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Big Little Book Awards: Honouring excellence in Children’s Literature
Over the last two decades, a handful of authors, illustrators and publishers have attempted to give voice to Indian children’s literature with stories that talk to young readers about who they are, and help them navigate a multicultural and multilingual environment. These authors and illustrators have attempted to balance the traditional with the contemporary to reflect the Indian reality in content, visuals and production. They have given us stories that are not didactic but layered and sensitive, illustrations that fight gender and caste stereotypes, are inclusive, bring humour and fun into books, and books that make for great reading.
The Big Little Book Award 2020 Winners, Subhadra Sen Gupta and Rajiv Eipe for their significant contribution to children’s literature.
Prabhat (Winner Author – Hindi) honoured during the Award Ceremony at Tata Lit Live, BLBA 2019
Priya Kuriyan (Winner Illustrator) felicitated during the Award Ceremony at Tata Lit Live, BLBA 2019
Award Ceremony at Tata Lit Live, the Mumbai Lit Fest, BLBA 2018
Big Little Book Talk with Jerry Pinto, BLBA 2017
Big Little Book Talk with Paro Anand, BLBA 2018
BLBA 2018 winner author Nagesh Hegdes session Green in My Dream at Bookaroo Delhi-2018
Bookart Exhibition of BLBA winner illustrators 2016-18 at Bookaroo Delhi, 2018
The Big Little Book Award is a first of its kind award instituted by the Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to recognize and honour significant contribution of authors and illustrators to children’s literature in Indian language(s). The first awards were announced at Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest in 2016.
‘Breaking the Mould – Diversity in Children’s Literature’ at Tata Lit Live, BLBA 2018
Panel Discussion – ‘Drawing Lines’, diversity in children’s illustrations, at IHC Delhi
Proiti Srinagar Main 3
Session by Proiti Roy (winner illustrator BLBA 2017) at Doodle Wall – Bookaroo Srinagar 2018
The award is given under two categories – author and illustrator. An eminent panel selects the winners. Past winners in the author category have included Madhuri Purandare (in Marathi in 2016), Nabaneeta Dev Sen (in Bengali in 2017), Nagesh Hegde (in Kannada in 2018), Prabhat (in Hindi in 2019) and Subhadra Sen Gupta (in English in 2020). The winners in the illustrator category have included Atanu Roy (2016), Proiti Roy (2017), Nina Sabnani (2018) and Priya Kuriyan (2019) and Rajiv Eipe (2020).
I am both delighted and honoured by the award.
It’s a great feeling of validation of all your work. Most importantly, it is about children. For 30 years, I’ve been talking to children and somehow it has been worth it.
For years, not many people took children writing seriously. There were no awards and even commissions from publishers were difficult. I have gone through all that. So now, the more awards we have, the better. I am truly happy to be a part of the literacy work that Parag and Tata Trusts are doing.
I’m very honoured to receive the Big Little Book Award 2020 for Illustrator. I would like to dedicate it to all the wonderful illustrators who are doing such amazing, inspiring work in children’s books in India currently.
It is encouraging to see Parag and Tata Trusts and more organisations recognizing and shining a light on people working in the children’s literature space. It is encouraging for the industry at large and the people that work within it. There is so much great work happening right now and in the past and it is good to see that kind of work encouraged and appreciated
“Receiving the Award has transformed my outlook towards children’s literature; children has become a focus area. Earlier, writing for children was one component of my work, now it’s kind of central with workshops on writing for children, conferences on children’s literature and so much! I have been receiving offers from publishers in smaller towns who earlier did not recognize me as an author for children. Recently, a film maker approached me for writing a script for a children’s film. I was known only as an author for environment writing, but not as an author for children. BLBA’s recognition has led to societal recognition I must say. It has given me a new identity.”
“It is the first time in India that creators of picture books – both the author and the illustrator, have an award to vie for. Recognition of this as mainstream literature and artwork as a distinct genre has been an area of extreme neglect in our country. Hopefully this award will go a long way to change that.”
A professional development certificate course that trains practitioners to imagine the library as an open and creative space for all curricular areas, especially reading for pleasure.
A professional development certificate course for artists and young illustrators to explore different forms of illustrations, refine professional skills and intellect, especially in picture book illustration.
Parag’s annual Children’s Library Conference where library educators and others engaged in the library, with reading and children exchange ideas, present best practices and challenges.
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