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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Indian writer of children's literature (born 1932)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Manorama Jafa<br />
| image = <br />
| imagesize = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_date = 1932<br />
| birth_place = [[India]]<br />
| death_date = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| restingplace = <br />
| restingplacecoordinates =<br />
| othername = <br />
| occupation = Writer<br />
| yearsactive =<br />
| spouse = Mr. Virendra Singh Jafa<br />
| domesticpartner = <br />
| children = Asim Jafa , Dr. Navina Jafa<br />
| parents = <br />
| influences = <br />
| influenced =<br />
| website = <br />
| awards = Star of Rising Sun - Gold and Silver Rays [[Padma Shri]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Manorama Jafa''' is an Indian author of more than 200 books for children, and over 15 adult feminist novels in Hindi. She has served as Secretary General of the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children and as the Secretary General of the Indian National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People.<ref name="Nath 2014" /> <br />
<br />
In 2016, she was awarded by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akito the ORDER OF THE RISING SUN – GOLD & SILVER RAY for her contribution to Children's Literature in the World <ref>1</ref>and in 2014 the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.<ref>2</ref> Her Hindi novel DEVIKA won Sahitya Kriti Samman from Hindi Academy, Delhi (2008). She is an academic and a practitioner of the science and art of Children’s literature. 'The Manorama Jafa Collection on Children's Literature,' donated by her husband Virendra Singh Jafa to the Ashoka University. It comprises academic papers and books on Children's Literature, research material on Panchtantra (World's Oldest stories for Children), a unique collection of Award-winning and tactile books, original artwork for Children's Books, original cartoons by iconic Indian Cartoonists -Shanker Pillai and Ranga, autographed rare books, photographs, letters, storytelling tools, children's records among other material related to the Heritage of Creative Children's Literature.<br />
<br />
==Early life and education==<br />
Rafa completed a master's degree in Geography from [[University of Allahabad]].<ref name="Nath 2014" /> She also later completed a course in writing for children at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology.<ref name="Nath 2014" /><br />
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==Career==<br />
{{quotebox|align = right|width=22em|''Creativity starts at a very young age. To garner and hone it further, it is very important that it is polished and harnessed right from the very beginning'', says Manorama Jafa.<ref name="No child's play">{{cite news|last=Naim |first=Faisal M. | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/no-childs-play/article1102828.ece | title=No child's play | publisher=The Hindu | date=19 January 2011 | access-date=9 September 2014}}</ref>}}<br />
Jafa began writing in the late 1960s, first for local newspaper columns, but then began developing stories, and her first book for children was ''Donkey on the Bridge''.<ref name="Nath 2014">{{cite news |last1=Nath |first1=Dipanita |title=A Life of Stories |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/a-life-of-stories/ |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=May 13, 2014}}</ref> Other works for children include ''The Parrot and the Mynah'', ''Laughing Parrot'', and ''The Ladybird and the Butterfly'', which according to Dipanita Nath of ''[[The Indian Express]]'', make "clear that Manorama sticks to earthy values, especially unity in diversity."<ref name="Nath 2014" /> Some of her works, such as ''Gabbar and Babbar'' and ''I am Sona'', are designed for [[special needs|children with special needs]].<ref name="No child's play"/><br />
<br />
In 1976, she began conducting workshops for authors of children's literature.<ref name="No child's play"/> She also co-founded the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) with Shankar Pillai.<ref name="No child's play"/><br />
<br />
Around 2010, she founded Book Therapy, an initiative to support children who have experienced trauma, which has included the distribution of books to Afghanistan and areas of India impacted by tsunami.<ref name="No child's play"/><br />
<br />
Mrs. Jafa initiated an entire program on developing creative alphabet books in almost 8-9 Indian languages. For this, the funding came from Japan. Free books in languages are being distributed. Mrs. Jafa developed conceptual books with minimal text and large attractive illustrations in Dari and Pashto, and she and her husband went to distribute the books investing their pension in Afghanistan.<br />
<br />
