Young Voices, Big Ideas: Mimansa 2026 Sets Shimla’s Literary Scene Abuzz

Shimla, August 19, Ritanjali Hastir

The historic Gaiety Complex came alive with books, poetry, art and young voices on Wednesday as the fourth edition of Mimansa – Children’s Literature Festival 2026 opened to an enthusiastic response.

Organised by the Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh Government, and Keekli Charitable Trust, the three-day festival has brought together more than 350 students from schools, colleges and universities across Shimla.

The festival was inaugurated by noted author and National Award-winning voice artist Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, with cartoonist and illustrator Ajit Narayan as Guest of Honour. From declamation and storytelling to poetry, creative writing, book discussions and art, the opening day offered young participants a platform to express themselves beyond the classroom.

Young readers interacted with authors Ranjodh Singh and Minakshi Chaudhry, while sessions around Maili Kameez, Is The House Haunted? and The Humility of Lies encouraged children to look at books through questions, conversations and personal reflections. A special session with Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan explored the joy and creativity of language and poetry.

For senior students, filmmaker Vivek Mohan conducted a Books to Script workshop, showing how stories can travel from the printed page to the screen. Meanwhile, cartoonist Ajit Narayan brought visual storytelling to life through his engaging art session, followed by an inter-school art competition.

The day concluded with a poetry workshop led by Dr Meenakshi Faith Paul, where young participants explored emotions, imagination and their own creative voices.

What makes Mimansa special is its belief that children should not remain passive readers. They can be storytellers, poets, artists, critics and authors too. For three days, Shimla is offering them the space to discover that a book can spark a question, a question can become an idea, and an idea can become a story of their own.