The partners have been selected in acknowledgement of the role they have played, and continue to play, in facilitating new and ever-expanding paths of discovery in their communities. All partners are involved in non-profit initiatives with a well-established reputation in the places they work in.

“There is no greater joy than to spread the love of reading, and Penguin’s 30th anniversary theme is ‘keep reading’ —the mantra for the celebrations through this very special year. With this journey, we hope we will able to spread this joy to many more readers around the country,” Hemali Sodhi, senior vice-president, marketing & publisher, Children’s Books, said.

Sodhi said the 30 partners have also expressed enthusiasm for the Penguin Readathon and Book Gifting Journey. Though they have diverse focus areas and audiences, they are united by a common love for storytelling.

Abantee Dutta, director of Studio Nilima, a resource centre which works at the intersections of law, governance, culture, and society in Guwahati, said this collaboration is about “unshackling a world of visions and dreams.” Another partner, Jemimah Marak, the founder the 100 Story House, a children’s library and reading room in Tura, which promotes reading and storytelling for children, added, “This initiative provides a chance for children here to experience the joy of reading good literature.”

Rupali Gupte, an architect who runs R&R, a cultural centre located amid the resettlement and rehabilitation colonies of Lallubhai Compound in Mumbai, said, “This will go a long way in firing and nourishing the life of the mind for hundreds of kids.”

DPK Babu, director of Ashray Akruti an NGO working with hearing-impaired children from underprivileged backgrounds, added, “Developing reading habits in children with hearing impairment is very challenging. Ashray Akruti is delighted to be associated with this initiative.”

Raman Shresta, proprietor of Rachna Books, an independent bookstore in Gangtok, said, “In this day and age, when there is so much bonding between publishers and online retail portals, it is wonderful to witness Penguin India reach out to the “old fashioned” medium of booksellers, libraries, and spaces that are dedicated to bringing books and reading to the communities they belong to.”

Priyanka Patel, coordinator at the Bebook Library in Goa, concluded, “As a storyteller, I am constantly in need of innovative ways to make the kids fall in love with reading. I jumped at the opportunity of the Penguin Readathon. Meeting the author and receiving the Penguin books is going to boost the endeavours of the children.”

The partners:

100 story house, Tura

A Native Tongue Called Peace, Imphal

Artsphere, Pune

Ashray Akruti, Hyderabad

Avalokiteśvara Trust, Dharamshala

Bebook Library, Calangute, Goa

Bethany Society, Shillong

Bombay to Barcelona Library Cafe, Mumbai

Broadleaf Health and Education Alliance, Darjeeling

Chhaap Foundation, Vadodara

Children’s Home for Girls, Madikeri

Conflictorium, Ahmedabad

Edith Wilkins Street Children Trust, Darjeeling

Go Book Bank, Bengaluru

Hippocampus, Bengaluru

Loktantrashala School for Democracy, Bhim

Noida Deaf Society, Noida

Pratidhwani, project in prisons in Assam

R&R, Mumbai

Rachna Bookstore, Gangtok

Studio Nilima, Guwahati

The Community Library Project, Delhi

The Den@ThinkArts, Kolkata

The Green Hub, Tezpur

The Pocket Company, Dharamshala

TIFA Working Studios, Pune

Transforming M-Ward Project, Mumbai

Walking Bookfairs, Odisha

Writer’s Cafe, Chennai

You & I - Arts Café, Shillong