Shimla
The fourth edition of Mimansa ‘ Children’s Literature Festival 2026’ concluded at the historic Gaiety Complex on Friday, bringing the three-day celebration of books, storytelling, creativity and young talent to a vibrant close.Organised jointly by the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, and Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla, the festival brought together more than 400 students from schools, colleges and universities, along with authors, educators, artists and literary enthusiasts.
The festival aims to take literature and Himachal Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage closer to young people while encouraging them to read, write, question, imagine and express themselves. Keekli Charitable Trust provided the creative direction and programme curation, helping make literature more interactive and accessible beyond classrooms and textbooks. The final day began with a Poetry Competition for students of Classes 2 to 5. The young participants impressed the audience with their confidence, expression and enthusiasm. The competition was judged by Himachal-based writer and poet Kalpana Gangta, senior Hindi writer and storyteller Mridula Srivastava, and artist and storyteller Sitaram sharma. An engaging Storytelling Workshop with Prof. Atul Khosla, Founder and Vice-Chancellor of Shoolini University, followed. Moderated by journalist and writer of Keekli Ritanjali Hastir, the session encouraged children to observe everyday experiences with curiosity and transform them into stories.
Book discussions remained a major attraction of the festival. A session on Anirban Bhattacharyya’s The Sinister Holiday featured young readers Mokshika, Shaurya Sharma and Kritika in conversation with moderator and Shimla writer Sumit Raj. As Anirban could not attend due to a prior commitment, his father, author Probal J. Bhattacharyya, represented him, adding a special father-son connection to the session.
Another discussion featured author Lokesh Thakur and moderator Jasleen Gulati, along with college students Sneha Harnot, Isha Thakur and Tarun Sharma. Their conversation on CoMaTose explored issues concerning young people, education, relationships and contemporary life.
The concluding literary session featured Chief Guest Nalini Ramachandran in conversation with young reader Pritha Doegar about Once Upon A Beginning: Incredible Origin Stories From India. The author, editor and storyteller discussed mythology, folklore, regional narratives and the continuing relevance of cultural memory.
The festival concluded with an Awards Ceremony recognising students who participated in various competitions, including declamation, poetry, art, vocabulary, storytelling and book-to-script activities.
Participating institutions included schools and colleges from across Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh, with students from higher-education institutions such as Himachal Pradesh University, St. Bede’s College, Sanjauli College, Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya and Government Sanskrit College, Sundarnagar, also taking part.
Over three days, Mimansa transformed the Gaiety Complex into a vibrant space where authors met young readers, artists interacted with aspiring creators and students discovered that literature could be lively, contemporary and closely connected to their own lives.
As the fourth edition concluded, the organisers thanked the participating schools, colleges, teachers, parents, authors, artists, volunteers and students for making the festival a success.
Mimansa 2026 ended with more than awards and applause. It left hundreds of young minds with new stories, fresh ideas and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed love for books and literature.
