Looking back at Peek a Book

- India's first post-pandemic Children's Literature Festival

Did you know? India’s first Children’s Literature Festival in the post-pandemic era – Peek a Book took place right here at MuSo in February this year!?

Peek a Book was a vibrant celebration of the wonderful, yet relatively under-explored world of Indian Childrens Literature, designed to whisk kids away from their screens and transport them to the world of books.?

Thanks to a fantastic curation by our friend and children’s book author Lubaina Bandukwala , kids in Mumbai got to experience a whole day dedicated to exploring stories, meeting authors and illustrators and exploring books meant for kids aged 4-12. Peek a Book featured 16 exciting and unique sessions with authors and illustrators, each crafted to spark children’s curiosity and ignite their love for reading.???

The festival was all about celebrating storytelling while encouraging young kids to read, listen, and create new stories. India’s rich immersive literature has the potential to empower our younger generation to imagine new possibilities and motivate them to change the world.??

And let’s not forget the amazing lineup of authors who joined the fun! Here are a few or the many highlights:??

• Actor Soha Ali Khan narrated stories to grade-schoolers and shared her book (written together with her husband Kunal Khemu) - “Inni & Bobo”- a heartwarming tale of friendship and kindness.?

• Known for his humorous Gajapati Kulapati series, Ashok Rajagopalan brought his signature storytelling charm to the festival and readers were able to take signed copies of his most loved book back with them!

• Best-selling author Anand Neelakantan , recognized for his imaginative and inspiring stories launched his new book titled “Mahi: The elephant who flew over the Mountains.”?

• Archaeologist and Sahitya Academy Bal Puraskar Award Winner Devika Cariapa, known for her engaging and historical narratives brought many tales to the festival too?

• Award winning author and climate crusader, Bijal Vachharajani recognized for her thought-provoking narratives of environmental explorations through storytelling engaged children with “When Fairyland Lost Its Magic”, a witty, yet thoughtful look at the impact of climate change reimagined through fairytales.??

We also had other remarkable authors like Vibha Batra, Ashifa Sarkar Safi, Vaishali Shroff and Katie Bagli join us at Peek a Book to share their magic with young readers. ??

Our aim with Peek a Book was to empower young children to explore the various aspects of their life reflected through the world of Indian children’s books and we’re happy to have done that!?