In association with the French Book Office and Tara Books
New Delhi, August 23rd, 2014: Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place, the French Book Office and Tara Books hosted a vibrant evening titled, You and Your Favourite Colour with French author and artist Sophie Benini Pietromarchi. Sophie conducted a workshop for children aged 7 to 12 from 4-6 pm where she transported them into a journey that took them through the colours that can change their lives. She also taught them how to create their own book with their favourite shades.
Artist Sophie Benini Pietromarchiis known for her bestseller books, The Book Book and The Colour Book. In her first book, The Book Book, she invites children on a unique and poetic journey into the world of the book, giving ideas and inspiration on how to create their own books from everyday materials. Exploring colours, textures, shapes and feelings, she demonstrates how to turn these intangible elements into pictorial narratives. This visual feast of a book – which evolved from the Sophie’s bookmaking workshops with children – is a tribute to the rich imaginative world in all of us.
In this much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling The Book Book, The Colour Book, the artist and educator Sophie BeniniPietromarchi takes children into the world of colour. Illustrated in remarkable collage artwork, and written in an intimate, easy tone, The Colour Bookis an exciting journey from childhood memories and thefeelings that colours can create, to the practicalities of mixing shades and creating a personal colour diary.
With more than 400 titles from the classic and contemporary French literature, as well as French translations of Indian writings, the French Corner of the Oxford Bookstore, launched last October, will be a great platform for this activity. The collection includes carefully handpicked works sourced from Librairie La Boucherie, a typical Parisian bookstore. The endeavour brings together on the shelves of Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place classic and contemporary French literature (fiction, non-fiction and children’s books), titles from the latest rentréelittéraire (the period in France during which publishing houses release hundreds of much anticipated books) as well as the French translations of some of the most celebrated works of Indian literature.
The special section aspires to provide – for the very first time in New Delhi – the French language enthusiasts, readers and bibliophiles the space to discover and devour the characteristic French works. This earnest initiative is bound to fascinate adult and young minds alike as also mark the inception of the long term cooperation between the French Book Office and Oxford Bookstore.
Oxford Bookstore Connaught Place offers a carefully curated list of titles for booklovers to browse through and buy and perhaps the world’s largest assortment of teas in the hip Cha Bar, to create a holistic experience for book lovers. The entrance leading to the bookstore houses a big Neon Wall, a cloud of words in English-Hindi-Latin that envelopes book lovers in a universe of emotions linked to reading. Inside, in the tranquil space, hands-on staff, knowledgeable and highly trained book specialists, offer suggestions of handpicked titles from major, independent and indie publishers: a great selection of books, some exclusive to Oxford Bookstore. The selection features both emerging and established authors from India and the world. Shelves stocked with the best in Indian Writing, International Fiction and Translations take one into a spacious, elongated Reading Room which opens onto a dedicated Events Space. Well-researched sections on Languages and New Age books address issues of addiction, relationships, unexplained phenomena, and showcase the best of thinkers and Indian gurus. A wide range of titles in Travel Writing, books that showcase the very essence of New Delhi and a specially curated section of books on tea are other highlights. Children have an exclusive space for browsing, activities and reading and parents can look forward to the Top 10 Gift Books in each age group for a quick and easy pick. Amongst the best in books for different age groups are ones that help the young ones deal with experiences relevant to their age.
Sophie Benini Pietromarchi
Sophie is an author and illustrator of children’s books. She was born in Paris and graduated in graphic design and literature from the University of Florence, Italy. Sophie also conducts workshops throughout Europe, encouraging children to explore a wide range of storytelling and illustration techniques.
About Tara Books
Tara Books is an independent publisher of picture books for adults and children based in Chennai, South India. Founded in 1994, we remain a collective of dedicated writers, designers and artists who strive for a union of fine form with rich content. We continue to work with a growing tribe of adventurous people from around the world. Fiercely independent, we publish a select list that straddles diverse genres, offering our readers unusual and rare voices in art and literature.