya Uppalapati and Sonal Sarda, with the support of many volunteers, the two days of the VJLF was fascinating, and the city waits for the next year.