Literary and Library Week 2026

From 20 to 24 April 2026, The Indian School celebrated "Literary and Library Week" with an extensive array of activities and guest lectures designed to foster a love for reading and self-expression across all class levels. The week was creatively structured to provide students with a blend of creative participation and intellectual engagement through expert interactions.

Library Week celebrations commenced with initiatives to promote a culture of reading and resource sharing among the student body. A Book Exchange Drive was successfully organised on 21 April for the students of Classes VI to XII, where participants submitted previously read books to the School library in exchange for coupons to select new titles. Additionally, a Book Exhibition was held from 22 to 24 April in collaboration with Full Circle Bookstore. This exhibition showcased a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction, and academic resources, allowing students and staff to explore and purchase books to enhance their personal collections.

For the youngest learners in Class I, the week was filled with stories and activities designed to build confidence and communication skills. The students participated in a lively "Show and Tell" activity with their favourite toys and attended a "Marvellous M Story Session", where they discovered new vocabulary. They also displayed their talents during poem recitations and designed colourful bookmarks inspired by their favourite characters. The session concluded with "Picture Talk Time", an activity that helped strengthen their observation skills through simple yet meaningful descriptions.

In Class II, the students engaged in a vibrant celebration of creativity and imagination. The "Mystery Word Box" activity encouraged independent thinking as students created stories from surprise words, while "Draw the Ending" allowed them to creatively illustrate their own conclusions to half-told stories. Humour was integrated through "My Funny Dictionary", where children invented amusing meanings for simple words. Furthermore, the students participated in "Talk Like an Object", speaking from the perspective of everyday items, and an "Alphabet Story Challenge" to sharpen their sequencing skills. Both Classes I and II enjoyed a magical storytelling session with Ms Swati Goyal, who used musical instruments and rhythmic sounds to create an immersive narrative experience.

Class III students focused on bringing literature to life through performance and art. They participated enthusiastically in "Storytelling with Puppets", using colourful, handmade puppets and expressive narration to animate various tales. Additionally, the students displayed their artistic talents by designing cover pages for their favourite books, reflecting a deep understanding of the stories they had read. Along with Classes IV and V, they attended an inspiring storytelling session conducted by Ms Vasudha Ahuja, whose lively interaction and expressive storytelling transported them into the world of fictional characters.

The Class IV activities combined language learning with physical movement and poetry. The students presented "Walk the Talk: Idiom Edition", where they showcased idioms through a creative ramp walk, dressing up to represent literal meanings while explaining the actual definitions. They also composed and presented original acrostic poems, which highlighted their effective use of language and boosted their public speaking confidence.

Class V students displayed exceptional talent through a variety of high-engagement literary events. A "Storytelling Competition" provided a platform for narration with voice modulation and imagination, while the activity "Journeys that Shaped Stories – Author Cards Display" allowed students to explore the backgrounds of famous writers. One of the most interactive highlights was "Be the Author – Live Interview", where students dressed as authors such as Ruskin Bond, Arundhati Roy, Sudha Murty, J.K. Rowling, and Enid Blyton to answer questions about their literary inspirations. They also shared family migration stories using recycled bags as props, beautifully connecting history with environmental awareness.

Middle School students from Classes VI to VIII participated in sessions with distinguished authors and historians. On 20 April 2026, Ms Archana Garodia Gupta conducted an enriching session where she used the alphabet to introduce aspects of Indian heritage from her book, "A History of India for Children". On 22 April 2026, Ms Divya Gupta Kotawala interacted with the students regarding her memoir, "My Dad’s Daughter", which explores themes of grief and healing. She encouraged the children to value their relationships and process their emotions through writing, making the session both impactful and relatable.

For the senior students of Classes IX to XII, the week offered several intellectually stimulating sessions. On 20 April 2026, Mr Jonathan Gil Harris inaugurated the week for Classes XI and XII by discussing the interconnections of migration and culture through his work, "The Girl from Fergana". He explored "culinary migration" and encouraged students to view history as a living process of exchange. 

On 24 April 2026, Mr Parnab Mukherjee led a contemplative session for Classes IX to XII on "Migration", reconceptualising it as a phenomenon of human consciousness and memory. Simultaneously, Major General Saiyed Qamar Ahmed (Retd.) addressed the students in the auditorium on the evolution of "Modern Warfare", tracing the history of combat from the Stone Age to contemporary 5G-enabled systems.

The comprehensive celebrations reached a meaningful conclusion by bridging the gap between creative imagination and professional reality. From the playful puppet shows of the primary wing to the sophisticated geopolitical and editorial discourses in the senior school, "Literary and Library Week" successfully reinforced the library as the heart of the school's intellectual life. By providing students with a platform to interact with historians, war veterans, and publishing experts, the event went beyond traditional reading, inspiring the students to see themselves as the next generation of storytellers, innovators, and critical thinkers. The week left the entire school community with a renewed appreciation for the power of words to shape, preserve, and transform the human experience.