SHARJAH: , where he was briefed on their cultural efforts in supporting books, writers, and publishing.
The Ruler of Sharjah presented honours to the winners of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival Award and the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Award. The first place was secured by Kyoung mi Ahn from South Korea, followed by Juan Carlos Palomino from Mexico in second place, and Daniela Stamatiadi from Greece in third. His Highness also recognized the winners of three encouragement prizes: Montserrat Batet Creixell from Spain, Santiago Solís from Mexico, and Mitra Abdollahi from Iran.
Furthermore, H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi acknowledged winners of the Sharjah Children’s Book Award across various categories, each prize valued at AED 20,000. Among them, Author Maitha Al Khayyat from the UAE clinched the award for her book ‘I will Hunt my Breakfast,’ illustrated by Gustavo Aimar and published by Kalimat Group in the Children’s Book in Arabic (ages 4 to 12) category. The Young Adults’ B
ook in Arabic (ages 13 to 17) category went to Dr. Tariq Al Bakri from Lebanon for “The Buried Secret,” illustrated by Fadi Fadel and published by Kalimat Group, receiving the award on his behalf was Manal Mahjoub, editor of Kalimat Group; while the International Children’s Book (ages 7 to 13) category was awarded to Julia Johnson for the title “Aisha’s Pearl,” published by ELF Publishing.
The Ruler of Sharjah recognised the winner of the Sharjah Audio Book Award, Author Lina Mustafa Al-Zebaq from Syria for her book ‘My grandmother’s hug’ published by Al-Zebaq Publishing; additionally to honour distinguished works facilitating visually impaired individuals’ access to knowledge and their integration into society the award of Books for Visually Impaired Children Award was presented to Brigadier General Dr. Muhammad Khamis Al Othmani from the UAE for his book “Seven Sanabel,” published by Sharjah Police Science Academy.
This edition of the festival emphasises reading as a fundamental tool for shaping a brighte
r future for children and nurturing a generation that values its transformative and developmental potential in society. It fosters creative thinking and innovation through events led by esteemed writers, illustrators, and publishers who share their knowledge, works, and experiences.
The festival, hosting 265 guests, offers a plethora of workshops for children covering topics such as sustainability, fashion, crafts, and music. It also boasts 12 performances, including theatre shows and roaming performances by 19 participants from 12 countries.
Furthermore, the cultural program includes various panel discussions focusing on developing children’s communication skills, with 70 guests from 25 countries participating. Throughout the festival, the Poetry Knight competition will encourage children and young adults to recite Arabic poetry engagingly, featuring three categories: primary school students (grades 1 to 4), middle school students (grades 5 to 8), and high school students (grades 9 to 12).
Source: Emirat
es News Agency