Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun, held a two-day literary festival, ‘Welham Sahitya Spriha’ with an engaging blend of literary discussions, meaningful dialogue and active student participation on last two days. The festival was organised with the joint support of Valley of Words, Sahitya Akademi and Union Bank, with the objective of promoting a culture of reading among students and introducing them to diverse literary genres and contemporary themes.
During the inaugural session, Dr Sanjeev Chopra, Member, Board of Governors, Welham Girls’ School and Festival Director, Valley of Words, spoke about the importance of literature and nurturing a strong reading culture among young learners. The first day featured engaging sessions on works including ‘Trimaya’, ‘Chor Gali Mein Titliyan’, ‘Kabira Soi Peer Hai’, ‘Stree Asmita Ka Itihas’, ‘Shreyasi’, ‘Megh Malhar’ and ‘Matlab Hindu’. The sessions brought together writers and discussants for meaningful conversations on a range of literary, social and contemporary issues.
The second day began with a discussion on senior writer Devendra Mewari’s memoir ‘Yayavar Ki Yaadein’. This was followed by interactive sessions on ‘Naach’, ‘Orbital’, ‘Paandan’ and ‘Daakini’, featuring writers, translators and discussants. The discussions explored diverse themes including art, identity, translation, human relationships, folk beliefs and social perceptions.
A key highlight of the festival was the active participation of students. Students of Welham Girls’ School, along with students invited from other schools, interacted with writers across various sessions, asked thoughtful questions and contributed actively to the discussions. These interactive sessions gave students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the authors’ creative processes, experiences and literary perspectives.
The closing ceremony was graced by Dr Sudha Rani Pandey, former Vice Chancellor of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar. Her presence added significance to the concluding ceremony, which marked the culmination of two days of enriching literary engagement and dialogue.
In her vote of thanks, Mrs Vibha Kapoor, Principal, Welham Girls’ School, expressed her gratitude to the writers, discussants, partner organisations, teachers and students for their contribution to the success of the festival. She also announced that the school would like to host ‘Welham Sahitya Spriha’ again next year, with the aim of continuing this meaningful engagement between literature and young readers.
