12th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival set to start from May 19

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The 12th edition of Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) is ready to open its door for a wide range of activities for young children as well as book lovers. The event incorporated with young readers with creators of children’s literature and allied arts starting from May 19 - 29, 4pm - 10pm, at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

This year the festival with 357 children events and participation of 27 authors from 15 countries will be held under the theme of ‘For Your Imagination’ and is being organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) who will host a series of events, workshops and other interactive activities that will transport young generations to a wonderful world of innovative edutainment.

The 11-day event, which will follow strict COVID-19 preventive measures, will host literary discussions by 27 participating authors from 15 countries, in both in-person and online formats.

The SCRF 2021 will also host an elite group of Arab and international illustrators who will participate in the 9th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Exhibition, which runs on the sidelines of SCRF, and a Comics corner that will take visitors on an explorative journey of the creative art form through 132 workshops and activities.

The details of the festival’s programme agenda were revealed at a press conference yesterday (Wednesday, 05 May) at the SBA’s headquarters, in the presence of Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA; Major-General Saif Al Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Mohamed Al Amimi, Vice-President, Business Engagement and Customer Support at Etisalat; Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, as well as media representatives. Children too participated in a creative workshop that was organised for them at the press conference.

Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: “SBA is committed to Sharjah’s cultural and development vision based on advancing the new generations. SCRF is an important pillar in our strategy that is focused on instilling a love for the written word in children and adolescents, to build a knowledge-based community, and advance Sharjah’s comprehensive development goals.”

He continued: “This year’s edition of SCRF is being organised under the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, to use innovative and interactive methods to create spaces where young generations of book lovers can once again come together to read and nurture their creativity in relative freedom after the extended periods of social distancing dictated by the pandemic.”

For his part, Major Gen Al Shamsi, said: “Our participation stems from our social responsibility and emulates the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. SCRF aims to pave the path for a brighter future for young generations, and it is our collective responsibility as institutions serving the public to partner in the success of this important event.”

Emphasising on the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority’s role in taking SCRF to the masses, Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, remarked: “SCRF invites us every year to showcase the materialisation of Sharjah’s cultural vision. With each edition, the festival opens the door wide to all of us to experience the belief of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi that children and youth are at the heart of nation building. This is what drives us to contribute to this key endeavour by the emirate and the UAE. We, at SBA, hope to live up to the responsibilities entrusted to us for this prominent event, as we deliver to our viewers and listeners across the nation a minute-by-minute showcase of the upcoming edition.”

Mohamed Al Amimi, said: “It is an honour for Etisalat to be among the partners of the 12th edition of SCRF. We want to support Sharjah’s status as an incubator of culture and innovation in the UAE and the region, and that the seeds of knowledge continue to be sown in the present and future generations. I thank the organisers for their tremendous efforts and hope SCRF 2021 entices visitors of all age groups and nationalities.”