The lawns of Hawa Mahal were flocked by excited children and enthusiastic parents as the second edition of Vizag Junior Literary Fest began on Saturday.
The two-day fest was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Praveen Kumar, Visakhapatnam MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana and AP High Court Judge D.V.S.S. Somayajulu.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Praveen said, “Just one year after the VJLF was started, it is counted among the top 10 children’s literary festivals in the country. I hope it grows to become bigger and better with each passing year. The department of tourism will continue to support the fest in all possible ways.”
The inaugural also saw the launch of a children-authored book ‘Once Again Upon a Time.’ “Fourteen students from seven districts of Andhra Pradesh have contributed to the book. The book is a result of a short story competition in which the students were asked to write sequels to popular tales like Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Eklavya and Luv Kush,” said Sonal Sarda, one of the fest directors. The 14 child authors were felicitated by the dignitaries.
Following the inaugural was an energetic Robert Jenkins, a Singaporean storyteller, who took the kids on a chase of bears. They sang and danced along with Mr. Jenkins as he animatedly narrated the story of finding a bear. His session was followed by Delhi-based storyteller Kapil Pandey who strummed his guitar and sang Telugu folktales to keep the kids engrossed.