Mrs. Jafa revived the Indian board of Books for Young Children (IBBY) by creating the first World Congress on Peace through Children’s books where she invited Empress Michiko to read the keynote paper.<ref name="Japan Times">{{cite web | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/12/04/national/emperor-empress-revisit-india-center-after-53-years/#.VA5608vlrIU | title=Emperor, Empress revisit India center after 53 years | publisher=Japan Times | date=2014 | access-date=9 September 2014}}</ref> Mrs. Jafa has trained a large number of writers and provided guidance to artists and publishers to produce innovative and creative children’s literature in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and several other countries through workshops, academic papers, seminars, and conferences.<br />
<br />
Jafa has produced many research papers on children's literature and a book on writing children's literature<ref name="No child's play" /> and is pioneering a movement for better books for children.{{cn|date=February 2020}} She also conducts regular workshops for emerging writers to promote children's literature in countries like Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal,{{cn|date=February 2020}} which are said to have influenced the present boom in Children's literature. She is also credited with initiating a ''home library movement'' towards this end.<br />
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Manaorama Jafa is also the General Secretary of the Indian National Section of the [[International Board on Books for Young People]]<ref name="IBBY">{{cite web | url=http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=427 | title=IBBY | publisher=IBBY | date=2014 | access-date=9 September 2014}}</ref> (IBBY).<ref name="Japan Times"/> She presided over the 26th Congress of the IBBY, conducted in 1989, as its Chairperson.{{cn|date=February 2020}} She was also involved with the Asian Cultural Centre for [[UNESCO]], as its children's book specialist.{{cn|date=February 2020}} She has served in the juries of the IIY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award (2000-2001) as its chairperson and the UNESCO Prize for Books on Tolerance (1999-2000) as a member.<ref name="Jury">{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.in/Great-Tales-India-Manorama-Jafa/dp/818823642X | title=Jury | publisher=Amazon | date=2012–2014 | access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Midpoint">{{cite web | url=http://www.midpointtrade.com/book_detail.php?book_id=48694 | title=Midpoint | publisher=Midpoint | date=2014 | access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref><br />
<br />
Manorama Jafa, along with noted cartoonist, [[Cartoonist Shankar|Shankar]], founded the ''Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children'' (AWIC),<ref name="No child's play" /> for which she has served as the Secretary General.<ref name="Japan Times"/> She is the editor of the quarterly journal published by AWIC, the only professional journal on children's literature.{{cn|date=February 2020}} She is also associated with the [[National Book Trust]], New Delhi as its editorial consultant.{{cn|date=February 2020}}<br />
<br />
In November 2020, she donated her books for thousands of children in the name of her life companion Mr. Virendra Singh Jafa at various NGOs like Deepalaya, Community Project Library, and various other schools including the Aaganvadaddi schools in Haryana under the Ministry of Child and Women Development. The collection includes -<br />
1. Technical work on children's literature, ( writing for children of different age groups) art of illustrating for children's books, the area of publishing, and creative inventive events for promoting reading, storytelling, and libraries.<br />
2. The collection incorporates Special old and new samples of children's magazines including Soundesh, Highlights, Cricket et<br />
3. Special books like handmade, cloth, touch and sound, braille, and baby bath books books<br />
4. Newbery, Caldecott and prizewinning collection of books since the 1970s from around the world.<br />
5. Original artwork for Children's books.<br />
6. Special collection on nature, environment, and wildlife books for children.<br />
7. Correspondence with Issac Asimov, Satyajit Ray, Shanker Pillai, Empress Michiko<br />
8. Autographed and personal presentations by people who have made landmark contributions to children's literature. <br />
9. Publications of writers and illustrators from India, and other Asian countries trained by her.<br />
10. Over 200 books written and published for children from the age of 3 to young adults written by Manorama Jafa.<br />
11. Research work on Kathasarit Sagar, Hittopdesh, and Jatak tales.<br />
12. An entire research on Panchtantra including the Iranian version Khalila was Dimna and the evidence of a multimedia exhibition on Panchtantra at IGNCA in partnership with Kapila Vatsyayan and another exhibit in Japan. <br />
