Vizag Junior Lit Fest 2025: Registrations open for two days of stories and fun for young readers

The fourth edition of the Vizag Junior Lit Fest, organised by Lit Lantern Culture and Literature Society, is set to take place on November 8 and 9 at Hawa Mahal. Conceived as a platform where young minds engage with literature and creative expression, the festival this year promises a broader canvas of ideas and participation. With 20 speakers and one theatre group, it will host as many as 102 sessions featuring authors, illustrators, cartoonists and life skill coaches who will interact with children and parents through workshops and discussions.

Registration for the paid sessions begins on October 11, with enrolments open from 10am onwards at Tanishq on VIP Road, Pages Book Store and Book Magic Library. Organisers say they expect strong participation from schools and families across the city, reflecting the growing interest among young readers and educators in meaningful literary engagement.

Children coming out of the sessions during the previous edition of Vizag Junior Lit Fest in Visakhapatnam.
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Among the participants this year are Abhishek Talwar, Asha Nehemiah, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, Ajit Narayan, Ameen Haque, Ankit Dwivedi, Devika Cariapa, Vikram Sridhar, Jyoti Pande and Vaishali Shroff.

The focus of the upcoming edition moves beyond reading and writing to encompass personality development, skill enhancement and themes that resonate deeply with children and young adults. Discussions on body positivity, mindfulness, well-being and leadership skills will take centre stage, alongside sessions that draw from real-life stories of courage and change. This year, the festival also introduces an element of storytelling session by Dipna Daryanani that incorporates movement in storytelling, designed to help children experience and express narratives through performance and rhythm.

The organisers have structured the sessions to appeal to different age groups and levels of engagement. For children, there will be interactive workshops with writers and illustrators that explore how stories are created and how characters come to life on the page. Life skill coaches will conduct sessions that blend literature with self-awareness, encouraging participants to look inward while learning to express themselves confidently.

Children during a session at the Vizag Junior Lit Fest in Visakhapatnam.
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The festival also includes sessions for adults who accompany their young readers. Workshops on storytelling and games, talks on transforming passive social media browsing into active creativity, and discussions on building reading habits and careers in creative industries are among the highlights. There will be sessions on self-publishing and the evolving landscape of creative work for aspiring writers, educators and parents who wish to nurture an environment of curiosity at home.

Among the anticipated performances this year are The Sound of Music and Shakespeare’s The Tempest, staged by the Helen O’Grady team from Mumbai.

Registrations begin on October 11 from 10am onwards at Tanishq on VIP Road, Pages Book Store and Book Magic Library. For details, contact 9866628484.