Dubai Abulhoul during the panel discussion.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Emirati author and columnist Dubai Abulhoul has highlighted the need for authors of children’s literature to be well acquainted with child psychology and knowledgeable about key aspects of emotional development when addressing young audiences.

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by the Sharjah Book Authority as part of Sharjah’s Guest of Honour (GoH) programme at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) 2022, the Emirati author also pointed out the responsibility of authors in combining objective and balanced presentation while also creating suspense and surprise to instil a love of books and reading, especially amongst the young Arab audience.

The session titled, ‘Young Adults Science Fiction’, also discussed the impact of science fiction on a child’s psyche and why an author must bear responsibility for presenting captivating content for children.

Dubai Abulhoul said: “When we write for children, we must be acutely conscious of the text, ideas, and images that we present and how these could play out in a child’s mind. We must consider a child’s anxiety, fears, and curiosity when writing for the young ones. The writer must pay attention to the image he seeks to create through the text because it could leave an indelible impression on a child’s imagination which could be carried through to adulthood and have a permanent impact on their personalities.”

Discussing the challenge of weaning children away from digital devices to the world of books, Abulhoul said: “This challenge must be addressed on two levels – locally and globally. At the national level, it is vital that content for children must be reviewed regularly and adapted to suit their interests and the current realities they live in to enable them to relate to it better.

“On the global level, stakeholders must come together to put in place a comprehensive plan and to strategise on ways of making reading an enjoyable daily activity for children,” she added.