Shimla
The fourth edition of Mimansa – Children’s Literature Festival 2026, organised jointly by the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, and Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla, opened on Wednesday at the historic Gaiety Complex, Shimla, with an inspiring blend of literature, art, storytelling, creative expression and young voices. The festival was formally inaugurated by noted author and National Award-winning voice artist Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, who welcomed the young participants into a vibrant world of books and ideas. Join her was Ms Nalini Ramachandran as Chief Guest for the Closing Ceremony and Cartoonist/Illustrator Ajit Narayan, Guest of Honour. The opening ceremony highlighted the importance of nurturing reading, creativity and independent thinking among children and young people.
The three-day festival, being held from August 19 to 21, witnessed an energetic start as school and college students participated in competitions, book discussions and creative workshops. The day began with the Inter-School Declamation Competition for Classes 5 to 7, where young speakers confidently presented their views on themes ranging from education and technology to books, values and the future. The competition was judged by Pooja Priyamvada, Aarti Gupta and Dr Ritu Sharma, who encouraged the participants to develop clarity, confidence, diction and effective presentation skills.
Over the three-day festival, Mimansa 2026 is bringing together more than 350 students from schools, colleges and universities across Shimla City. The participating institutions include Swaran Public High School, Doon Valley Public School, St. Thomas School, Saraswati Shiksha Mandir High School Shanan, Monal Public Senior Secondary School, Auckland House School for Boys, Auckland House School, Sambhota Tibetan School, Delhi Public School Shimla, Saraswati Paradise International Public School, Dayanand Public School, Monal Public School, GSSS Baghi, ECI Chalet Day School, Sacred Heart Convent, St. Edward’s School, Loreto Convent Tara Hall, SVGC Ghumarwin, Chapslee School, GSSS Majhar and Aryan Public School Sunni.
The festival also welcomes enthusiastic participation from higher-education institutions, including Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya Mandi, Sanjauli College, Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Kotshara College and St. Bede’s College. Their participation adds an important intergenerational dimension to the festival, bringing together young school students, college learners and aspiring writers, readers and artists on a common platform. Over these three days, the students will participate in literary competitions, book discussions, declamation, poetry, storytelling, writing and art workshops, and other creative activities, making Mimansa 2026 a vibrant celebration of young talent, imagination and expression.
The book sessions formed one of the major highlights of Day 1. The first session featured author Ranjodh Singh and his book Maili Kameez, with Dr Ashoo Khosla as moderator and young readers Sujal Sharma, Aahana and Shagun Ranote. The interactive discussion allowed young readers to engage with the author and explore the themes and ideas behind the book.
The second book session featured author Minakshi Chaudhry, Dr Meenakshi Faith Paul and young co-authors Shagun Ranote and Midori Das, around Is The House Haunted? and The Humility of Lies. The books, developed under Keekli’s Angels, reflect the Trust’s continuing efforts to mentor young writers and give children an opportunity to become published authors.
A special attraction was the session with Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, moderated by veteran columnist and theatre personality Srinivas Joshi, with young readers Lakshit and Daksh. The discussion around Let’s Use Our Words and Haiku, Me and You (I Love You) introduced children to the rhythm, creativity and expressive possibilities of language and poetry.
For senior students, filmmaker and President’s National Film Award-winning creative professional Vivek Mohan conducted the Books to Script Workshop, teaching participants how to transform a written story into a visual script. The workshop will culminate in a competition on Day 2, where participants will present their interpretations.
The session on Fantasy Factory, the anthology published by Keekli Charitable Trust, brought together Dr Usha Bande and young writers Ashmita and Anvesha, along with emerging authors Kyna Taneja, Sejal Kimta and Sneha Harnot. The session celebrated young literary talent and encouraged students to take their first steps towards becoming published writers.
Art and visual storytelling took centre stage in the afternoon with renowned cartoonist Ajit Narayan, who conducted the engaging “Fun With Art: Cartoons in Books” session. Joined by young artist Sakshi of Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, he demonstrated how simple lines, expressions and imagination can transform ideas into memorable characters and stories. This was followed by an enthusiastic Inter-School and College Art Competition, judged by Dr Anjana Bhardwaj and Dr Bhader Singh.
The day concluded with a stimulating Poetry Workshop led by Dr Meenakshi Faith Paul and Hindi poet Atma Ranjan. Through readings, discussions and creative exercises, participants explored imagination, emotions, language and personal expression, with young poets also getting an opportunity to share their original work.
The festival has brought together students from institutions including Centre of Excellence Government College Sanjauli, Swarn Public School, Doon Valley Public School, Prakriti School, Noida, ECI Chalet Day School, Shimla, and Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, among others, creating a lively platform for interaction between young readers, writers, educators and artists.
Speaking about the festival, the organisers emphasised that Mimansa is not simply a literary festival but a space where children can read, question, imagine, create and find their own voices. The enthusiastic participation on Day 1 reaffirmed the growing interest of young people in books, storytelling, poetry, art and creative expression.
Day 2 promises even more excitement
With the first day setting an energetic tone, Day 2 of Mimansa 2026 promises another exciting line-up of literary and creative experiences. Among the key attractions are the Vocabulary and Language Skills Competition, the Storytelling and Writing Workshop, and the much-awaited Books to Script Final Competition, where participants will showcase the scripts they developed during Day 1.
The festival will continue to bring authors, educators, artists and young readers together, ensuring that the remaining sessions are equally engaging, interactive and inspiring. With two more days of competitions, conversations, workshops and creative discovery ahead, Mimansa 2026 continues its journey of giving young minds a platform to imagine, express and create.
