At the Children’s Kerala Literature Festival (CKLF) 2025 in January this year, correspondent Priyanka Tanwar had a conversation with Shobha Viswanath, co-founder and publishing director at Karadi Tales, about the crises in the Indian children’s publishing industry, specialized bookstores such as Kahani Tree for children, and multiculturalism, multilingualism, inclusiveness and diversity in the Indian children’s publishing today.
Edited excerpts:
Indian Printer & Publisher (IPP) – What was the idea and motivation behind starting Karadi Tales?
Shobha Viswanath – The word Karadi means “bear” in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Karadi Tales takes its name from Karadi, the gentle storytelling bear who loves to share tales with his circle of eager young listeners. This year, Karadi Tales turns 29.
It all began with a simple dream: to bring the joy of audiobooks to India. Our first project drew from the country’s vast treasury of folktales, stories that have travelled through time and across generations. We were fortunate to collaborate with extraordinary narrators such as Naseeruddin Shah, Saeed Jaffrey, Javed Jaffrey, Girish Karnad, and other remarkable voices from Indian theatre, who breathed life and magic into those stories. That’s how Karadi Tales began its journey as an audiobook publishing house in 1996.
IPP – Please educate us about the crisis in the Indian children’s publishing industry.
Shobha Viswanath – Bookstores are closing down, and readers no longer browse through them the way they once did. With most people now buying online, the physical visibility of children’s books is shrinking rapidly.
People often say, “Aajkal bachche padte nahi hain” (children don’t read anymore). But the truth is, children can’t read what they can’t see. When bookshops disappear, we lose that space of serendipity, where a child stumbles upon a story and finds a new world waiting inside it.
This decline in physical retail has deeply affected the entire publishing ecosystem. Rising costs, steep discounts, and unrealistic margins make it harder for publishers, booksellers, and even creators to sustain their work. The crisis isn’t just economic; it’s cultural. We are slowly losing the physical spaces that nurture a lifelong relationship with books and rebuilding that connection will take conscious effort from everyone in the ecosystem.
IPP – There are specialized bookstores, such as Kahani Tree, for children. What are your views on specialty bookshops for children?
Shobha Viswanath – How many Kahani Trees do we have in a country like India? Just one. And how many Sangeetas? One. (Note: Sangeeta Bhansali is the owner of Kahani Tree, an independent children’s bookstore in Prabhadevi, Mumbai)
You need many more Kahani Trees in every city and small town. Only then will we see a true revival of children’s books in India. A real renaissance of reading spaces for young readers.
IPP – How do you focus on multiculturalism and multilingualism in your books?
Shobha Viswanath – India is inherently multicultural. It’s impossible to separate one from the other. Our books reflect that diversity. We have stories that span the length and breadth of the country, from Ladakh in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, from Gujarat to Bengal. We consciously include the richness of our languages, settings, and traditions in our storytelling.
We primarily publish in English because that’s our strength, and we prefer to work within areas where we have expertise. I would love to publish in Bengali or other Indian languages, but at present, we don’t have team members with that linguistic fluency within the publishing house. So for now, we focus on what we can do best.
IPP – Do you focus on inclusiveness and diversity? If yes, how?
Shobha Viswanath – We try to be as inclusive and diverse as possible in everything we publish. Our protagonists include boys and girls in equal measure, children from different regions and backgrounds, and children who are differently abled. We want every child, wherever they are, to find themselves reflected in our stories.
For instance, Thukpa for All by Praba Ram and Sheela Preuitt, illustrated by Shilpa Ranade, is set in Ladakh and features a blind child. A Pair of Twins by Kavitha Mandana, illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath, tells the story of a girl who dreams of becoming a mahout, a space usually dominated by men, set in Mysore. And The Boy Who Wore Bangles by Riddhi Maniar Doda, illustrated by Shruti Hemani, is about a boy from Gujarat who loves wearing bangles. We’ve even woven in foods and customs from across India, making sure our books mirror the diversity of the country itself.
IPP – Illustrations have a significant impact on children. Would you like to comment on the illustrations in your children’s books? How are illustrations made now different from those made in the past?
