Pune: At PILF 2025, books share space with paws and puzzles, while children find a place firmly at the epicenter of the proceedings. This year, one of the most popular activities at the Pune International Literature Festival returns — reading sessions alongside a trained dog. Festival director Manjiri Prabhu told TOI, “With children, we focus strongly on reading with dogs as many of them could be shy or anxious about reading aloud. When a child reads to a dog, there is no judgement if they stumble, read slowly, or make mistakes. That silence builds confidence in the most natural way.” Alongside reading, children also learn how to live with dogs and understand their importance in our lives, she said, adding, “We want the next generation to grow up compassionate and truly understand coexistence. Over the last 10 editions of the festival, we organised such activities to inculcate this. This year, with support from Animal Angels Foundation, a centre for animal-assisted interventions in the city, the session will be held twice a day.” The dog even gets a speaker pass, a small detail that carries big meaning. “Bringing the dog on stage and treating it like a speaker leaves a strong impression on children. Through this non-verbal communication, they understand that the dog is important, respected, and included, shaping how they view empathy and coexistence,” Prabhu said. Another popular attraction at PILF this year is the mystery room. Here, children can step into a set-up crime scene, study clues, question suspects, and solve a case for prizes. “It sharpens their analytical and observational skills. Although the mystery room is open to everyone, it is children who enjoy it the most. The scene could be set like a resort, school, cottage, or anything with a short background story provided. Children read this before entering the set, study placed ‘clues’, actors stay in character as suspects, and the patricipants interrogate them to try and solve the crime,” said Prabhu. The two-day festival, to be held on Dec 6-7 at the Dr Shirname Auditorium, Agriculture College, Shivajinagar, will also host sessions for teenagers and adults. These include ‘Being Bharat — Policies and Possibilities’ with angel investor Aditya Pittie, corporate lawyer Anand Prasad, and Ravi Arora, head of group innovation at Tata Sons. Further, mother-daughter duo Blossom and Samantha Kochhar will host a session titled ‘Essential to Essence (A Journey of Emotion)’, and international literary agent Chandler Crawford will participate in a Q and A session. “India has very few literary agents with international reach, and without one, it is difficult for Indian authors to be published globally. This session will decode that international landscape, with the popular US-based agent offering practical insight through an open session for both aspiring and established writers,” elaborated Prabhu.
