Just a little bit beyond the book: JUMPSTART 2019

In the digital era, the process of creating and adapting stories takes on a whole new meaning. Not just in enormous range of mediums that it can transform into, but also in the nature of adaptations themselves. The book or story then has the potential to take not just many forms but in fact become a universe in itself. What then are the new forms that a book can take? Jumpstart the discussion at Jumpstart 2019 with Beyond the Book!

A survey in the UK found that children today aren’t reading the classics. Only 48% children surveyed say they have read a children’s book by Enid Blyton as against 70% of adults who have done the same. They have taken more naturally to the worlds crafted by Roald Dahl and JK Rowling. More than 83% of surveyed children have read at least one of Dahl’s books, and 56% have read any of the Harry Potter books. In this age of myriad forms of entertainment, edutainment and infotainment, it is quite natural to see children going to a Potter book because they like the movie. So its not all doom gloom, rather an avenue for acquiring more readers through conversations that happen across mediums that children access.

The challenge is to get indigenous content on various channels, especially in local languages to ensure children grow up multilingual with high competence in Indian languages too. Literature plays a significant role in enabling language learning in a comprehensive manner. JUMPSTART this year is creating a space for multilingual children’s literature to be presented to the vibrant non-book world. In partnership with UK based IPR License (www.iprlicense.com), first fully transactional rights and licensing marketplace in publishing, JUMPSTART is organising a one-on-one business matchmaking session which will bring together publishers, authors, producers and agents in conversation. This session will be supported by rights listings of the JUMPSTART participants on the IPR platform to provide visibility to rights buyers in 214 countries and 267 languages. In language publishing, while writing for adults is established, writing and illustrating for children has not received adequate attention. JUMPSTART is reaching out to publishers from Marathi, Bengali, Hindi, Malyalam, Tamil and other languages to build this forum and present opportunities to translate and license this content far and wide. In 2018, JUMPSTART also launched a series of Online Masterclasses on Hindi Fiction, Writing for children and Author promotion which can be accessed on www.web.jumpstartfest.com.

In order to support writers, illustrators and publishers’, JUMPSTART will again organise Masterclasses in New Delhi and Mumbai for young as well as established writers. The programme will also address advancement in marketing strategies and author promotion, growth of new reading platforms like Wattpad and how it can be leveraged by writers and publishers. An overview of the children’s publishing industry and consumer behaviour, finding authors to create diverse content and cross pollination in the children’s content industry are few of the goals that the programme has setout to achieve in the upcoming editions planned for 23 November in Mumbai and 29 November in Delhi. This year JUMPSTART will welcome speakers from India, Australia, UK and Germany.

In addition to books, JUMPSTART this year will bring together streaming platforms, agents and license buyers to have a dialogue about the diversity of content, collaboration channels, avenues for authors to grow and what the market looks like or what the reaction to past experiments has been. In the recent September issue of British Vogue, guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex, comes the news that Meghan Markle has now turned her attention to writing a children’s book. The 37-year-old royal is reportedly going to be the next big thing in children’s literature with a work of fiction based on her love of animals. Interestingly this has been seen as a global trend in children’s story books; “I wrote a story, and my kid loves it!”, an often heard line from mothers attempting their first books. But is their child’s opinion representative of a wider one? In a candid talk with authors and editors, we will gather an understanding on book projects emerging out of motherhood and also share tips & tricks to harness this new fleet of writers.

Its time to JUMPSTART. Block your calendars for 23 November in Mumbai and 29 November in Delhi.

For more info, visit www.jumpstartfest.com