Mayurpankhi: Nurturing children's reading habits
Mayurpankhi is a Bangladeshi publishing house that specialises in children's books. With a target of becoming the largest book reading society in Bangladesh, they publish books boasting quality content and design, while making them available at affordable prices.
Mayurpankhi started in 2015 with a small team. Since then, they have gone on to publish over 75 books, with graphic works by acclaimed illustrators including, Sabyasachi Mistry and Chetan Sharma. Mayurpankhi has been under the limelight in the children's section for their work at the Ekushey Boi Mela since 2016. For their efforts, the organisation has won the Rokonuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Award from Bangla Academy in 2016.
The name, 'Mayurpankhi', given by an in-house writer of the team, symbolises the spread of education. The organisation employs writers from all over Dhaka. Many graduates and students from public universities work as freelancers with them. Since Mayurpankhi focuses primarily on drafting story books, illustration is their main dish. To that end, they have some of the best designers to ensure the highest production quality.
"When it comes to children, understanding the content and maintaining a standard quality are of utmost importance," explains Mitia Osman, the CEO of Mayurpankhi. "The influencers of the children's books' market are not just the children but also their parents, so it is essential to keep a close eye on their purchase behaviours." Mitia is a literary enthusiast who regularly attends book fairs in Frankfurt, London, Bologna and many other corners around the world to expand her knowledge in this field. Her work is inspired by her father, who owns a noted publishing house of his own. "My aim is to bring children back to the pages of story books and let them travel in the stories crafted by their imagination," says Mitia.
In addition to bringing out a rich collection of Bangla books, Mayurpankhi also does Bangla translations of popular literary works for children from not only English, but also Turkish, Indonesian, Italian and Portuguese. One of their most notable works in 2018 was Mitali Perkin's young adult novel, Rickshaw Girl.
Books published by Mayurpankhi can be bought from different bookstores in the city. Currently, Bengal Boi, Baatighar and the Public Library offer the biggest collection of their publications. They also have their own stall at the Ekushey Boi Mela, which is currently under way.
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