Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Showcasing young talent

Thiruvananthapuram: For the young talents who make it to the top in the annual school youth festival, a day or two in the limelight is worth all the painstaking effort that went into months of preparation. The handshakes, the congratulatory messages, the bouquets and hugs from friends and teachers—all add up to a sense of euphoria that is conveyed to thousands of people all over the state and outside through media channels.

But despite all the media attention, little is known of the background details of the competitors, their family background, financial status, hobbies, dreams, aspirations and other achievements. Some of them may have overcome severe odds to reach the top. Others may have been influenced by factors and personalities.

While a handful of the toppers in the school youth festival manage to make it big as musicians, dancers, theatre artistes and even film stars, others simply fade away into oblivion.

To address this issue, the Kerala Institute of Children’s Literature has embarked on a project to highlight the budding talents who emerge toppers in various sports, literary, arts, science and work experience competitions held in the state. The first book in a series titled “Prathibhasangamam”, featuring 104 prize-winners in various competitions held in the year 2007-2008, has been released. The book is based on interviews with the children conducted by Mediact, an NGO.

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