• Pippi Longstocking is a fictional girl created by legendary Swedish writer Astrid
  Lindgren; regularly voted as the world’s favourite children’s book character –
• The events which are open to public include an exhibition on Pippi’s colourful world, a
  play by ‘Joy of Drama’ and will continue with a fun series of activities for children
  including a special reading corner to explore Pippi books, try their hand at puzzles,
  games and colouring, dressing up as Pippi and a storytelling session –
  Hyderabad, May 4, 2022: On Monday, the Embassy of Sweden inaugurated a series of
  events at the IKEA store in Hyderabad, to mark the 77th anniversary of Pippi Longstocking – a
  famous fictional character created by the legendary Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. Since
  1945, the multi-dimensional character has been a great influence and an unconventional role
  model for girls both in Sweden and internationally, subtly and effortlessly supporting the idea of
  gender equality, which the Swedish Government strongly backs.
  The events included an exhibition, bringing to viewers the colourful world of Pippi, and a
  creative performance, titled ‘The Pippi Longstocking show’. The play, based on the chapter
  ‘Pippi is visited by thieves’, was performed by a group of children trained by ‘Joy of Drama’. It
  was cherished by all in the audience, including the Chief Executive Officer & Chief
  Sustainability Officer of IKEA India, Ms Susanne Pulverer, who was present for the
  occasion. “I am very pleased to be here and celebrate such an important character with you.
  As a young girl, I always wanted to be more like Pippi. She is a role model for the strength and
  willpower of girls. I believe we can all learn something from her fearless and forward-thinking
  attitude”, she said.
  Moreover, the exhibition, allowing children a peep into Pippi’s adventurous life, will continue to
  be showcased in the store from May 2 till May 15. The exhibition has been designed to match
  the spirit of Pippi, comprising a special reading corner where children can enjoy reading and
  exploring more about their favourite character. They also have the opportunity to try their hand
  at puzzles, games and colouring, and even dress up as Pippi.
  Mr Gautam Bhattacharyya, Chargé d’affaires a.i. Embassy of Sweden said: “It is time to
  celebrate Pippi, the girl who won hearts across the entire globe. For seventy seven years she
  has been teaching us, both young and old, how to be strong, brave, independent, rebellious,
  adventurous, and kind-hearted. By creating this unconventional character, Swedish author
  Astrid Lindgren made an impact far beyond the world of children’s books. To this date, Pippi
  plays a significant role in promoting childlike imagination, breaking norms as well as putting
  across the strong message of gender parity. I hope that her free-spirited character will continue
  to inspire many more for generations to come.”

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It was a momentous event for both the attendees as well as the organisers, as such an event
was held after two years of the Covid-19 hiatus. This exhibition transported people to the
magical and colourful world of Pippi. Apart from the exhibition, the Embassy also launched a
virtual campaign called ‘Congrats Pippi’, to commemorate 77 glorious years of Pippi, who not
only entertained, astonished, questioned, and provoked children but also held up as a role
model and a symbol of independence.

Sharing the information about the play, Vaishali Chakravarty, Founder & Director, Joy Of
Drama, said, “Pippi Longstocking is unconventional, independent and fearless. She does what
she thinks is right for her and her friends. Performing such a character gives a much-needed
moment of opening up to the teenage female students of the Kamala Rani Sanghi School, who
come from the villages on the outskirts of Hyderabad.”
“At Joy of Drama, we usually work with children from big cities who have access to
international literature, but I am doubly happy to see my young actors here finding a new friend
in her. Pippi Longstocking truly transcends the boundaries of language and culture. I am
grateful to the Embassy of Sweden for giving us the opportunity to perform Pipi Longstocking
at the IKEA store, Hyderabad, and I hope to take this play to more audiences and children”,
She added.

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The event, celebrating a strong, kind, curious and playful girl, will also conclude in Lindgren’s
style through a storytelling session. The session will be conducted by a well-known Indian
author, theatre artist, and storyteller, Janaki Sabesh, on Sunday, May 15 at 4 PM at the IKEA
store in Hyderabad.