On a bright Saturday afternoon, we are greeted by the sight of glossy streamers and happy faces at the Kukdukoo Lit Fest. As we entered the sporting ground of Mount Olympus School, Gurugram—it is the venue for this festival—we could hear incessant laughter and the excited chatter of children and parents alike.
With an aim to intrigue children and imbibe the habit of reading in them, Noida-based Kukdukoo—a creative initiative founded by Avishek Roy and Jugmendra Baliyan in 2018—is back after a two-year hiatus with the third edition of the Kukdukoo Lit Fest. This two-day literature festival for children—it commenced on Saturday at 11am–-will continue till 9pm today.
With over 40 exciting sessions for children between the ages of three and 13 as well as special sessions for parents, this festival is divided into four sections according to age ‘Akkar’ (three to six years), ‘Bakkar’ (seven to nine years), ‘Bambe Bo’ (10 to 13 years), and ‘Purani Jeans’ (for adults). In addition to this, there are a number of exciting workshops, as well as the Kukdukoo Haat (a carnival-esque space for children), Book Fair, and a Food Junction.
The festival focuses on providing a platform for children to reconnect with literature. “It was when I exposed my daughter to books and saw how much it improved her imagination that I realised this was something I wanted to spread with other children in the country and maybe the world,” shared Roy.
Engaging young minds
Of the 45 speakers who are part of the festival is Chennai-based author and storyteller Jeeva Raghunath. She conducted a storytelling session under the ‘Akkar’ section on Saturday, which was a hit among many children. Aashna Garg (6) from Gurugram, who attended her session, mentioned she liked how interactive it was. Speaking about the session, Raghunath added, “While it said that the session was for young children, the parents were there, and I didn’t find them any different from children. They were equally participating, laughing, and enjoying themselves.”
Books, fun, and more
Amelia Pitlani (11) from Gurugram, who visited the fest with her mother, mentioned that she was having a gala time here. When we met her on Saturday, she had her hands filled with books. We also met Ashvi Agrawal (7), who had just attended the storytelling session by Ramya Srinidhi. “Honestly, I was glad to take Ashvi out. At least here she would be away from gadgets and still have a great time,” concluded Pragya Agrawal, Ashvi’s mother.