Kathmandu:

Reading for a purpose, either for assignments or exams, is what our children do most of the time. To introduce our children to the world of reading for pleasure, the World Book Week at the British Council has begun from May 14. This event is meant for both children and adults.

As part of the programme, an illustration workshop participated by 100 students from various schools was organised on May 15. Divided into five groups of 20 students each, the workshop continued for the whole day starting from 10 am to 4 pm. Punyasheel Gautam, children’s book writer and illustrator, told stories to the participating children and they were asked to express their visualisation and impressions they had received from the story telling through illustrations. Gautam also showed them how to express the emotional states and expressions of a character in an illustration. Then the students were asked to make illustrations on their own.

“The aim of the workshop is to take students out from the classroom atmosphere and as such the workshop has been organised in an informal environment in a corner of the British council hall where a book exhibition, that is open for all, is also going on,” said Raju Shakya, library manager, British Council. ‘Readings for Peace’ was scheduled for the evening with individuals reading out excerpts from various sources and their own creations on the theme of Peace.

(Reading aloud competition, and talk programme followed by discussion is scheduled for May 16)