Bengaluru: Feeling and touching hardbound books in the age of digital distraction is a rarity. Gone are the days when books were the only source of entertainment and stories. Books were the wings that helped us imagine a make-believe world. To keep the culture of reading alive, Bangalore had its first dedicated children’s literature festival, Kaleido, organised by Klay Prep Schools and Day Care. The event saw excited children, parents and many notable authors and speakers in attendance.

Expressing her thoughts on such festivals, Klay CEO Priya Krishnansays, “All Lit Fests count for something special given that they reinforce our basic connect with a world that we cannot see. However, this need is all the more pertinent in kids with whom such imagination and creativity of thought needs to be nurtured. Our hope is that this promotes a culture where the love of reading and the joy of out-of-box imagination is emphasised.”

Ramgopal Vallath, Aparna Raman and founder of Karadi Tales Shobha Viswanath were the distinguished authors who were present. Panel discussions took place with the likes of ArthyMuthanna Singh, Editor of the Limca Book of Records, and Peggy Sood among many others. “Inculcating reading habits” and “Digitisation of reading” were the topics discussed.

Talking about books that made their childhood, Aparna Raman, Founder, Timbuktoo Young Authors Publishing, says, “The popular ones were The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley, Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, all comics in the Amar Chitra Katha series.”

“The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is a book which left a lasting impression on me because since I grew up in the Nilgiris, I found the description of the countryside in England familiar and easy to relate to. And I found the adventures of Rat, Mole, Toad and Badger very fascinating and their friendship very endearing,”says ArthyMuthanna Singh.