The inaugural Phirse Kitaab Literature Festival will be held today at ICG, Dona Paula
With reading for pleasure on the decline and public libraries disappearing, the Phirse Kitaab campaign is launching its first Literature Festival on December 27, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the International Centre Goa (ICG), Dona Paula, to reconnect communities with books. The chief guest will be writer Damodar Mauzo.
The festival is organised by Girls Islamic Organisation-Goa (GIO). GIO Goa State President Madeeha Khan says the event aims to provide people with a space to slow down and enjoy reading, not as a task but as a way of life.
“Attention spans have shortened and habits that encouraged reflection, empathy and independent thinking are fading,” says Khan. “Phirse Kitaab was created to address this and build a community around reading.”
Although this is the festival’s first edition, it builds on months of work through reading circles, school programmes, library projects and community events. “The festival is not a start but a coming together of ongoing efforts to bring reading back in Goa,” she adds.
The campaign has also reached rural and semi-rural areas, where access to books is limited. It has revived libraries, distributed books and created reading spaces in community centres.
The day-long festival will include a wide range of activities for all age groups. It begins with Read-Aloud & Guided Drawing for children aged 5 and above from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by Brain Boosters: The Power of Reading for children 7+ from 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. From 11.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m., teenagers and adults (14+) can join Collective Reading & Collaborative Art, to enjoy shared reading, dialogue and creativity.
A panel discussion featuring former journalist and member of the Goa State Advisory Board on Disability Prakash Kamat; architect, educator and writer Talullah D’Silva; advocate, human rights activist and researcher Albertina Almeida; journalist and writer Alexandre Moniz Barbosa; and senior journalist and online networker Frederick Noronha, will be moderated by former journalist and officiating headmaster Aashiyana institute Shoaib Shaikh.
In the afternoon, the Book Cover Design/Recreate Challenge for ages 14+ and The Joy of Reading for teenagers 13–18 will take place from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. The festival will conclude with an Open Poetry Reading from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., inviting poets, writers and readers to celebrate creativity and the love of books.
The festival will end with a book release and a campaign screening.
Khan says the response so far has been encouraging. “Parents, children, teachers and readers have shown curiosity and interest. People were looking for a space to slow down and enjoy reading,” she says.
She also notes the challenges, citing time, resources and attention in a fast-moving world. “Encouraging people to slow down is not easy but building a reading culture takes steady effort and patience,” she adds.
