HT PACE, which is celebrating its 25th year held a week-long LitFest (from Dec12-18, 2023) in association with CBSE Sankalp Sahodaya South West Delhi 15 member schools with ITL Public School Dwarka playing as the host. An estimated 15000 students participated in about 50 activities during the fest.
On the highlights of the Fest was an engaging day on Dec 15 with reputed poets and writers along with writers’ workshop and collaborative Storytelling Doodle Activity involving painting and art. The day-long activities were inaugurated by Ajay Kumar Rout, former Director General (Special Projects)/ OSD, Swachh Bharat Mission OSD and Member Board of Directors, LIC Housing Finance Limited, who illustrated how school is a place of learning as well as literature and makes a person thinking human.
Student well-being and socio-emotional issues, which are currently dominating the student discourse were discussed in a lively engagement during a session on Therapeutic Poetry. Prof Anand Katri Professor at Apeejay Institute of Technology School of Architecture & Planning and Founder Poiesis Society for Poetry; Parichay Das, Professor and Head, Department of Hindi, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Deemed Universit, Sunita Singh a bi-lingual poet and writer; Rachna Pant Director of Ramjas Intl school RK Puram engaged with the issue and also recited some pertinent poems. The interactive session that followed the panel discussion saw young poets among students quizzing the poets with interesting questions as the importance of poetry was compared with creation and liquidity of life. Prof Anand Katri dwelt on poetic consciousness while as Parichay Das described poetry a fest in itself. He said poetry is detoxicating and of liberation.
Rachna Pant reminded students that literature and poetry takes away the need of counselling and children shouldn’t run away from it to just tech and tech only. She said literature is essential to become emotionally mature and the nuances of understand life and emotions. She suggested students should read Rudyard Kipling’s poetry to stay even headed.
This session was followed up by yet another interactive panel discussion called IN BETWEEN THE LINES wherein the guest authors comprising of Sunita Pant Bansal Storyteller, Poet, Mythologist, Dr Harshali Singh, Member judge at the Consumer Forum and an Author/ Poet, Prena Jain, Author and photographer talked about their work and answered student questions. The session was moderated by Manisha Sharma, Principal, Venkateshwar International School, Dwarka. Dr Harshali Singh spoke about her upcoming book ‘Anarkali’ and how she was attracted to the subject and the importance of research in collecting information for such historic figures. Sunita Pant Bansal spoke about her journey with mythology stories and how she has been able to relate them in day today life characters in her work.
THE HUMAN LIBRARY, an engaging event where students become “human books,” sharing their unique life stories and experiences. Participants, or “readers,” have the opportunity to “borrow” these human books for one-on-one conversations. It’s a platform that encourages open dialogue, breaks down stereotypes, and promotes understanding by allowing people to connect through personal narratives, was well received as was theCollaborative Storytelling Doodle Activity. FROM PAGE TO STAGE and how to plan writing a book added practical tips to enthusiastic student participants.
Dr Sudha Acharya, president CBSE Sankalp Sahodaya (SW) Delhi and Principal ITL Public School, who has been instrumental in bringing such activities to her member schools said that she was thankful to HT Pace for choosing her school and then accepting her suggestion to Sankalp Sahodaya cohort. “The literature as it always is the food of soul, the fest provided all of an opportunity and platform to look through the new ideas and bonding such an event brings about. It also gave students a chance to learn about intangible heritage, exciting ideas and knowing literature from very close experience,” she added.
