Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival 2015 Kicks Off Tomorrow with top names in children’s literature

Organisers at Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) have announced the names of the high-profile personalities taking part this year. The 11-day event will be taking place at the Expo Centre, In Sharjah, between April 22 and May 2 and a raft of well-known writers and illustrators will be making special appearances.

These include the leading Egyptian actress Lubluba, award winning Jordanian author Rawda Hudhud who helped in preparing the school curriculum for public schools, and Egyptian director and poet Shawki Hijab, author of more than 40 books including Bahbouh and Baqayel. Hijab is a children's cinema pioneer and one of the most eminent names in children's literature in the Arab world.

Also appearing are Egyptian actress and former director of the National Children’s Theatre Department Azza Labib; Kuwaiti actor and director Abdulnasser Alzayer, famous for taking part in the children’s TV series 'Adnan wa Lina'; accomplished Iraqi painter and first prize winner at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2002, Dhia Al Hajjar and Egyptian author Yaqoub Al Sharouni, winner of the New Horizons Award for Best Book in the World.

Western international authors include the winner of the Costa Children’s Book Prize for 'Posy', Linda Newbery from the UK who has been twice shortlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Also from the UK is Julia Johnson, writer of over a dozen children’s stories and now a familiar face in the UAE due to reading children’s stories on Dubai Channel 33. American, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald whose second novel has been shortlisted for three literary prizes including Waterstones' Children’s Books Prize - Best book for Teens 2015, will also be making an appearance at SCRF as well as award-winning Canadian author and storyteller Rukhsana Khan.

Festival Highlights

1. Organised through the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) this year’s 7th edition will feature 2,028 events and activities geared to cultivating a love books and reading among young people in the UAE.


2. For the first time in the UAE, the SFRC is bringing 'T.rex: The Killer Question' Exhibition this year, taking place from April 22 to May 2 at the Expo Centre. Visitors can inspect the T.rex skeleton and examine unearthed bones freshly delivered from London’s Natural History Museum. There will be plenty of model dinosaurs on display and a raft of information to help sort out fact from fiction surrounding these most fascinating prehistoric creatures. For more, click HERE.

3. The UAE tops the list of participating countries with 40 publishing houses, followed by Lebanon with 25 and Egypt with 17 publishing houses, alongside Australia, Canada, and India, among many other countries. A raft of entertainment and creative activities will be laid on for young people during the festival such as face painting, shape making, theatre shows and sand art. There are also story-telling sessions, competitions and puppet shows.

4. Through its cooperation with the Sharjah Education Zone, the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival seeks to organize a ceremonial parade (Carnival) for school children. For more, click HERE.

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Well-known international illustrators including Rosemary Wells, legendary American illustrator, Alex T.Smith and Barbara McClintock also from the US, are taking part this year. Eminent academics will also be participating with appearances from Jordanian author, Haya Saleh, winner of various academic and cultural awards; Kuwaiti academic Kafia Ramadan, Professor at the Department of Curricula and Pedagogy at Kuwait University and Bahraini author and journalist, Ebrahim Bashmi.

This is the seventh edition of the festival and it will include 2028 events and activities in literature, science, art, recreation, in addition to educational, health, and awareness activities, organised by a group of prominent local, Arab and international institutions specialised in children activities.

Others taking part include Egyptian author Ahmad Khaled Tawfeeq; Moroccan author Dr. Souad Miskeen, Professor at Abdulmalik Al Saadi University; Editor in Chief of Egyptian 'Sameer' Magazine, Dr. Shaheera Khalil; Omani author and academic Fatima Allawati, a specialist in talented youth education; Egyptian veteran poet Ahmad Sweilim; Yemeni author and painter Ebtisam Jarallah; Saudi author, Faraj AL Dhufairi, editor in chief of Makki magazine and former editor in chief of 'Bassim' magazine; Egyptian author, novelist and playwright Mahmoud Kassim, editor in chief of children's books at Hilal Publishing.

Egyptian author Amal Farah, winner of the UNESCO Tolerance Award in Children Books in 2002 will be there and Egyptian author, Abduh Al Zarra, member of the Children’s Culture Committee at the Higher Council for Culture will also be taking part. Finally, appearances will be made by author, Abdulqahir Al Hamidi, Deputy General Manager of Early Childhood Development Center at the Yemini Ministry of Education; Egyptian children’s show writer Amro Samer Atif; Egyptian author, Samah Abu Bakr Izzat, Palestinian-German author Naeema Holman and author, Hessa Al Awadi, Head of the Department of Children Programmes at Qatar Radio.

For further details on the guests for 2015, click HERE.

Source: SCRF press release