3,066 Parents Create World Record in Storytelling at Pune Reading Event; PM Lauds Effort

Displaying commendable literary zest, more than 3,000 parents read out stories to their children simultaneously during an event at a sprawling ground in Pune, a milestone which found a place in the Guinness World Records, said organisers on Friday.

A total of 3,250 parents and their children came to participate in the reading activity held at the SP College ground in the heart of the city on Thursday, said a top functionary of the National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous body under the Union education ministry which organised the mega event in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

“Out of them, a record 3,066 parents successfully read out the stories to their children simultaneously,” said Milind Marathe, chairperson, NBT. The four-minute reading activity broke the previous world record set by China, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the effort to promote reading culture. Sharing a post on X by the education body about the event, Modi said, Commendable effort to spread the joys of reading.

Compliments to those involved. “The mass story telling activity was organised to promote reading culture among all ages. The previous record of simultaneous story telling was held by China and the aim was to break the record,” said Marathe.

He said it was a four-minute reading activity and the entire exercise was videographed.

Adjudicators from the Guinness World Records recorded the activity on camera and announced that 3,066 parents read out the stories to their kids simultaneously for four minutes, said the NBT chairperson.

The event was a precursor to the Pune Book Festival, scheduled to be held from December 16 to 24 on the premises of Fergusson College.

Thousands of books in English and 10 regional languages will be on display and available for sale at the nine-day festival organised by the NBT in collaboration with the Pune civic body, coordinator for the event Rajesh Pande said.

Storytelling sessions, plays, musical events, other cultural and literary events will be organised during the festival, Pande informed.