Ethan Oliver and Nikita Minocha, both of Massachusetts, won 1st place in a national illustration contest sponsored by Kahani magazine.

“Both winning entries were alive with vivid detail and humor, and with vibrant characterization perfect for illustration,” said artist Salima Alikhan, who judged the contest. “The pictures are perfect snapshots of the action in the story,” she added.

Ethan, 8, and Nikita, 10, were participating in the Young Writers and Illustrators Contest held every year by Kahani. In part one of the Contest, the magazine staff picks three words around which participants must write a 500-word short story. After the winning stories are picked, a call goes out to artists to illustrate the winning stories. The three words in this Contest were cobra, school, and vote.

Ethan, of Littleton, won in his age category of 6-8 and illustrated the story Sightseeing in the Sundarbans written by Vidusha Srivatsan, 6, of California. Nikita, of Wilmington, won in her age category of 9-11. Nikita’s short story, The Adept Leader, also came in 1st place in the writing Contest for the older group.

“It is really great to see children exercise their creativity,” said Kahani editor Monika Jain. “As parents, we always focus on the academics and forget that it’s equally important for our children to express themselves through writing and art,” she added.

The winners of the Contest will have their work published in the Spring issue of Kahani called Rock the Vote. They will also each receive gift cards worth $50.

Kahani, which means story in Hindi, is an award-winning ad-free children’s literary magazine illuminating the richness and diversity that South Asian cultures bring to North America. Published four times a year, it is full of short stories, art, activities, and fun facts. Subscribers include schools, libraries, and families—some as far away as Bermuda. The magazine’s online home can be found at www.kahani.com.

Kahani will announce the three words for its Fourth Young Writers and Illustrators Contest in September.

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