German Book Office, New Delhi in association with Avid Learning presents the 10th edition of Jumpstart: Beyond the Book, a day-long festival featuring experts and practitioners from the worlds of literature, film, illustration, publishing and marketing who will come together to share their unique perspectives, examine case study models, network, brainstorm and ideate through various interactive sessions including workshops, masterclasses, presentations and panel discussions.

About the Event:

Jumpstart is an exchange platform for the creative community which aims to facilitate capacity development in the children’s content space and is an opportunity to network one on one with successful authors, producers from Viacom, Star, Endemol Shine, literary and story agents from Story Ink and Siyahi and licensing organisations.  In partnership with Licensing International, JUMPSTART will present opportunities in licensing and merchandising while Wattpad will talk about writing and promoting on digital platforms.

This year’s edition aims to engage with writers and illustrators and explore the various opportunities they have to extend their books into a larger universe of media and products; look at content creation opportunities for mediums beyond print and look at the book as a form in completely different ways. The primary focus of this festival is to provide a forum for international and Indian experts to share their work and knowledge, connect professionals in the content industry with each other and facilitate collaboration, as well as offer expertise and skill development for content professionals through invigorating masterclasses.

At Beyond the Book: JUMPSTART you will make connections and learn:

• The opportunities created for content creators in the emerging digital landscape

• An overview of Indian children’s literature landscape

• What is potential for growth in children's content and what are the opportunities for  writers and illustrators

• The journey of a book to screen and the author's play

At AVID, we constantly strive to engage with topics and issues related to the improvement and development of India’s creative community and ecosystem. In this respect, we regularly leverage our platform and lend our support to programmes which examine the various trends and evolution, as well as, challenges and solutions with respect to India’s dynamic and burgeoning creative sector. In the past, we have held symposiums and targeted programmes which have probed meta-issues and our vision is to invite more people into the conversation about the arts and culture by deepening their multi-cultural learning experiences through sustained partnerships and by diversifying our programming through new spaces, formats and approaches.

The day will consist of the following sessions:

Presentation | We’ve Come a Long Way… or Have We? An Overview of Indian Children’s Literature Landscape

In the last decade Indian children’s books have come into their own. Or have they? Neeraj Jain, MD Scholastic India, looks back and ahead at children’s literature in India. The overview looks at growth, tech-advances, content trends and our place in international markets.

Presentation | The Promise of Digital: The Growing World of Children’s Content on Digital Platforms

According to TRAI by Feb 2019 India had over 1000 million mobile users, while internet users surged to 500 million. Causing an entire sea change in how we consume entertainment. Streaming services and apps are a case in point. How is children’s content riding this growth? What kinds of content will work? What is potential for growth and what are the opportunities for writers and illustrators. Ashutosh Parekh of Voot Kids, Viacom’s new app for kids shares his view on this.

Presentation | It Takes a Tribe to Write a Book! How Digital Community Platforms can help to find New Markets

Community story platforms like Wattpad are changing the way we write and be discovered! Wattpad country head Devashish Sharma chats with Wattpad’s star authors on how writing stories on social media can be your launch pad to bigger audiences and newer media.

Presentation | The Building of a Brand – Think Merchandising and Licensing. Think Beyond the Book

What comes first? The book or movie? Or the merchandise? You’d be surprised at the answer, says Jiggy George, Founder Dream Merchants, India's first independent licensing representation agency. Jiggy also explore the opportunities for content creators in creating licensed products and merchandise.

Presentation + Panel Discussion | Books to Screen – Navigating the Path In-between

OTT platforms and other digital avenues are the next big market for good content. Books, already published, tried and tested are the obvious first choice for production houses. Sidharth Jain of Story Ink who represents more than 100 authors coordinates a panel to explore what kinds of books make the cut and how to give your book a chance to make the journey from print to screen. Mrinalini Khanna of Endemol Shine, a production house that has acquired and an author will share their experiences on this.

Networking Hour

One on One interactions with experts, speakers and other influencers.

Masterclasses

Masterclass for Writers and Illustrators

Award-winning designer, animator and faculty at IIT Mumbai, Shilpa Ranade takes writers and illustrators through the paces of designing and creating story boards for digital children’s content.

Making a Mark-et – An Author’s Guide to Marketing

A series of three sessions that get experts to share knowledge on three areas of marketing:

1.1 Welcome to my Web said the writer to the reader - masterclass on innovative ways to use social media and online resources for marketing. Venke Sharma.

1.2 Double Agent – the agent is often the bridge between writers and publishers. They represent the author and get the best deal and visibility for them In India. Or do they? On the pros and cons of getting working with agents with Mita Kapur.

1.3 Case Study – using a digital writing platform to open up new avenues – Devashish Sharma in a fireside chat with a successful wattpad author.

Masterclass on Writing for Young Adults

India's premiere writer Paro Anand talks about complexities, sensitivities and techniques in writing for Young Adult audience.

Where: Essar House – Podium, 11, K.K. Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai – 400034

When: Saturday, 23rd November 2019 | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Fee: Rs. 2000/-

Capacity: 100 pax

About Partners

German Book Office New Delhi, the central contact and information center for the German and Indian book industry. It offers numerous services for experts and also serves as an ambassador for the German literary and publishing world on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office. The outstanding networking of GBO New Delhi in the publishing industries of both countries allows the expertise to relate to both the business interests and the cultural aspects of this market.

Organised by the German Book Office New Delhi, which is the South Asia node of the Frankfurt Book Fair,JUMPSTART was founded with the objective of building an exchange platform for the creative community and facilitate capacity development in the children’s content space. Since its inception JUMPSTART has completed 10 Editions with over 181 Speakers from 13 countries and over 20 industries, and has conducted 30 Masterclasses on various topics, establishing itself as the space for creative ideation and collaboration.

Avid Learning, a public programming platform and cultural arm of the Essar Group, has conducted over 1150 programs and connected with more than 140,000 individuals since its inception in 2009. Driven by the belief that Learning Never Stops, AVID’s multiple formats like Workshops, Panel Discussions, Gallery Walkthroughs, and Festival Platforms create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere that stimulates intellectual and creative growth across the fields of Culture & Heritage, Literature, Art and Innovation.

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