Written by Aishath Raysham, Library Officer, QI Library

An air of excitement filled the Villa College (VC) and Villa International High School (VIHS) with the launch of QI Library’s new Reading Challenge called “Foiykiyamaa” Reading Challenge 2023. The books displayed on the wall display and the pentagon-shaped infographic distributed to the departments and faculties amplified the excitement in the VC and VIHS communities.

The first five library users who register for the challenge will get surprise gifts. Library Management hand-picked six globally famous great reads from a long list of user-recommended books from various genres. The six titles are:

  1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
  2. How women rise: break the 12 habits holding you back by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
  3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank; edited by H.Frank and Mirjam Pressler
  4. The man who mistook his wife for a hat by Oliver Sacks
  5. The art of making memories: how to create and remember happy moments by Meik Wiking
  6. A promised land by Barack Obama

Launched on 1st February 2023, “Foiykiyamaa” Readingchallenge will run until 31st December 2023 and is open for the staff and students of VIHS & VC.

The challenge would nurture the habit of reading among students & staff of VC and VIHS and create avenues for cohesion in the VC and VIHS community. The challenge gives an opportunity for library users to invest in the creative time to think and reflect on the six titles.

Like every other event, “Foiykiyamaa” Reading Challenge, too, comes with its fair share of rules. You’ll be automatically enrolled in the Challenge the first time you borrow any of the six titles. Participants are allowed to borrow one book from the list at a time and are required to return the bookmark that will be given at the time of borrowing.

At the beginning of the challenge, it was first decided that each title in the list can be borrowed only for two weeks (14 days) and if a participant renewed a book, he or she would be disqualified. However, after considering the constructive feedback received from multiple concerned and disheartened participants, the library staff came to a conclusion beneficial to all participants.  It was decided that although each title could be borrowed only once, the borrower could renew it for a maximum of 6 weeks (42 days) and no more disqualifying!

A quiz for each book has been curated by the library staff and the participant will be given access to it on returning the book. The quiz consists of five multiple-choice questions based on each book and is a fun way to test your knowledge of the books.

At the end of the challenge, the participants will be grouped into two categories of VIHS & VC Students and VIHS & VC staff. A certificate will be awarded to everyone who participates in the challenge. Participants will be ranked based on their total scores and the top three are to be awarded prizes. Two points will be given for each book that is borrowed and two points for each correct answer in the quiz. The participant ranked first will receive three award-winning novels and a special gift while the second-ranked participant will receive two award-winning novels and a special gift. The participant ranked third will receive one award-winning novel and a special gift. The top three participants will be declared from both categories.

It will be enticing to see how the excitement builds up as the reading challenge unfolds. The library staff wishes it to end with a bang and bring in a fruitful result. Do check our social media handles for information, news, and updates about the ‘Foiykiyamaa’ Reading Challenge 2023.