1 BIENNIAL REPORT 2010-2012 OF THE INDIAN BBY ASSOCIATION OF WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS FOR CHILDREN (AWIC) INDIAN BBY - AWIC Information for the Biennial Reports Reporting Period: August 2010 August 2012 1.1 INDIA GENERAL INFORMATION 1.2. Indian BBY/ Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) Nehru House, 4 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. 110 002 Tel: +91.11.43603831 E-mail: info@awic.in Website: http://www.awic.in Representatives 1.3.1 Ms. Nilima Sinha, President, Indian BBY/Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) 6, Kushak Road, New Delhi. 110011 Tel. +91-11-23017213/ +91-11-23794197 Email: sinhan2008@gmail.com
2 1.3.2 Ms. Manorama Jafa Secretary General, Indian BBY/Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) Nehru House, 4 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. 110 002 Tel/Fax: +91-11-43603831 / +91-11-26859641 Email: vjafa@bol.net.in 1.3.3 Dr. Ira Saxena, Secretary, BBY/Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) B-169, Sector 44, NOIDA, 201301 Tel. no. 91-120-4331537 E-mail: saxena.ira@gmail.com 1.4 Organisation 1.4.1 The Indian BBY/AWIC is a registered voluntary organisation. It is governed by 5 office-bearers of the Association - the President, Vicepresident, Secretary- General, Secretary, Treasurer and a committee of 7 elected members. This forms the Executive Committee which conducts the working of the National Section. 1.4.2 The NS is affiliated to the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC). 1.4.3. The Children s Book Trust supports the National Section by providing rent-free office space, telephone and secretarial facilities. 3 staff members are salaried - the secretary, office assistant and the accountant. 1.4.4 The Executive Committee meets on the first Saturday of each month. Membership 1.4.5 The N.S has no institutional member presently. Institutional members are from schools, libraries, publishing houses, booksellers and NGOs working for children. 1.4.6 AWIC has 562 individual members in all - 508 Life members (which includes 18 members from other countries and 40 ordinary members).
3 They participate in the activities organised by the NS, such as seminars, exhibitions, story-telling and reading promotion activities, run the AWIC Children s Libraries, contribute articles to our Quarterly Journal, take part in competitions on writing, and participate in the workshops and the conferences organised by IBBY and the NS. They participated at the IBBY Congress in Santiago in 2010, and are to attend the London Congress in 2012. 1.4.7. The members are children s writers, illustrators, librarians, editors, teachers and publishers, and all those interested in the promotion of reading and books. As regards the break-up of members in percentages it is difficult to estimate accurately. Mostly there are writers, illustrators and teachers. Others are individuals who are interested in reading promotion, storytelling and book related activities that benefit children. 1.4.8 There are three main categories of membership in our National Section Life members, Annual members and Institutional members. 1.4.9 All members receive regular circulars every month informing them about meetings and activities. Communication is also through e-mails and the Quarterly Journal- Writer & Illustrator sent free to every member. 2. Funding 2.1 The Annual budget is approximately Rupees ten lakhs ($20,000). The budget keeps varying according to the activities planned. However, the budget has been increasing each year. 2.2 Sources of Income 2.2.1 Yes. There are three levels of the national membership fee Annual Membership - Rs. 400.00 ($8 approx.) Life Membership - Rs. 4000.00 ($100 approx) Annual Institutional Membership Rs.4000.00 ($100 approx) This is a small part of our total budget. 2.2.2 No, AWIC does not receive regular financial support from individual sponsors and/or donors. Children s Book Trust has made office space and telephone available to AWIC.
