LAHORE, Feb 18: Children`s literature was witnessing revival in Pakistan and should be promoted aggressively through all media beyond class and gender, says education activist Baela Raza Jamil.

Baela and her organisation -Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) -have worked relentlessly to promote quality books for children in schools and now, at the Lahore Literature Festival, Baela will be appearing as a speaker in one of the sessions on children`s literature.

In a conversation, Baela shares with Dawn her take on the status of children`s literature today.

She says today Pakistan is witnessing a revival of children`s literature. `There is a big wide world beyond textbooks and exams.You just need to see the children in book fairs and the chil-dren`s literature festivals that have recently been initiated in Pakistan.

Obviously, then it becomes an issue of how important it is to promote literature meant just for children.

`This needs to be propagated across the country beyond class and gender divides. That is the reason why we are going to bringing out books under the label of Children`s Literature Festival and also a bimonthly children`s magazine so that the content can eventually influence textbooks and classroom and home practices.

And ITA has been joined by OUP in its mission. About 100 resource persons and organisations have joined us to help us out and we have a lot of goodwill. They never charge us for this work. I see a lot of potential to be honest....a glasshalf full.

When it comes to publishing, Baela feels the country is seeing a revival already, especially of magazines and books.

About the content, she says,`We need not just rely on our own territory but the region and the world, some of which can be translated and transport children into international mindedness`. `We just need to ensure it spreads far and wide through the media, including radio. This should become viral.

`I think there is a lack of projection of children`s literature.

There needs to be a much bigger chunk of time on the media for it away from the wretched overplayed kitchen programmes. You see, every child needs special time and a special space for conversation with the other and with oneself. This space is threatenedin a way because the trend to reserve little talk and space for children is growing imperceptibly;the children are being pushed out of the adult`s canvas,` she says.

So what is ITA doing in this context? `At first we thought that we`d be having Children`s Literature Festivals once a year in one city.

But in less than 15 months wehave haditin sixlocations across the country despite terrorism, and we have managed to bring smiles to the faces of over 70,000 children and 10,000 adults defying all odds in Peshawar and Quetta. Children from all types of school systems and social strata and gender have been included.

Everyone simply enjoyed the 14 strands which include read aloud with expression, how to write your own book, comics and digital stories, art and crafts, theatre, Bol Kay Lab Azaad Hain (Speak up) meant for two age groups,speaking theirprose and poetry, films, reclaiming heritage, inclusion, active citizenship, etc.

`The only way in which children can be encouraged is through such freewheeling activi-ties and competitions involving creative and critical thinking, especially in open public spaces, she says.

Baela explains that while Urdu, English and Sindhi contribute to children`s literature, vernacular languages are also making a comeback. She says she will love to see a revival of language academies in the mother tongue.

Through a survey conducted by her organization in 2012 she found out that about 41 languages are being spoken across the 136 districts of Pakistan.

`Children`s thoughts are profoundly affected by what they read,` she continues. `They carry images and ideas deeply and are always waiting and hungry for more.` She waives aside a `misconception` that aspiring writers are not interested in writing forchildren.

`I do not think this is true...many do write and we are seeking some revival; we have Tehmina Durrani, Musharraf Faruqui, Rumana Hussain, and several others...we will be soliciting a lot more under the CLF label from this year,` she says.

But she does somewhat admit to children not knowing famous poets and authors such as Ismail Mairthee and Sufi Tabassum.

`It is not their fault,` she says.

`The fault lies within the narrow walls of the classroom...and its substitution by TV and video games,` she adds.

`CLF is jointly held by ITA and OUP and supported hugely by Foundation Open Society Institute (FOSI), Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the British Council, Dubai Cares and more.