BHUBANESWAR: The 11th National Children’s Literary Festival of KiiT International School (KiiT-IS) was organised here, drawing students from across India for a celebration of imagination, creativity and storytelling.
The two-day event opened on a colourful note on Saturday. Declaring the festival open, KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta encouraged young participants to embrace curiosity and creativity.
“You are the future. You excite us,” he told the students, emphasising that the festival was conceived exclusively for children. While India hosts numerous literary festivals, he said, there were none dedicated solely to young readers and writers when KIIT International School launched its own.
“We were the first to have a children’s literary festival and we have made it bigger every year. In 2016, we added ‘national’ to it because your imagination does not recognise borders,” Samanta said.
He urged students to maintain discipline, listen carefully to every speaker and cultivate the habit of reading and writing. “The internet alone will not help you. That’s why we introduced children’s literature,” he added.
National award-winning actor Vikrant Massey remained a major attraction of the event. Massey in his address inspired the students and said, “Success never stands alone. Gen Z is the most fearless generation I have seen,” he said.
KIIT International School chairperson and editor of KloudNine Monalisa Bal said the festival holds a special place for everyone associated with the institution, as it nurtures creativity and diverse perspectives among young minds.
Renowned author and storyteller Koral Dasgupta also attended the event. The digital edition of the school magazine KloudNine was unveiled on the occasion.