4 2.2.3 No, we do not get government grants on regular basis. 2.2.4. No, we do not receive any grant from any other organisation. 2.2.5. No, Indian BBY is an independent body. It does not receive any contribution or financial support from other NS. 2.2.6. Usually the publication expenses incurred are received through project based grant or donation which generally covers the expense. Many publications of Indian BBY have been printed on credit and the sales have later paid for the loan. In the Literacy project the books developed and printed were distributed free in accordance with the demand of the donor. There is no room for any profit. We have no marketing outlet. 2.2.7 No, there is no other source of income. 2.2.8 We do not receive any regular grant or contribution from any source. The membership fee is the only regular source. 2.2.9 No, we do not receive any support for our IBBY dues. 2.2.10 Indian BBY has collected funds when it organised special events like exhibitions, conferences etc. Through appeal for donations for specific events and projects, we are able to organise events and sometimes save some amount of money. 3. The National Section s Activities 3.1 Main Activities 3.3.1 Yes. At the international level the NS oganised the International Conference on Book Therapy Reading is Healing held from 9-11 February, 2012 at New Delhi. The NS also organised a Meet the Author session in the Children s Pavilion at the World Book Fair, New Delhi in 2012. At the national level we organised, for ICBD, the Annual AWIC Children s Library functions in April 2011 and 2012 in New Delhi. 3.1.2. Yes. At the international level two AWIC members attended the IBBY International Congress at Santiago and 7-8 members plan to attend the IBBY International Congress due in London this year. A team led by Secretary- General and 5 members attended the India Week organised during the Nami Book Festival in S. Korea. AWIC members presented stories and demonstrated the art of spinning. Three exhibitions were also organised by the Indian
5 BBY on the occasion. 3.1.3 Yes. At the local level Indian BBY organises seminars, storytelling and reading promotion activities for writers and librarians. It also organises achievement oriented workshops for writers, illustrators, librarians and storytellers. 3.1.4 Yes. The NS organises exhibitions and displays. There were 3 displays during the India Week at Nami in S. Korea, namely, 100 Picture-books from India, Panchatantra and Gandhi. During the International Conference on Book Therapy there were several displays, namely, pictures from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, books suitable for Book Therapy, Outstanding Books for Children with Disabilities from Norway, and paintings by special children and by children after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The books were later displayed at the World Book Fair in New Delhi. 3.1.5 Yes. The NS organises Annual Library Award function to give awards to librarians and young readers. It organises competitions for writing short stories and poems. AWIC Honours are also presented annually to a writer, illustrator, publisher, researcher and for reading promotion. During the ICBD functions, too, competitions are organised. 3.1.6 Yes. The NS has established and runs 170 libraries under the AWIC Children s Library Project. They are established in slums in towns and in rural areas where no reading material is available. 10 libraries were further supported by the Raja Rammohun Roy Foundation, Government of India. The Ministry of Culture also helped by supplementing the books in the libraries. 3.1.7 Yes. The NS has organised several other activities:- 1. Story-telling Projects and Reading Promotion activities organised from time to time. 2. Publications taken up by NS an anthology of stories entitled Lighthouse in the Storm with stories suitable for use as Therapy for Traumatised Children, and a collection of poems in Hindi written by our members. Our Journal, Writer and Illustrator is another regular publication produced by the NS. 3. AWIC runs free libraries for underprivileged children under the the AWIC Children s Library Project. 4. It has a Literacy Project, under which the NS published alphabet books in 8 Indian languages. 5. Gift-a-Book Program under which books were distributed free to underprivileged children. 6. Various displays of books, posters etc. organised by the NS.
6 All the above activities have been specifically successful in India. 3.2 Communication 3.2.1. Yes, the Indian BBY has a website http://www.awic.in 3.2.2 Yes, the NS publishes a quarterly Journal Writer and Illustrator. This journal is mailed free to all members of AWIC. No, it is not available on line. 3.2.3 Yes. The NS has been preparing booklists for many years. During 2010-2012 the following lists were prepared:- 1. A List was prepared specifically for Book Therapy. It consisted of books that were suitable for children suffering from various forms of trauma. 2. Book Lists were prepared for the use of librarians in schools all over India. The lists were of books written by Indian authors and were made at the request of the Central Board of Secondary Education, Government of India. The books, both in Hindi and in English, were meant as extra reading material for Classes 1 to 12. 3.2.4 Our quarterly journal, Writer and Illustrator is a regular publication of AWIC. We publish research-based articles on children s literature, profiles of people associated with children s literature, IBBY news and information, reports of literary events, book reviews, catalogues, stories authored and illustrated by members. Special issues of the journal have been brought out from time to time eg. Hans Christian Anderson Nominees Special, IBBY special, Panchatantra special, and so on. 3.2.5 No. we do not work with any national media to promote our NS or IBBY. However, whenever an important event is organised by NS, the media is invited to cover the occasion. 3.3 Cooperation at a national level 3.3.1 Yes, the NS and members of AWIC are invited sometimes by other governmental and non-governmental organisations for improvement of national curriculum. Two members were on the Committee that prepared text books in English for Primary Classes for the National Council on Educational Research and Training, Government of India. Publishers often seek advice on children s books. The NS helped prepare a List of books by Indian authors for The Central Board of Secondary Education, Government of India.
