Manorama Jafa

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by Beccaynr
Last edited June 26, 2022


Manorama Jafa
Born1932
India
OccupationWriter
Spouse(s)Mr. Virendra Singh Jafa
ChildrenAsim Jafa , Dr. Navina Jafa
AwardsStar of Rising Sun - Gold and Silver Rays Padma Shri

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.[1]

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 [2]and in 2014 the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.[3] 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.

Early life and education

Rafa completed a master's degree in Geography from University of Allahabad.[1] She also later completed a course in writing for children at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology.[1]

Career

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.[4]

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.[1] 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."[1] Some of her works, such as Gabbar and Babbar and I am Sona, are designed for children with special needs.[4]

In 1976, she began conducting workshops for authors of children's literature.[4] She also co-founded the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) with Shankar Pillai.[4]

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.[4]

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.

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.[5] 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.

Jafa has produced many research papers on children's literature and a book on writing children's literature[4] and is pioneering a movement for better books for children.[citation needed] She also conducts regular workshops for emerging writers to promote children's literature in countries like Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal,[citation needed] 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.

Manaorama Jafa is also the General Secretary of the Indian National Section of the International Board on Books for Young People[6] (IBBY).[5] She presided over the 26th Congress of the IBBY, conducted in 1989, as its Chairperson.[citation needed] She was also involved with the Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, as its children's book specialist.[citation needed] 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.[7][8]

Manorama Jafa, along with noted cartoonist, Shankar, founded the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC),[4] for which she has served as the Secretary General.[5] She is the editor of the quarterly journal published by AWIC, the only professional journal on children's literature.[citation needed] She is also associated with the National Book Trust, New Delhi as its editorial consultant.[citation needed]

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 - 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. 2. The collection incorporates Special old and new samples of children's magazines including Soundesh, Highlights, Cricket et 3. Special books like handmade, cloth, touch and sound, braille, and baby bath books books 4. Newbery, Caldecott and prizewinning collection of books since the 1970s from around the world. 5. Original artwork for Children's books. 6. Special collection on nature, environment, and wildlife books for children. 7. Correspondence with Issac Asimov, Satyajit Ray, Shanker Pillai, Empress Michiko 8. Autographed and personal presentations by people who have made landmark contributions to children's literature. 9. Publications of writers and illustrators from India, and other Asian countries trained by her. 10. Over 200 books written and published for children from the age of 3 to young adults written by Manorama Jafa. 11. Research work on Kathasarit Sagar, Hittopdesh, and Jatak tales. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Awards and recognitions

Manorama Jafa has been recognized by several organizations. IBC, in 1999, rated Manorama as one of the top 2000 scholars of 20th Century.[4] Nami Island International Children's Book Festival, Nambook Festival,[9] named her as A living treasure of children's literature in India, in 2010.[4]

The Government of India awarded Padma Shri to Manorama Jafa, in 2014, honoring her efforts to the cause of promoting Children's literature.[10]

Selected works

  • Manorama Jafa (15 October 2013). Sadako of Hiroshima. Ratna Sagar. p. 16. ISBN 978-9350360842.
  • Manorama Jafa (15 October 2013). The Parrot and the Mynah. Ratna Sagar. p. 16. ISBN 978-9350360804.
  • Manorama Jafa (1 January 2008). The Circle. Ratna Sagar. p. 16. ISBN 978-8170700692.
  • Manorama Jafa (1 January 2011). Tree Growers. Ratna Sagar. p. 16. ISBN 978-8170700425.
  • Manorama Jafa (1 January 2009). Great Tales from India. Khaas Kitab Foundation. p. 16. ISBN 978-8188236428.
  • Manorama Jafa (1 January 2009). Hira. Ratna Sagar. p. 12. ISBN 978-8170700487.
  • Manorama Jafa (1 November 2003). Kapil, El Amante De Los Libros (Spanish Edition). Shinsekai Kenkyusho. p. 22. ISBN 978-4880126630.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Nath, Dipanita (13 May 2014). "A Life of Stories". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ↑ 1
  3. ↑ 2
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Naim, Faisal M. (19 January 2011). "No child's play". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Emperor, Empress revisit India center after 53 years". Japan Times. 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "IBBY". IBBY. 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Jury". Amazon. 2012–2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Midpoint". Midpoint. 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Nambook Festival". Nami Island. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Padma Awards Announced". Circular. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.

External links

( http://www.uniindia.com/manorama-jafa-gets-japan-s-highest-civilian-honour/india/news/677530.html)

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manorama_Jafa&oldid=123724"
Discover more