Indian Picturebooks in English and the Case of Representation of Intersectional Diversity
Title and/or Affiliation
B. Sai Harshitha, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur Campus
Presenter Bio
B. Sai Harshitha is a doctoral research scholar in the Department of Languages & Literature - English at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, India. She is currently engaged in research in the field of Indian children's literature, specifically picturebooks in English.
Session
Panel: South Asian Literature for Young Readers
Location
Zoom
Start Date
30-6-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
30-6-2024 12:15 PM
Abstract
Children’s literature is a powerful medium to impart ideas of diversity and inclusivity. As a country which thrives on the motto of "Unity in diversity," it is expected that children’s literature in India would imbue this national ideology. It is true that the representation of diversity in Indian children’s literature has seen a slow surge since the beginning of the 21st century. This presentation looks at the project of bilingual picturebooks and translated works for children that have been available in the last two decades as an appreciable step towards emulating the ideals of inclusivity and embracing the linguistic diversity of the nation. On the other hand, India is a nation of intersectional identities, yet Indian picturebooks in English haven’t yet dynamically engaged with the representation of certain sections of the society which are an integral part of India's social and cultural fabric. This lack must be overcome for the benefit of social empowerment and sensitization of the future generation. For the scope of the presentation, the minimal representation of Indian picturebooks in English with child protagonists from the different caste and ethnically marginalized backgrounds have been traced since the last two decades, thus establishing the fact that there needs to be a greater thrust for representation of diversity in the Indian picturebooks in English.
Indian Picturebooks in English and the Case of Representation of Intersectional Diversity
Zoom
Children’s literature is a powerful medium to impart ideas of diversity and inclusivity. As a country which thrives on the motto of "Unity in diversity," it is expected that children’s literature in India would imbue this national ideology. It is true that the representation of diversity in Indian children’s literature has seen a slow surge since the beginning of the 21st century. This presentation looks at the project of bilingual picturebooks and translated works for children that have been available in the last two decades as an appreciable step towards emulating the ideals of inclusivity and embracing the linguistic diversity of the nation. On the other hand, India is a nation of intersectional identities, yet Indian picturebooks in English haven’t yet dynamically engaged with the representation of certain sections of the society which are an integral part of India's social and cultural fabric. This lack must be overcome for the benefit of social empowerment and sensitization of the future generation. For the scope of the presentation, the minimal representation of Indian picturebooks in English with child protagonists from the different caste and ethnically marginalized backgrounds have been traced since the last two decades, thus establishing the fact that there needs to be a greater thrust for representation of diversity in the Indian picturebooks in English.