Big Little Book Awards 2019: Priya Kuriyan wins best illustrator, Prabhat bags prize for best children's literature in Hindi

The Big Little Book Award, that celebrates children’s literature was conferred for 2019 on Prabhat for best children’s author (Hindi), while Priya Kuriyan was announced as the winner of the best children’s illustrator. Currently in its fourth edition, the award, instituted by Parag, an initiative of Tata Trusts, was presented on 17 November during a ceremony at the Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest 2019. Of the 147 entries that poured in for the prizes, the jury for Best Author (Hindi), which included renowned poets and authors such as Gurbachan Singh, Prachi Kalra and Arvind Gupta, chose Prabhat’s work as it “presents images and experiences of a humble life with originality and spontaneity.” “His works create opportunities for children to be immersed in the realm of happiness and curiosity,” the jury said. [caption id=“attachment_7676131” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Author Prabhat and illustrator Priya Kuriyan were awarded the Big Little Book Award 2019 for their contributions to children’s literature. Image via Twitter[/caption] The panel for the best illustrator comprised of figures such as Aashti Mudnani, Proiti Roy and Rani Dharker. The jury said of Kuriyan’s work, “Priya Kuriyan has the rare ability to get inside a child’s mind with her illustrations that bring alive a story to a young reader. She dives into the story, acquiring a deep and multi-faceted understanding that is critical in allowing the story to emerge in illustration.” Since its inception in 2016, the Big Little Book Award has chosen one language for the prize each year in keeping with its aim of recognising the work produced for children in different Indian languages. While the award for the illustrations is not language-specific, author Prabhat has won the prize for his contribution to children’s literature in Hindi.