Convention 2019

Convention on Literature for Children and Youth

On 31st December 2018, IBBY Sri Lankan Section discussed the need to hold a convention on literature for children and youth. Children’s authors, illustrators, journalists and publishers, as well as officials of the Ministry of Education, National Library Services Council and the National Institute of Education participated at the meeting. Consequently, it was decided to hold the convention on 5th and 6th April 2019 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. This will be the first convention on literature for children and youth to be held in Sri Lanka.

The objectives of the convention are:

  • understanding the true status and feasibility of literature for Sri Lankan children and youth
  • identifying avenues of raising the appreciation of literature for children and youth
  • identifying a programme to increase interest in literature for children and youth among children, youth, teachers and parents
  • updating knowledge and evaluating regional and international literature for children and youth
  • the impact of translations on Sri Lankan literature for children and youth

The convention’s committee comprises officials from:

  • Ministry of Education
  • Department of Cultural Affairs
  • National Institute of Library & Information Sciences—University of Colombo
  • National Library and Documentation Services Board
  • IBBY Sri Lankan Section
  • Room to Read