SAARC Literary Festival on South Asian Folktales organised by the SAARC Cultural Centre took place on 30th and 31st of August at the Colombo Public Library. The 2025 SAARC Literary Festival themed ‘Celebrating Folktales through Children’s Literature’ featured a range of activities for children aged from 4-15. The Festival was held in collaboration with the Colombo Public Library, the largest library in Sri Lanka. The Festival featured a diverse line-up of activities including a puppetry show, interactive storytelling and storytelling coaching sessions, craft session, open mic session and a panel discussion. The festival was inaugurated by children representing Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka by lighting the traditional oil lamp. More than 120 children via open registration on a first come, first served basis took part in this two-day literary festival.

The Festival dedicated to South Asia’s great traditions of folktales provided a unique platform for children to witness and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of South Asia and promote cultural and heritage awareness among children. The main objective of this two-day literary festival was to create deeper appreciation for folktales among the children and South Asia’s proud tradition of literature and cultural diversity.

SAARC Children’s Literary Festival-Puppetry Show

 

SAARC Children’s Literary Festival-Interactive Storytelling