The Hindu’s literature festival, The Hindu Lit For Life, is being held in Chennai on January 18 and 19, 2025. The event isn’t just for grown-ups! There’s plenty of interesting things in store for children as well.
Author David Walliams
For starters, best-selling children’s author David Walliams comes to Chennai! With picture books, short stories, and fiction for young readers to his credit, David is nothing if not prolific. His first book for children, The Boy in the Dress, was published in November 2008. Since then he’s published a lot more: 42 books to be precise. And these have been translated into 55 languages and sold over 55 million copies across the world. Many of his books have been successfully adapted for television. This includes International Emmy award-winning Ratburger, Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy.
David previously starred in Little Britain, which won numerous international awards including three BAFTAs. He also co-created and starred in Come Fly With Me and Big School. As a trustee of Comic Relief, David has personally raised over £8.5 million for the charity. He has notably completed charitable challenges of swimming the English Channel and River Thames and was awarded an OBE for his services to charity and the Arts.
As part of his India tour, David will be speaking at Lit For Life in Chennai on January 18. Want to be part of the fun? Click here to register.
Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan
When: January 19, 12.00 noon to 1.30 pm
Age: 8 to 11 years
What: Readings from the book Sandalwood’s Story followed creative reflection on what helps participants feel stronger and confident. Group conversations will revolve around themes such as ‘what do you think trees can teach us?’; ‘how do you think a tree grows?’; and ‘what is the connection between a tree and a person building confidence?’ There will also be role playing about how to build confidence.
Who: Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan is the author of a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction published in India and the U.S.
Ashwitha Jayakumar
When: January 18, 12.00 noon to 2.00 pm
Age: 14+
What: What can Mughal miniatures tell us about the padishahs and begums, and the world that they inhabited? In this interactive workshop, author Ashwitha Jayakumar will take you through how Mughal miniatures were made and how they continue to be a valuable source of information about the Mughal empire and those who peopled it.
Who: Ashwitha is the author of The Book of Emperors: An Illustrated History of the Mughals and is currently on a mission to make history accessible and fun for readers both young and old.
Nivedita Ganesh and Inavamsi Enaganti
When: January 19, 10.00 to 11.30 am
Age: 15+
What: Step into a counter-intuitive world where numbers meet narrative! This workshop takes big, brainy ideas and serves them up as quirky, hands-on activities. All you need is curiosity, a sense of humour, and a willingness to question the obvious. Whether you’re a Maths nerd, a storyteller, or just love solving life’s puzzles, this workshop will show you how Maths isn’t just fun but wildly relevant in navigating our data driven world.
Who: Nivedita Ganesh and Inavamsi Enaganti, both alumni of Chennai Mathematical Institute and NYU, are the authors of The Mischief of Math, and are out to prove that numbers can be both fun and profound.
Vibha Batra
When: January 18, 3.00 to 5.00 pm
Age: 13 to 17 years
What: Craft your own story based on a thrilling, shocking, surprising real-life event at this exciting interactive workshop that takes you through the process of blending reality and imagination, facts and fiction seamlessly. Just remember to bring your curiosity and imagination along!
Who: Vibha Batra is a Chennai-based award-winning and bestselling author, graphic novelist, advertising consultant, poet, lyricist, translator, playwright, script writer, travel writer, columnist, speaker and creative writing mentor.
Vinita Siddhartha
When: January 19, 3.00 to 5.30 pm
Age: 14+
What: Traditional Indian games are both fun and elemental, with each representing or capturing an aspect of life and the world, thus allowing players to objectively analyse the problem. Learn about these traditional games through game play and readings from Just Play: Life Lessons from Traditional Games.
Who: Vinita Siddhartha is the founder of Kreeda, an organisation that researches and revives traditional games of India. Her book, Just Play: Life Lessons from Traditional Games was published in 2022.
The registration fee for each workshop is ₹799. To register, click here.
The Hindu Lit for Life is presented by KIA India and held in association with Christ University.
Associate Partners: RR Donnelley, Blue Star, NITTE Deemed to be University, Uttarakhand Tourism, Singer
Bookstore Partner: Crossword
Water Partner: Repute
Published – January 06, 2025 09:46 am IST
children
/
The Hindu Lit For Life
/
Young World
