LAHORE: The three-day Children’s Literature Festival will start from Jan 21, featuring several parallel sessions from morning to evening with workshops, performances, theatre, books and activity stalls including mobile libraries, catering not only to children but to teachers and parents as well.

There will be marches by children on each day on the Right to Education and Climate Justice calling attention to urgent emergencies. The last day of the festival will be dedicated to teachers.

The Teachers Literature Festival (TLF) packed with lively professional development sessions for educators will be held from morning to afternoon on Jan 23.

Educationist and co-founder, Baela Raza Jamil, said this year would mark the 64th CLF.

“CLF aims to promote love for reading, and the four Cs - critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration,” she said.

The CLF - a non-ticketed event - will be held at the Children Library Complex (CLC), a purpose built facility of the Punjab School Education Department. There are over 100 sessions, and 125 resource persons. Performances by musicians Ali Noor, Ali Hamza, and Rakae Rahman Jamil are also expected on Jan 21at 3pm. Other goodwill ambassadors include Juggun Kazim, Khaled Anam, Omair Rana and Nadia Jamil.

There will be storytelling sessions with expression and music, creative writing activities, poetry, theatre and puppet shows, dance, book launches, art of book making and plenaries on critical thinking, curriculum, girls in children’s literature, child protection and climate change. Book stalls, science and interactive stalls would also be set up.

There would be performances and readings by children from the Special Schools, young authors, Harsukh and Sanjan Nagar students, and also awards being given to partners who have supported the movement since 2011. These include Amjad Islam Amjad, Arfa Syeda Zehra, Syeda Basarat Kazim of Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Bina Jawad, Shehrezade Alam, Fauzia Minallah, Mariam Khokhar of the CLC, Peter Jacob, and Maham Ali among others. The full programme of the CLF and TLF can be seen at www.childrensliteraturefestival.com.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2020