Sudha Murty Introduces dog 'Gopi', a Character from her Novel, during the Mysuru Children's Literature Festival

Explore the enchanting world of Sudha Murty's 'Gopi Diaries' at Mysuru Children's Literature Festival. Join the literary journey and discover the magic of storytelling.

on Jan 12, 2024

Sudha Murty Introduces dog 'Gopi', a Character from her Novel, during the Mysuru Children's Literature Festival | Frontlist

The festival was hosted by Mysuru Literary Forum and Charitable Trust (MLFCT) and Mysuru Book Clubs (MBC)-2015 for children at the hotel Southern Star in Mysuru.

On Thursday evening, over 1,000 children, including four-year-old LKG student Ishaani and ninth-grade student Anushri Angadi, attended the eighth edition of the Mysuru Children's Literature Festival, accompanied by their parents, grandparents, and instructors.
Mysuru Literary Forum and Charitable Trust (MLFCT) and Mysuru Book Clubs (MBC)-2015 sponsored a children's festival at the Southern Star Hotel in Mysuru. "My charity taught me about the concerns of people and my country.

Sudha Murty, former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, stated that she helps because she only has one life to live. She was spotted sitting on stage with her dog 'Gopi', a character from her book 'The Gopi Diaries'. She advised the parents, "Reading stories helped me draw strength from the 'characters' by the way they faced problems, and 'phrases' in them like 'this too shall pass' - be it happiness or difficulties."

She advised parents to read books and emphasised how parents and teachers serve as the ideal role models for children, who learn values and behaviours from them.

Sudha Murty also encouraged parents to spend quality time with their children, to speak to them in Kannada at home, and to celebrate holidays meaningfully in order to maintain the culture and language. She stated, "Loving animals teaches compassion." She advised parents to teach their children to feed street dogs or animals in animal shelters at least on their birthdays.

Sudha Murty recommended children to listen to their parents, limit their screen time, and participate in outdoor activities such as tennis.

Sudha Murty introduced Gopi, explaining that it was her son Rohan Murthy's dog who had asked her to look after it for eight days till he returned from London. Gopi became her dog after he was forced to spend nine months in London owing to Covid-19. She also said that the fourth book in the 'The Gopi Diaries' series will be released this year. At the festival, youngsters bought Sudha Murty-signed books and Channapatna toys such as a wooden replica of the solar system and board games. Suma Rajkumar's magic act wowed the kids, as did the live performance of musician, singer, and poet Suraj Rao Pawar, while they also enjoyed cup cakes at food vendors.

Shubha Sanjay Urs, curator, director, and chairperson of MLFCT and MBC-2015, led the show, along with others.