PUNE: Celebrating its 60th year in Pune, the British Council Library (BCL) will be bringing the Reading Challenge to India, in collaboration with India’s Reading Agency, for children aged between six and 11 years.
While in the last 60 years, the BCL has renewed itself with the newest of reading technologies, BCL Pune Head Gunjan Narula said that physical books are still the first choice of Punekars.
“I would say that our online readership has been growing steadily. However, people are still in love with the physical books. They want their children to pick up the books, and spend less time on screen. So they come here to hand that book over to their children, instead of downloading an e-book,” Narula said.
PUNE’S READING CHALLENGE
The Reading Challenge, which has global acclaim, has encouraged young readers to participate and compete with peers in celebrating 50 years of humans landing on the Moon with this year’s theme of Space Chase. The four-week challenge, open to children from the age of six to 11 will be rolled out on July 27. The children participating in the Pune Reading Challenge will have to read four books of their choice in four weeks over the competition period.
The British Council will organise multiple workshops for participants to help them improve reading speeds and acquire storytelling and creative writing skills.
The competition will also test the participants’ writing and narrating skills. Designed on the principle of encouragement and motivation, the Challenge will reward participants on completion of a book. The Reading Challenge will culminate in a mega award ceremony at the British Council Library, where winners from each age group will be felicitated and awarded certificates in the presence of parents and other participants at the 60th Anniversary Celebrations mega-event on August 31.
The winners will also receive an annual Family Library membership or complementary annual Family membership renewal in case of existing members.
On the occasion, Narula said, “We understand the significance of reading in shaping an individual’s growth, and we are therefore bringing Reading Challenge, that will inculcate the habit of reading amongst children - making them confident individuals and storytellers as they grow up.”
REGISTRATION
British Council Library members, as well as non-members, can enrol for the Reading Challenge. Registrations for the same have been opened from Sunday, July 21. The Reading Challenge will take place from August 10 to 30, and the last date for registration, which will be on a first-come-first-served basis, is August 9.
