The Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) and Oxford University Press (OUP) in collaboration with the Foundation Open Society Institute, Pakistan, are organising a two-day Children's Literature Festival (CLF) for the children of Lahore at Children's Library Complex on November 25-26. The CLF will also be taken to other cities of Pakistan later on.
The CLF is the first literature festival for the children of Pakistan to be held at the national level. It aims at promoting reading, creativity and critical thinking among children. This initiative is also aimed at creating an interest in children in books, reading, writing, authors and literature. It is a part of ITA's ongoing efforts to lure children into experiencing the joys and rewards of reading for pleasure and information. This is also a part of OUP's ongoing effort to develop a taste for reading among the children of Pakistan, and entice them into savouring the pleasures offered by books. Studies show that a love for reading leads to children's success in schools.
At the festival, ITA Research Associate Safyan Jabbar says, exciting and fun-filled programmes including talks and readings by famous children's writers will provide opportunities for children to listen to their favourite books being read and discussed. Children will also attend classes on creative writing with well-known creative writers as well as sessions of poetry reading and 'Writing Poems'. The children will also learn about bookmaking, write stories, write book reviews, attend puppet shows and children's theatre as well as participate in many other fascinating activities related to reading at the festival.
For educators, Jabbar says, the programme has been designed to create a better understanding of using books for triggering children's imaginations. There will be sessions on local languages to popularise mother tongue learning in Pakistan.