Meetings |
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| AWIC holds monthly meetings of members in New Delhi where different aspects of
children's literature are discussed. Eminent authors, illustrators and publishers are invited to these
meetings from time to time. Their interaction with members has produced interesting and fruitful results. |
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Workshops |
AWIC is well known for organising achievement-oriented workshops for the benefit of its
members. Every six months, it holds a workshop for writers in English and Hindi. Nearly 40 anthologies of short stories and poems for children of different ages developed in the workshops have been published.
Contact person: Manorama Jafa
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Promoting Illustrators |
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| The work of illustrators is promoted in exhibitions of illustrations of children’s books. The Catalogue - Indian Illustrators is a compilation of the work of illustrators. Many illustrators join in to prepare the publications of AWIC. |
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Publishers Forum |
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| The publishers of children’s books in India are involved in the publishing of anthologies of AWIC members. An advisory board of publishers has been constituted to support the activities of AWIC. |
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Competitions |
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| AWIC organises regular competitions for writers and illustrators. The
prize-winning stories are first published in the Association's quarterly journal, WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR,
and later in various collections of stories. |
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Children's Library Project |
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Winner of the IBBY-ASAHI Reading Promotion Award, this project was started in April 1983. Today 114 libraries in Delhi and across India have been initiated under this voluntary scheme to promote reading. Each library is provided with free books. The project aims at making good books available to children where there are no books or few books. Most of the libraries are managed by AWIC members on a voluntary basis While most libraries function from the homes of AWIC members, some libraries have also been set up in parks, hospitals, railway platforms and slum areas for under- privileged children. Each year AWIC awards the Best Librarian, and two Reader of the Year awards from AWIC Children’s Libraries.
AWIC initiated IBBY Library Project – Creating Children’s Libraries at Mandi village in Delhi (NCR), at Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, at Jaipur, Rajasthan and Daman in Goa, India. The UNICEF Library Project - Creating a Children's Library launched the first library set up in Gujarat, and second in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh in 2007.
Contact person: Indira Bagchi |
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Research |
| AWIC has recommended several members for research work in host countries
like Germany, Austria and Japan. The reports of their visits and research studies appear regularly in
WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR. Research projects are available with AWIC's Reference Cell. |
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Book Promotion |
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The AWIC Book Promotion Cell promotes the cause of children's books written by
Indian authors by conducting book talks. It also invites publishers, authors and illustrators to discuss
their concerns and aids them in promoting their books. Book reviews are published in WRITER AND ILLUSTRATOR.
Besides this, AWIC participates in national and international children's book fairs. The Theme Pavilion of
the 14th World Book Fair, New Delhi, was organised by AWIC in association with the National Book Trust.
AWIC also displays books in schools and places of children's interest.
Contact person: Virbala Rastogi |
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AWIC Kathavachan |
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AWIC Kathavachan project is a group of dedicated storytellers who visit schools,
libraries, hospitals and other children's institutions to narrate stories and conduct book-related
activities to stimulate children's imagination and foster their development.
The storytellers add fun, create interest and impart moral values and wisdom through their stories.
This makes learning easy for children. Stories can heal and soothe young traumatised mind and hearts by
taking them to a magical world. Storytellers can further a child's urge to read by introducing the child
to the story as well as to the related book.
Contact person: Nilima Jha |
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Exhibitions |
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AWIC promotes the art work of illustrators of children's books by
organising exhibitions of children's book illustrations in India and other countries. AWIC also arranges
displays of all outstanding books for children.
Contact person : Girija Rani Asthana |
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Awards |
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AWIC Honours for excellence are given every two years to Author, Illustrator, Researcher, Publisher and service for Reading Promotion.
In the AWIC Children’s Library Project, ‘Children’s Choice Award’ (English) and ‘Balpriya Puruskar’ (Hindi) have been instituted to promote creators of children’s books. |
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Reference |
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| The AWIC Reference Cell provides information about children's literature produced
in India and outside, and helps researchers in practical ways. |
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Seminars |
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| The AWIC Seminar Cell organises seminars from time to time on different aspects
of children's literature, resulting in valuable exchange of ideas for creation of better books for
children. |
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Exchange Programmes |
| As an extension of its research programme, AWIC arranges exchange programmes between
India and other countries. This has resulted in better interaction with professional and exchange of
information, material and ideas on a global level. |
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Translation |
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| AWIC provides translation facilities too. Apart from translating books and
manuscripts from English into Hindi and other regional languages like Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil
and Telugu, AWIC can arrange translation in foreign languages like German, French, Russian and
Japanese. |
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Literacy Project |
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In 1995 AWIC launched its Literacy Project and has published two Hindi alphabet
books under its schemes, 'Buy, Teach and Gift' and 'Teach and Gift'. Under the second scheme, AWIC
distributes these books free in all Indian states, including remote areas where children have no access
to good books.
Contact person: Manorama Jafa |
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Publications |
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AWIC promotes the creation of stories, poems, plays and biographies by its members.
These works are published as anthologies. These anthologies figure on the best-seller lists of publishers.
Publishers outside India have shown interest in the anthology. Some of the publications have been made into
films for children.
Contact person: Nita Berry
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Conferences |
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AWIC has been organising National and International Seminars and Conferences on different aspects of children’s literature, books and Storytelling since 1984. Among them ‘Indo-Soviet Seminar on Children’s Books’ in 1985, ‘National Seminar on Better Books for Children’ in 1989, ‘National Seminar on Panchtantra’ in 1997, ‘Indo-Austrian Seminar on Picture Books’ in 2001, ‘26th IBBY World Congress on Children’s Books – Peace Through Children’s Books’ in 1998, ‘National Convention on Children’s Libraries’ in 2005 and ‘International Seminar on Storytelling to Promote Peace, Cultural Integration and Reading Habit in Children’ in 2005 are the major events held by AWIC.
AWIC is organising ‘International Conference on Children’s Libraries’ from 4-6 February, 2010 in New-Delhi.
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AWIC Book Therapy Project |
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AWIC has launched The AWIC Book Therapy Project after the 26/11 terrorist violence in Mumbai, to promote use of books to help children in difficult times. Book Therapy is the process of using books to help children cope with such situations, and even prepare them for future eventualities. Reading can be therapeutic, helping children come to grips in situations that create turmoil in their minds. Through workshops AWIC aims to train facilitators to administer book therapy and also develop books – picture books, anthologies and long fiction, which provide a healing. A Catalogue of selected books suitable for book therapy is being compiled. AWIC Book Therapy Project plans to assist traumatised children in schools, libraries and trauma centres.
Contact person: Dr. Ira Saxena |
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