Big Little Book Awards instituted by Parag (a Tata Trusts initiative) to recognize and honour significant contribution of authors and illustrators to children’s literature in Indian language(s) for this year go to noted Hindi Children author Prabhat and illustrator Priya Kuriyan. The awards will be given during the presentation ceremony at the Tata Literature Live at the Mumbai Litfest 2019 on the 17th of November in Mumbai.
As mentioned by the Jury, “Prabhat’s writing presents images and experiences of a humble life with originality and spontaneity. His works create opportunities for children to be immersed in the realm of happiness and curiosity. Prabhat has brought in a new wave to the world of children’s literature”
“Priya Kuriyan has the rare ability to get inside a child’s mind with her illustrations that bring alive a story to a young reader. She dives into the story, acquiring a deep and multi-faceted understanding that is critical in allowing the story to emerge in illustration”, said the Jury.
The selection of the winners was subjected to intense scrutiny by the jury panel. The intention was to reach a consensus on the eventual winners, among the 147 entries of extraordinary authors and illustrators.
The jury for the Author (Hindi) Category consisted of renowned poets, authors and writers such as Arvind Gupta, Gurbachan Singh, Prachi Kalra, Suneeta Mishra and Udayan Vajpeyi. The jury for the Illustrator Category consisted of senior graphic designers and painters such as Aashti Mudnani, Proiti Roy, Rani Dharker, Sunandini Banerjee and Thejaswi Shivanand.