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Object Stories
A Fun Way of Understanding the Past
Facilitator
You’ve read books. You’ve read comics. You’ve read magazines. But have you ever read an object? From ancient times, inventive humans have created objects to enrich their world. Join award-winning children’s author Devika Cariapa as she introduces her latest book, A Children’s History of India in 100 Objects and learn to read clues from some of these old material remains. Turn into ‘object detectives’ as tiny coins and crumbling pottery reveal secrets of the long-ago people who made them. Then, write your own exciting object stories. Discover a whole new way of understanding the past!
Facilitator
Devika Cariapa
Award-winning author Devika Cariapa graduated in History (Hons.) from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, before doing her Master’s in Archaeology from Deccan College, Pune. She worked with the Prehistoric Art Program of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Delhi before finding her calling uncovering stories from stones, making the world of archaeology accessible for children.
Her first book India through Archaeology: Excavating History (Tulika Publishers) received the Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 and the Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Award 2018. She is also the author of India Through People: 25 Game Changers (Tulika Publishers) and The Adventures of the Kohinoor (Juggernaut), an adaptation of William Dalrymple and Anita Anand’s book Kohinoor. The book was awarded the Neev Book Award for Distinguished Children’s Literature 2021 in the Junior Readers category. Her picture book, Uncle Nehru, Please send an Elephant! (Tulika Publishers), a vibrant portrayal of how India’s first Prime Minister formed a bond with children all over the world through a unique diplomatic initiative, was shortlisted for both the Times of India AutHer Award and the Neev Book Award 2022.
A Children’s History of India in 100 Objects (Penguin Random House India) is a richly illustrated account of a hundred objects that span the entirety of Indian history from prehistoric to modern times. The chronicled objects are examined for the stories they tell, how they shaped history and built identities on the Indian subcontinent. The book encourages young readers to examine our material remains in a new light while helping them understand our diverse pasts. It was awarded the Times of India AutHer Award for Children’s Writing 2024 and was shortlisted for the Valley of Words Award for Young Adults 2024.
When she is not writing, Devika enjoys calligraphy, wandering around ancient monuments or disappearing into Bangalore’s wonderful bookstores, all the while keeping a sharp look out for exciting stories from the past!