7 3.3.2 Yes. Many NGO s are working in different States of the country to develop children s reading and publishing, promoting storytelling and the art of storytelling. Indian BBY is not only aware of many of them but occasionally works closely with them to further their goals. They are Pratham Books, Room to Read, Katha, Kathalaya, National Bal Bhavan etc. 3.3.3 Yes, we collaborate with other NGO s, the National Book Trust, State Boards of Education, National Council for Educational Research and Training, the Federation of Indian Publishers etc. 4. COOPERATION WITH IBBY 4.1 International activities in cooperation with IBBY 4.1.1 6 members participated at Copenhegan. Two members participated at the last Congress at Santiago. A group of 7-8 will attend the IBBY Congress at London in 2012. 4.1.2. The NS sent a team to participate at the Nami Book Festival in S. Korea. One member is on the Asia News Committee. International Children s Book Day (ICBD) 4.1.3 The AWIC Children s Library Project holds an event every year on the occasion of the International Children s Book Day (ICBD). Prizes are awarded on the occasion to the Librarian of the Year and Readers of the Year. Competitions are also organised for children on the occasion. In 2011 it was the Tell-a-Story Competition for which children had to tell stories based on books written by a well-known Hindi writer. In 2012 a Reading Competition was organised. ICBD posters were also displayed. All the children present at the event receive books as gifts under the Gifta-Book Scheme. 4.1.4 The Indian poster has been designed by one of the foremost illustrators of India, Mr. Jagdish Joshi. The message was written by well known writer Manorama Jafa. We display posters designed by other countries also at the ICBD functions. 4.1.5 Information is given through NS circulars. IBBY Awards and Projects
8 4.1.6 No, there was no nomination for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. The nomination procedure is very expensive for the NS. 4.1.7 Yes, we presented nominations for IBBY Honour 2012. Indian BBY nominated the following:- Author Ranjit Lal for his book Faces in the Water, published by Penguin Puffin Illustrator Ms.Shanti Devi for her book Bioscope, published by Katha. Translator N.K. Bhattacharjee for the book Dreadful Beauty, translated from Bengali to English and published by Ponytale Books. 4.1.8 Yes, the NS nominated the Paan-Poi Project, Pune, India, for the IBBY- Asahi Reading Promotion Award last year. 4.1.9 No, we did not nominate any title for the Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. 4.1.10 No, we did not recommend any book for the Documentation Centre of Books for Disabled Young People. 4.1.11 Yes, we hosted a display of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities from Norway during the International Conference on Book therapy, held in New Delhi in February, 2012. The books were later displayed at the Bal Bhawan and in the Children s Pavilion at the World Book Fair held in New Delhi in 2012. Bookbird and other Projects 4.1.12 We are not aware if individual members subscribe for Bookbird. 4.1.13 Dr. Ira Saxena was on the Editorial Reviews Board in 2011. She represents the Indian NS in Bookbird. 4.1.14 The NS participated at the Nami Book Festival in S. Korea in 2011 where a special India Week was organised. Secretary-General, Indian BBY and 5 other members participated by telling stories and also demonstrating the art of spinning. Three displays were also organised at the event. They were:- Panchatantra, 100 Picture-books from India, and Gandhi. Treasurer, Indian BBY, is on the committee of Asian News. 4.2 Cooperation with other National Sections
9 4.2.1 Yes, in cooperation with and support from JBBY, we launched the Literacy Project under which we published and distributed Alphabet Books in 8 Indian languages. Slovenia is translating and publishing the book, Lighthouse in the Storm, a collection of stories suitable for book therapy published by Indian BBY. 4.2.2 No, there is no regular bilateral cooperation with any NS. 4.2.3 The NS exchanges information with other National Sections as our membership extends internationally. All information and programmes are communicated through circulars and the journal is mailed to them. We provide information also through our website which is: http://www.awic.in 4.2.4 The major obstacles, in our opinion, is that all NS are busy with their own programs and do not have time for others. Language and cultural differences may also play a role. 5. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS The future programmes of Indian BBY are:- 1. Continuation of ongoing projects, like AWIC Children s Libraries, Storytelling, quarterly journal Writer and Illustrator and workshops for writers, illustrators, librarians and storytellers. 2. Publications of more titles. Some in the pipeline are - A collection of Stories tentatively entitled Strange Stories, collections of plays for children in Hindi and in English, and a series on Monuments of India (tentative). 3. Promotion of Literacy Project. 4. Expansion of Children s Library Project by opening new libraries. 5. More books distributed under Gift a Book campaign. 6. Fostering international cooperation in children s books. 7. Planning new publications and story collections.