13. A collection of books which she got her team of writers to develop which include innovative alphabet books, illustrated dictionaries for children in Hindi. The literacy project under the Association of Writers and Illustrators launched by the money presented to Amma ( 60 lakhs) which she donated to the association to develop creative literature for children.<br />
14. There are in the personal collection sets of unpublished original cartoons by Shanker and Ranga. The cartoons are important since my mother developed with artist Rebati Bhushan a unique 4 color style of illustrations for children evolved from cartoon art.<br />
15. Papers presented at different forums on various aspects of Children's literature, including the course she taught at Radcliffe on South Asian Children's literature.<br />
<br />
==Awards and recognitions==<br />
Manorama Jafa has been recognized by several organizations. IBC, in 1999, rated Manorama as one of the top 2000 scholars of 20th Century.<ref name="No child's play" /> Nami Island International Children's Book Festival, Nambook Festival,<ref name="Nambook Festival">{{cite web | url=http://nambookfestival.tistory.com/6 | title=Nambook Festival | publisher=Nami Island | date=13 August 2012 | access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref> named her as ''A living treasure of children's literature in India'', in 2010.<ref name="No child's play" /><br />
<br />
The [[Government of India]] awarded [[Padma Shri]] to Manorama Jafa, in 2014, honoring her efforts to the cause of promoting Children's literature.<ref name="Padma">{{cite web|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |title=Padma Awards Announced |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |work=Circular |date=25 January 2014 |access-date=23 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6NEu2cjx3?url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=102735 |archive-date=8 February 2014 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Selected works==<br />
* {{cite book | title=Sadako of Hiroshima | publisher=Ratna Sagar | author=Manorama Jafa | date=15 October 2013 | pages=16 | isbn=978-9350360842}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=The Parrot and the Mynah | publisher=Ratna Sagar | author=Manorama Jafa | date=15 October 2013 | pages=16 | isbn=978-9350360804}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=The Circle | publisher=Ratna Sagar | author=Manorama Jafa | date=1 January 2008 | pages=16 | isbn=978-8170700692}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=Tree Growers | publisher=Ratna Sagar | author=Manorama Jafa | date=1 January 2011 | pages=16 | isbn=978-8170700425}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=Great Tales from India | publisher=Khaas Kitab Foundation | author=Manorama Jafa | date=1 January 2009 | pages=16 | isbn=978-8188236428}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=Hira | publisher=Ratna Sagar | author=Manorama Jafa | date=1 January 2009 | pages=12 | isbn=978-8170700487}}<br />
* {{cite book | title=Kapil, El Amante De Los Libros (Spanish Edition) | publisher=Shinsekai Kenkyusho | author=Manorama Jafa | date=1 November 2003 | pages=22| isbn=978-4880126630}}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{portal|India}}<br />
* [[International Board on Books for Young People]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
( http://www.uniindia.com/manorama-jafa-gets-japan-s-highest-civilian-honour/india/news/677530.html)<br />
* {{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AManorama%20Jafa | title=List of Books on Amazon | publisher=Amazon.com | date=2014 | access-date=9 September 2014}}<br />
* {{cite web | url=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2196448.Manorama_Jafa | title=List of Books on GoodReads | publisher=Good Reads.com | date=2014 | access-date=9 September 2014}}<br />
* {{cite web | url=http://www.bookdepository.com/author/Manorama-Jafa | title=Book Depository | publisher=Book Depository.com | date=2014 | access-date=9 September 2014}}<br />
<br />
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Literature & Education}}<br />
<br />
{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jafa, Manorama}}<br />
[[Category: Living people]]<br />
[[Category: Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education]]<br />
[[Category:1932 births]]<br />
[[Category: Indian children's writers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian novelists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women children's writers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian writers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian writers]]<br />
[[Category:Novelists from Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category: Women writers from Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category: University of Allahabad alumni]]</div>>Beccaynr