Prof. S. Sivadas, an eminent writer of children's books and illustrator Deepa Balsavar won the Big Little Book Award (BLBA 2021) for their significant contribution to children's literature in Indian languages. Kottayam based Prof. S. Sivadas has stood out significantly in the children's literature canon in Malayalam, and is author of over two hundred books. "I am very happy to receive the Big Little Book Award by the Parag Initiative of Tata Trusts. I value the tradition of Tata Group and the wonderful work done by Parag and so feel proud to be associated with it, in this way. This I believe, is a new beginning in my career as a children's writer and communicator," Sivadas said.
Mumbai-born artist Deepa Balsavar won the award in the illustrator category. According to Deepa, “To make books for children is both a privilege and a huge responsibility. This award gives me courage and hope to continue doing what I do. When we get children to read and think, we give them the tools to take charge of their lives and change their worlds.”
Amrita Patwardhan, Head- Education, Tata Trusts shared, “Original, engaging, quality children's literature in Indian languages is critical for developing a reading culture and meeting educational goals. The sixth edition of Big Little Book Award for authors and illustrators is our way to celebrate outstanding contribution by committed artists who have made a difference to this important sector. We congratulations the winners and look forward to wider dissemination of their work.”
This year marked the sixth edition of the Big Little Book Award (BLBA 2021) and received 490 entries during the nomination period from May to June 2021. Malayalam was the chosen language this year for the author category, while the illustration category accepted nominations in any language. Winners were selected for their contribution to Indian children's literature with stories that talk to young readers about who they are and help them navigate a multicultural and multilingual environment, the release read.
The Big Little Book Award was instituted by the Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to recognise and honour the significant contribution of authors and illustrators to children's literature in Indian language(s). Instituted since 2016, the award is given under two categories –author and illustrator/artist. Every year, one Indian language is chosen for awarding an author. The language for 2021 is Malayalam.