HYDERABAD: The Neev Literature Festival (NLF) on Friday announced the first-of-its-kind fellowships for children’s book creators (writers and illustrators) to facilitate high-quality, richly detailed children’s books that authentically mirror Indian lives and experiences.
“Proposals are invited from children’s book creators to produce a book in any genre that has the power to connect with young readers universally. The NLF Fellowships will support selected book creators with a grant of Rs 6 lakhs each for a period of one year for researching and writing their book,” Neev Trust said in a statement.
With this novel initiative, NLF aims to facilitate engaging children’s books that capture a slice of India or Indians that is so deeply authentic, moving and immersive that it brings alive an aspect of India—pre and post-Independence.
According to Kavita Gupta Sabharwal, co-founder, Neev Literature Festival, “In a fragmented market that is swamped with international children’s literature and a publishing ecosystem that has traditionally under invested in children’s literature from India, the NLF Fellowships aim to fill a gap that will hopefully encourage Indian writers to embark on imaginative, ambitious and research-driven literature for Indian audiences that is rooted in Indianness.”
Apart from the financial support, the NLF Fellowships will provide mentorship and editorial support, ensure greater visibility, appreciation for well-crafted books and explore realistic routes to take these books global. “There is no restriction with regards to the genre - it could be a picture book, a graphic novel, a work of fiction, or non-fiction. The Fellowship is open to Indian citizens and residents who are persons of Indian origin.”
Interested candidates can apply for the fellowship at https://nlf-fellowships-for-book-creators.paperform.co/ Applications open on March 31, 2023, while the last date is on June 30, 2023. The fellowship would be announced in October, 2023 during the Neev Literature Festival.
