A book titled “Write and Read: By Us for Us” comprising short stories penned by a group of 31 children from various cities was released in the presence of their parents and mentors in the Capital on Tuesday.
The short stories have been written by children in the age group of 9 to 14 years. Noted lyricist Prasoon Joshi said he was delighted to be associated with the Write and Read initiative as it has unleashed the imagination of young wordsmiths across the country. It has helped them create references that are their own and not simply a part of the collective imagination, he added.
“Children have a habit of seeing things from a new perspective. When I went through the book, I realised that the children have mentioned certain things that we adults often tend to ignore,” said Prasoon, who mentored the children at interactive workshops conducted in different parts of the country.
Describing the journey of producing the book as an exhilarating experience, writer Geeta Dharmarajan said every single child at the workshop was eager to explore his or her world. “The children have a lot of originality and deep thinking. They have succeeded in connecting life with fiction…”
Ms. Dharmarajan is also the founder of Katha, a non-profit organisation working in 122 slums across the Capital.
The book will be available in various libraries and communities. “Moreover, the proceeds from the book will be donated to our schools in the slum communities of Delhi, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh,” she said.
One of the young authors, Nidhi Ravishankar from Bangalore, said her short story was about a Rosewood tree in the Bandipur forest. “After providing shade to thousands of strangers for years, the tree is about to be ruthlessly cut down. My story talks about environmental degradation and also highlights the law that prohibits chopping of a Rosewood tree. Extra-curricular activities helped me develop my skills as a writer. I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that my story had been selected for the book.”
From over 1,400 entries, 31 stories were shortlisted through a rigorous judging process by Prasoon.
The book is priced at Rs.375 and will be available at various libraries across the country.
