Sharjah to be the ‘Guest of Honour’ at Bologna Children's Book Fair next year
- 17 Jun 2021
Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), has outlined the highlights of Sharjah’s cultural programme to be showcased at the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) from March 21-24, 2022.
This came during a virtual session titled, “Sharjah Guest of Honour 2022,” held at the ongoing online edition of BCBF 2021.
Speaking to BCBF Director Elena Pasoli, the SBA Chairman revealed that more than 30 writers, illustrators, artists and storytellers from the UAE and the Arab world would hold panel discussions, workshops, reading and matchmaking sessions to highlight the leading experiences of the UAE and the Arab region in supporting and promoting children and young adults’ books.
SBA will also present 17 Arabic-Italian translations of children’s books authored by Emirati writers at BCBF.
To promote children literature from the Arab region, SBA will also conduct four school visits, and organise several hands-on children’s workshops and interactive storytelling sessions, including two film shows at the Testoni Theatre.
An impressive guest list of authors and writers from the UAE and the region will also be at BCBF to promote cross-cultural dialogue and highlight the Arab literary output, said the SBA Chairman.
"10 authors of various genres - many of them award-winning writers - will join pioneers of arts and culture from across the world in Bologna to spotlight the quality content and diversity of Emirati children’s literature."
The list includes Noura Al Noman, science fiction writer; Emirati illustrator and author Abdulla Al Sharhan; Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi; Dubai Abulhoul; and professor and academic researcher Dr Reem Al Gurg, amongst others.
Al Ameri said, "The main spark, which has fuelled Sharjah’s emphasis on reading and knowledge stems from the vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who believed in the power of books and literature to improve societies and nurture the potential of the young generation. It was this vision that led to the establishment of the Sharjah International Book Fair 40 years ago and ignited the onset of a well-established reading culture across the UAE and the entire Arab world."
Bologna is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy.
WAM