Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl  impacted generations. The book is also an inspiration to child authors of all times and proves when it comes to writing, age too is just a number. So it was in Delhi this week.

It was in the fitness of things that the inauguration of the three-day Muskaan Literature Festival for Child Authors, being organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation and the Education for All Trust,  at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi on Tuesday came as a big encouragement to those who picked up pen at an early age to be storytellers.

From L to R: Anindita Chatterjee, Executive Trustee, Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Sumitra Ray - Student Programme Advisor of PKF Priyank Kanoongo - National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Sachchidanand Joshi - Member Secretary, the Executive and Academic Head of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), K.N. Shrivastava - Director of India International Centre, Anant Vijay - senior journalist, celebrated authors Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan and Kiran Manral at the Muskaan Litfest for Child Authors in Delhi.

There were 30 child authors from across the country in the litfest which witnessed workshops and performances.

The festival is being organised with the support of Shree Cement Limited, and held in collaboration with IGNCA, India International Center (IIC) as the associate, and Sahitya Akademi as the knowledge partner.

Held under the Muskaan initiative of Prabha Khaitan Foundation and Education for All Trust, this literature festival acknowledges and applauds the literary creations of young storytellers through as many as 15 sessions with over 30 child authors from across the country, interactive activities, workshops, performances and more.

Young authors at the Muskaan Litfest for Child Authors in Delhi; author Ruskin Bond's message was played at the litfest.

The festival was inaugurated in the presence of Priyank Kanoongo, Chairman, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Also present on the occasion were Sachchidanand Joshi, member secretary, the executive and academic head of IGNCA; K N Shrivastava, Director of IIC, and K Sreenivasarao, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi.

On the occasion, Kanoongo said literature is the mirror of society. It is important to provide child authors the right environment and upbringing to promote literature, he said. The NCPCR chairman asserted that children should take more interest in writing and literature, instead of social media.

Adding to the dynamic evening was an online speech by much-loved children’s author Ruskin Bond. He said that the Prabha Khaitan Foundation has done a commendable effort in promoting the habit of reading among children in the country by initiating the Muskaan Literature Festival.

Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai interacting with the young authors at Muskaan Litfest for Child Authors in Delhi.

This was followed by heartwarming poetry recitations by child authors Aviraj Singhvi from Udaipur and Saina Sarin from Gurugram.

The evening was marked by a scintillating cultural programme ‘Udaan’ conceptualised by Shinjini Kulkarni, Ehsaas woman of Prabha Khaitan Foundation. Huma Khalil Mirza, Ehsaas woman of Delhi and Unnati Singh, Ehsaas woman of Indore also added to the charm of the performance.

Later, dancer and choreographer Avirup Sengupta and his Prayas Foundation, which works with specially-abled children, presented an enthralling performance. The Foundation flew the children from Kolkata to Delhi for the special performance.

Members of Prayas Foundation, which works for specially-abled children, performing at the Muskaan Litfest for Young Authors in Delhi

Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, attended the first day of the event on Wednesday. He interacted with the child authors and appreciated their hard work and wished them the best for their aspirations.

The Muskaan Literature Festival is a brilliant effort of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation and Education for All Trust, he said. “It is giving a platform for the young talented writers to showcase their works and inspire future talents.”

The minister also gave away the certificates to the participating child authors. On the occasion, the latest issue of Prabha, the newsletter of Prabha Khaitan Foundation, was also released with its theme based on children’s literature.