By Dr Tania Saili Bakshi/Nikita Aggarwal
Dehradun, 28 Sep: The Valley of Words International Literature and Arts Festival 2025 will once again shine the spotlight on the 5th edition of its Children’s Literature Vertical.
This cherished space nurtures the youngest voices and imaginations. This year, too, the vertical will be hosted at Him Jyoti School, Dehradun, on 5 October. Students from Grades 2 to 5 from six esteemed institutions of the Doon Valley will participate in a medley of competitions, performances, and author interactions that celebrate the transformative power of stories.
Valley of Words has always prided itself on being a festival that bridges generations, cultures, and ideas together and nowhere is that more visible than in its children’s programming, where young readers not only devour books but also perform them, and reinvent them with their boundless creativity and imagination.
The Children’s Literature Vertical of Valley of Words is more than just an event on the calendar; it is a meeting ground where stories leap off pages into performances, where illustrations become puzzles and narratives turn into songs, where children step into the shoes of authors and marketeers, and where every young participant is given space to shine.
Six participating schools, Him Jyoti School, Jaswant Modern School, Mount Fort Academy, Olympus High School, The Doon Girls School and The Montessori School, each bring enthusiastic teams of tweens ready to showcase their talent and imagination. The energy builds as children prepare for a series of carefully designed competitions based on fun with pedagogy, encouraging teamwork, confidence, and creative interpretation.
Among the most anticipated events is the Book Enactment with Alternate Ending; complementing this is the Storyboard Puzzle Creation and Story Sequencing competition. The Children’s Literature Vertical also brings a unique sonic experience with Musical Storytelling. Thrown in are non-competitive events at the one-day event. These include the much-loved “Creative Ads” segment—where children create jingles, slogans, and short dramatisations to promote their favourite books—and the inspiring “Be the Author” sessions, where students step into the shoes of the writers themselves, introducing their life and work in character. For many children, these moments are their first encounter with embodying a writer, reflecting not just the story but also the creative journey behind it. Young participants will use the vibrancy of communication, cognitive and social skills to read, enact and creatively reproduce the 5 VBA shortlisted books in the presence of our esteemed authors.
The programme is enriched by the gracious participation of distinguished VoW shortlisted authors from across the country in the Children’s Literature category, whose works form the heart of the competition.
Adithi Rao, author of Will Goondi Come Home?, whose words capture the delicate partnership between text and image that lies at the heart of children’s literature. Neil Flory, the mind behind Cactus Wants a Hug, his story’s humour and warmth resonate deeply with children, and its message of persistence shines through. Equally evocative is Sujatha Padmanabhan, author of A Roof for Norbu; her reflections remind us how children’s literature can also become a window into ecological empathy and cultural landscapes. Alongside them, Rahul Pradhan, author of What Am I Good At?, brings a sensitive exploration of self-discovery that resonates strongly with children through a video note that the author sent us from Bangalore. Nandita Rao, author of A Tree in My Stomach, adds another dimension with her emotionally resonant storytelling that deals with feelings of loss, longing, and healing through metaphor. Each of these authors will also engage directly with children during the “Be the Author” sessions, in which students not only represent them on stage but also participate in interactive interviews, making the dialogue between writers and young readers all the more real and memorable.
Ruma Malhotra, Principal of Him Jyoti School, expressed her delight at being the host for the event, yet again: “Him Jyoti School is delighted to host the Children’s Literature Vertical of the Valley of Words 2025. This creative book reading and enacting activity is a wonderful platform to spark imagination, nurture creativity, and encourage expression among young readers. We look forward to celebrating the joy of books and the magic of storytelling with children.” Her words echo the sentiment of the festival’s organisers and supporters, who view the vertical not merely as a competition but as a formative experience that instils confidence, nurtures collaborative spirit, and builds a lifelong love for books.
As the lamps are lit, the stories retold, and the prizes awarded, what truly lingers is the laughter of children, the sparkle of their imagination, and the reaffirmation of literature as a living, breathing experience. By celebrating children’s voices and creativity, Valley of Words continues its mission of nurturing readers and writers of tomorrow, proving that in the world of books, every ending can always be reimagined as a new beginning.
The day culminates with certificate distribution, group photographs, and a heartfelt vote of thanks to the young talents and their teachers before the children disperse with memories of a literary celebration unlike any other.
With each passing year, the event is moving closer to inspiring young minds to the enchantment of written words and the boundless creativity that springs from the pages of literature. The 5th edition marks a milestone in VoW’s Children’s Literature journey, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to creating a vibrant platform where children are not just audiences but active creators in the literary landscape.