Shobha Viswanath – Illustrations today are very different from those of the past, they’ve become largely digital. Earlier, illustrators would draw and color on paper, then scan or photograph their work. Now, most of them use iPads or digital drawing boards. The process has become faster and more flexible. A simple ‘control + Z’ can undo a mistake instantly, something impossible in the old analog days.
At Karadi Tales, we personally prefer hand-drawn, hand-colored illustrations. Once the artwork is complete, an illustrator may make minor color corrections or adjustments digitally, but I like the warmth and texture of something created by hand. Even if it isn’t as perfectly polished as a digital piece, there’s a certain soulfulness in those imperfections and that’s what I find most beautiful.
IPP – What are the recent trends in children’s book publishing?
Shobha Viswanath – In recent years, we’ve moved beyond retelling the same familiar folktales or the well-known stories from the Puranas. Even when those stories appear, they’re now reimagined with a fresh perspective.
One interesting trend is the way children’s books are engaging with the realities of contemporary life: stories that reflect the world as children see it today. You’ll find stories about the intrusion of mobile phones into family life, or about children who spend too much time on screens. There are stories about ageing, dementia, Parkinson’s, or about gendered spaces and how they’re shifting. Authors are exploring society as it truly exists, rather than as we wish it to be, and that’s a healthy change.
IPP – There’s a common perception that picture books don’t sell well in India. What are your views?
Shobha Viswanath – When people say picture books do not sell well in India, I always ask what “well” really means. Are we talking about a million copies, ten thousand, or just a few hundred? Success with picture books cannot be measured only by numbers.
It is true that they may not sell in the same volumes as young adult or commercial fiction, but their purpose is very different. Picture books are often a child’s first encounter with storytelling. They spark imagination, nurture empathy, and build a lifelong love of reading. Their value lies in what they create within a child, not in how many copies are sold.
What is heartening is that parents and educators are beginning to understand this. More people now see that picture books are not simple or frivolous. They are the foundation on which reading begins, and that recognition gives me great hope for the future.
IPP – The Indian children’s books publishing market is very fragmented. Your views.
Shobha Viswanath – The children’s book market in India is fragmented because it caters to many different expectations. On one hand are high-quality picture books that are beautifully written, illustrated, and produced, often priced higher. On the other are inexpensive titles with weak writing or inconsistent quality. The difference is substantial, yet many buyers do not recognize it, and that is where fragmentation begins.
We also have activity books, knowledge books, and moral stories, each serving different purposes. Many parents still look for books that will teach something rather than simply engage or move their children. Reading, however, is not only about instruction but about imagination and empathy. Publishers, in trying to meet these varied expectations, work across multiple niche markets. A reality that both strengthens and complicates children’s publishing in India.
IPP – How do you see the future of children’s literature in India?
Shobha Viswanath – I remain hopeful about the future of children’s literature in India. More parents today are discovering the joy of choosing good books for their children, whether picture books, chapter books, or young adult novels. They are seeking stories that stay with a child long after the last page is turned.
Across the country, writers, illustrators, and publishers are creating books that speak in an Indian voice and reflect the world our children know. These are stories that draw from our landscapes, languages, and everyday lives, helping young readers see themselves and their surroundings with pride and imagination.
We are still shaping this space, but something real and beautiful is unfolding. A body of work is emerging that is confident, rooted, and unmistakably Indian. I believe the future of children’s literature here is not just bright but filled with heart.
IPP – Thank you for speaking with Indian Printer & Publisher.
The Children’s Kerala Literature Festival (CKLF), a specially curated platform for younger audiences, has been an exciting addition to the Kerala Literature Festival in recent years and continues to grow in scale and ambition. Tailored specifically for children and young adults, CKLF is designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love for reading and learning. Last year, CKLF collaborated with Karadi Tales, Pratham Books, Tulika Books, and others to bring celebrated authors and stories to readers across Kerala.
CKLF 2026 will be held alongside the Kerala Literature Festival from 22 to 25 January 2026 in Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala. The curtain raiser for the ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) will be held in December.
KLF is organized by the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, a philanthropic organization formed as a tribute to the founder of DC Books, the late D C Kizhakemuri, a freedom fighter, social activist, writer, and publisher, and recipient of Padma Bhushan.
