Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival to begin on May 3

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

 The much-anticipated 14th instalment of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival is set to commence on May 3rd at the Expo Centre Sharjah, until March 14. This year’s cultural extravaganza will bring together a programme of 512 featured guests hailing from 66 countries, all poised to deliver an impressive 1,658 engaging workshops and sessions as well as showcasing their latest work in the child literary scene.

Themed “Train your brain,” the 12-day event, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), will feature a host of exciting events, including the inaugural Sharjah Animation Conference and the second edition of the Booksellers Conference.

During a press conference held yesterday (Wednesday) at the SBA headquarters, the esteemed event was unveiled with the participation of several prominent figures, including Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, the Chairman of the SBA, Rashid Abdullah Al Obed, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of SCRF, Mansour Al Hassani, Director of Publishers Services , SBA, and also attended by Mohammed Al Amimi, Vice President of Business Partnerships and Customer Service, ‘Etisalat by e&’ along with other cultural luminaries and media representatives.

SHARJAH ANIMATION CONFERENCE: SBA will organise the inaugural edition of the Sharjah Animation Conference from May 3 - 5 on the sidelines of SCRF and it will be the first-of-its-kind in the region. The event will be held in partnership with Italy’s Bergamo Animation Days (BAD) festival. It will provide a platform for people to come together, exchange ideas, and create meaningful connections through 11 masterclasses, 6 workshops and 3 panel discussions, and a vibrant professional agenda. Visitors can find out more about the conference, activities, as well as book their tickets through www.sharjahanimation.com

BOOKSELLERS CONFERENCE: The second edition of the Booksellers Conference, which brings together 383 book distributors, including 223 from 52 countries around the world and 160 from 17 Arab countries, will showcase their latest offerings in the child literary scene as well as deliberate on the realities of the book distribution ecosystem and exploring opportunities in new markets. Expanding on the hugely successful conference, this year it will also feature seminars and workshops, catering to the booming industry.

THE THOUGHTS OF CHILDREN CAN SHAPE OUR FUTURE: Commenting on the 14th SCRF, Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: “In the Emirate of Sharjah, under the vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and with the support and guidance of his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, we chose to invest our efforts in raising awareness of the new generations a top priority, and the foundations of our long-standing cultural project with its local, Arab, and global dimensions.”

He added, “Our first goal and project is to provide children, adolescents, and youth with the tools of sound thinking, and to open the doors of learning, skills acquisition, invention, and innovation for them. We are confident that what they will think will determine our fate and shape our future. That is why the new edition of the festival this year came under the slogan ‘Train your brain’ to complement the ongoing efforts to promote the awareness, knowledge, and skills of our children. We wanted to tell the world that the minds being shaped among us today are the first guarantee for all our aspirations and hopes.”

MEDIA MESSAGES ALIGN WITH SCRF: Rashid Abdullah Al Obed, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, said: “Since SCRF’s inaugural edition in 2010, the authority has covered its activities and delivered its meaningful message to the world due to important goals of the festival that are focused on connecting children with books and hone their talents. The cultural event’s benefits extend to include all members of the family who can participate in its activities and workshops.”

He added: “Our mission intersects with several aspects of the SBA’s message in raising awareness and nurturing generations that are fond of books and love reading. We have prepared a comprehensive plan that ensures comprehensive coverage of various festival activities through live television and radio programmes, including a live broadcast of the opening ceremony.”