Mimansa 2026 Day 2 Celebrates Literature, Young Readers and the Power of Imagination
Shimla, August 2026 — The second day of Mimansa – Children’s Literature Festival 2026 continued to place literature at the heart of a vibrant programme of reading, writing, storytelling, art and conversation at the historic Gaiety Complex, Shimla.
Organised jointly by the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, and Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla, the fourth edition of the three-day festival brought together young readers from schools, colleges and universities, creating spaces where children could encounter books not simply as texts, but as sources of ideas, questions, imagination and self-expression.
The day began with the Vocabulary Competition for Classes 6 to 8, where language itself became a field of exploration. Through written and oral rounds in Hindi and English, participants engaged with synonyms, antonyms, proverbs and vocabulary, demonstrating both linguistic knowledge and confidence.
The literary conversations continued with a discussion on Almost Adulting by Probal J. Bhattacharyya, moderated by Dr Anita Sharma. Young readers Dakshita Arora, Sneha and Pravesh Sharma joined the author in exploring themes of growing up, memories and the experiences that shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Storytelling took centre stage in a creative writing workshop for Classes 5 to 8, led by author and media professional Pooja Priyamvada and moderated by Ritanjali Hastir. Through characters, settings, ideas and everyday experiences, children were encouraged to discover how ordinary moments can become the beginning of meaningful stories.
The festival then brought readers and author Vikas Prakash Joshi together for a conversation on My Name is Cinnamon, moderated by educator and writer Chriselle Fernandes. Young readers Harsh Thakur, Falaq and Ekaansh Kumar contributed to an engaging discussion, reflecting the festival’s emphasis on dialogue between authors and their young audience.
Literature also stepped beyond the pages of books during the Heritage Walk with Sumit Raj. As students explored the Ridge and Gaiety Complex, stories of Shimla’s architecture, people and past transformed the city itself into a living text, connecting young readers with the heritage surrounding them.
The Hindi literary session on Bal Kavyadhara by Om Prakash Sharma, moderated by Dinesh Sharma, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Centre of Excellence Government College, Sanjauli, brought children’s poetry into focus. Young readers Muskaan, Aryan and Yug Kanwar added their voices to the discussion, highlighting the continuing relevance of poetry in a child’s imaginative world.
Visual storytelling found expression in the Art Workshop: Cartoons in Books conducted by renowned cartoonist and illustrator Ajit Narayan. Children explored how characters, expressions, humour and simple drawings can complement written narratives and create another language for storytelling.
The afternoon shifted towards the spoken word with the Declamation Competitions. Students from the middle and senior categories explored contemporary questions around screen addiction, artificial intelligence, reading and scrolling, education, social media, freedom of speech, validation culture and the changing reading landscape.
The Books to Script Final Competition further extended the relationship between literature and other forms of storytelling. Following filmmaker Vivek Mohan’s workshop on Day 1, students from Classes 8 to 12 transformed literary ideas into visual narratives, demonstrating how a story can move from the written page to the screen through interpretation, creativity and imagination.
Day 2 reinforced Mimansa’s central belief that children’s literature is not merely about reading books—it is about creating readers who question, imagine, interpret and find their own voices. Across discussions, poetry, storytelling, writing, art, public speaking and heritage, literature remained the common thread connecting the day’s diverse experiences.
With more than 350 students participating across the three-day festival, Mimansa 2026 is creating a lively literary space where young readers can meet books, authors and ideas while discovering the joy of expression.
The festival now moves towards its concluding day, featuring a special interview with Chief Guest Ms Nalini Ramachandran and young reader Pritha Doegar, followed by the much-awaited Award Ceremony. The final day promises to bring the celebration of literature, imagination and young voices to a fitting close.
Samagra Sikhsha
