Children’s lit fest unveils ‘Becoming’ exhibition tracing 130 years of Indian book illustration

The annual Children’s Literature Festival of St Kabir Public School, Sector 26, has kicked off and will continue till May 8. The festival is witnessing participation from children’s authors, storytellers, and illustrators.

A major highlight of the festival is ‘Becoming’, a landmark exhibition that traces over 130 years of illustrations in children’s books in India. Significantly, ‘Becoming’ is travelling beyond Delhi for the first time since its debut in 2025. A pop-up bookshop is also a centre of attraction at the fest.

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Details of the festival were shared by Preeti Bakshi, Director, St Kabir Public School; Sapna Katoch, Principal; Deeptha Vivekanand, Reading & Storytelling Lead; Richa Jha, Curator of ‘Becoming’; author-illustrator Kripa; writer-illustrator Greystroke; and cartoonist and illustrator Rohan Chakravarty.

Speaking about the initiative, Preeti Bakshi said, “We have decided to give all literature enthusiasts of the tricity a chance to experience the exhibition. ‘Becoming’ will be open to the public on all days of the festival from 2:45 PM to 4 PM. Those interested can schedule a visit by contacting the school administration.”

Sapna Katoch said, “‘Becoming’, through the Lit Fest at St Kabir Public School, has moved from a gallery setting at the India International Centre, Delhi—where it debuted—to a school environment. The exhibition marks a shift from passive viewing to active engagement within a learning space.”

Richa Jha, an award-winning author and publisher who curated the exhibition ‘Becoming’, informed that the showcase features around 70 artworks by more than 50 artists across 25 Indian publishers, offering a rare and comprehensive glimpse into the evolution of children’s book art in the country.

Jha added that the exhibition brings together works by pioneering figures such as Abanindranath Tagore, Sukumar Ray, Nandalal Bose, and Satyajit Ray, alongside contemporary illustrators including Atanu Roy, Kripa, Priya Kuriyan, Rajiv Eipe, Ruchi Shah, Shilpa Ranade, Sumanta Dey, and Taposhi Ghoshal. “Together, these works reflect the diversity, innovation, and evolving visual language of children’s literature in India,” she said.