Sheikha Bodour honours winners of International Award for Arabic Children’s Literature

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Honorary President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), honoured the winners of the 18th edition of the International Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, presented by Etisalat and organised by UAEBBY, at a ceremony held during Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2026.

The ceremony was attended by Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA; Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of UAEBBY; and Saood Ibrahim Saleh, Vice President of Government Sales for Dubai and the Northern Emirates at Etisalat.

Also in attendance were cultural figures, representatives of organisations working in the book sector, members of the award’s jury, and numerous authors, illustrators, publishers and media professionals, alongside guests of SIBF.

Sheikha Bodour presented the awards across the five categories: Early Reader, Picture Book, Chapter Book, Young Adult Book and Non-Fiction.

The Early Reader award went to Shapes from the Imagination, written by Nasser Al Dousari (Mr Noun), illustrated by Maya Majdalani and published by Zingo Ringo Books in Switzerland.

Fahman, written by Masarra Touqan, illustrated by Maya Majdalani and published by Kalila wa Dimna Publishing in Jordan, won the Picture Book award.

The Chapter Book award went to Unbesieged Minds, conceived by Lina Abou Chaban, written by Shireen Sabanegh and illustrated by Shirough Idris, Amani Albaba, Abdullah Qawariq, Naeem Ajouly and Diyala Zada, published by Jabal Amman Publishers in Jordan.

The Young Adult Book award was won by The Boy Who Lost His Dream, written and illustrated by Rima Al-Shaal and published by Roya for Publishing and Distribution in Turkey.

The Non-Fiction award went to The Knowledgeables Trip - A Journey with Arab and Muslim Scholars, written by Muhannad Al Akous, illustrated by Omar Lafi and published by Noon Books: Nahed AlShawa Cultural in Canada.

Sheikha Bodour also honoured the jury members for their expertise and work in assessing the entries and selecting the winning books.

The jury comprised Dr Hanada Taha, an expert in Arabic language education; Dr Rana Dajani, founder of We Love Reading; Lebanese children’s book illustrator Maya Fidawi; Emirati author Nadia Al Najjar; and Pam Dix, a British specialist in libraries and children’s literature.

The recognition acknowledged their contribution to highlighting outstanding work and upholding literary and artistic standards in books for children and young adults.

Marwa Al Aqroubi: Better Books, Greater Opportunities

In her address, Marwa Al Aqroubi expressed her gratitude to His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his support for UAEBBY and its initiatives.

She also paid tribute to the vision of Sheikha Bodour, who conceived the award and has guided its continued development.

Al Aqroubi said: “We are proud of the award’s role in encouraging people to recognise the children’s book as a complete creative work, with every element deserving care, from the idea and text to the illustrations and production. Among the achievements we value most is encouraging authors, illustrators and publishers to work together to create books that give children the pleasure of reading while respecting their intelligence and their needs at every stage of development.”

She added: “The growing number of participating publishers creates opportunities for a more diverse range of books and makes room for new creative approaches. Our ambition is for broader participation to lead to a wider readership, by promoting outstanding books, encouraging interest in their publishing and translation rights, and strengthening their presence in schools and libraries. An award gives a book an opportunity, and it is our shared responsibility to help it make the most of that opportunity, so that the award’s success translates into better books, greater opportunities for their creators and a stronger place for reading in every child’s life.”

Saood Ibrahim Saleh said: “This celebration takes on greater significance at Sharjah International Book Fair, which we are also proud to sponsor. We value the direct encounters it makes possible between books and their readers, and between creative professionals and their partners in publishing. By sponsoring both the fair and the award, we help recognise outstanding work, give it exposure to wider audiences and connect it with those who can help it reach more readers.”

He added: “Supporting culture is part of our social responsibility. Working in a sector where technology advances rapidly and access to information is constantly changing, we understand the value of reading in developing comprehension, discernment and independent thinking. We give particular attention to children’s books because generations equipped to use the tools of the future also need knowledge to guide their choices, imagination to give them the confidence to innovate, and language through which to express their ambitions.”

Shapes from the Imagination, winner of the Early Reader category, offers an interactive experience that invites children to discover basic geometric shapes and imagine how they might become houses, trees and animals.

Through illustrations, open-ended questions and recurring details across its pages, the book encourages children to observe, follow visual clues and express themselves.

It also leaves room for them to draw their own stories, bringing together learning, play and creative freedom.

 Fahman, winner of the Picture Book category, takes children on a playful investigative journey. Using a red lens that reveals hidden details in the illustrations, readers test what they hear and arrive at a simple scientific explanation.

This interaction gives children an active role in discovering the story, encouraging them to ask questions, gather evidence and draw conclusions through observation.

The stories in Unbesieged Minds, winner of the Chapter Book category, follow five children from Gaza who respond to harsh circumstances through science and invention. Using scrap metal, old boards, bicycles and plant waste, they devise solutions that restore light, warmth and communication to those around them.

The book tells stories of children’s ability to take action, sustain hope and use knowledge to improve their lives amid siege and destruction.

Set in Damascus in the late nineteenth century, The Boy Who Lost His Dream, winner of the Young Adult Book category, follows Khaled as he grows up in an old house near the Umayyad Mosque, waiting to fulfil dreams that come up against his family’s restrictions. A decision changes the course of his life and leads him into unexpected experiences. Caught between his ambitions, his grandfather’s strictness and his father’s harshness, he embarks on a journey that confronts him with questions of choice and the limits placed on his dreams.

 The Non-Fiction winner, The Knowledgeables Trip - A Journey with Arab and Muslim Scholars, introduces young readers to the contributions of Arab and Muslim scholars across scientific disciplines and the knowledge they shared for the benefit of humanity.

The book brings this legacy closer to children, celebrating scientific inquiry, creativity and the lasting influence of its pioneers on the history of knowledge.

 The award’s 18th edition received 475 entries from 20 countries, submitted by 148 publishers and involving 324 authors and 231 illustrators. Entries increased by approximately 17% compared with the previous edition, while the number of participating publishers rose by 28% and authors by 16%.

Of the submissions, 434 met the eligibility requirements. From these, a shortlist of 25 books published by 17 publishing houses in eight countries was selected.

The winners were then chosen according to criteria covering originality of concept, the quality of the text and illustrations, correct use of language, production standards and suitability for the intended age group.

By publisher location, the UAE led submissions for the second consecutive year with 149 books, followed by Egypt with 115, Jordan with 52, Saudi Arabia with 43 and Lebanon with 27.

Entries from Syrian publishers increased from three to 11. Publishers from non-Arab countries also participated, including Canada with 15 entries, Turkey with nine, Switzerland with eight and the United Kingdom with one.

The geographical diversity of the participating creators extended to authors from 29 countries and illustrators from 33.

Non-Fiction completed its second year as the award’s rotating category, which focuses on a different area of children’s publishing every two years. A new category will be introduced in the next edition. Non-Fiction received 27 entries this year, compared with 184 in Picture Book, 112 in Early Reader, 85 in Young Adult Book and 67 in Chapter Book. The figures reflect the diversity of submissions across reading needs and literary and informational formats.

Launched in 2009, the award continues to encourage the development of Arabic content that combines enjoyment with literary, artistic and educational value by recognising outstanding books and introducing their creators to wider audiences.

Honouring the winners at Sharjah International Book Fair offers an opportunity to present their work to readers and industry professionals, develop partnerships that help these books reach further, strengthen their presence in homes, schools and libraries, and support their translation into other languages.