'UAE is a beautiful country where books bring people together'

The Reading Corner at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival 2025 (SCRF) – that opened at the Sharjah Expo Centre on Wednesday – went abuzz as acclaimed Italian author behind the globally adored Geronimo Stilton series wowed children, parents, and teachers alike with a lively and heartwarming reading session.

Elisabetta Dami’s interaction with her young fans brought a touch of nostalgia for some and wide-eyed wonder for many, as the prolific author — whose books have sold over 180 million copies worldwide — read aloud from one of Geronimo’s latest adventures with Geronimo and her sister Thea Stilton dancing in front of an amused audience.

Speaking to young readers about the values at the heart of her beloved character, Dami shared one simple principle she believes every child should live by: respect.

“If there’s one secret to becoming a true hero — like Geronimo — it’s this: respect everybody. “Respect your teachers, your parents, your friends. That’s where real courage and kindness begin,” she said.

The 67-year-old from Milan then went on to praise UAE as “a beautiful country where books bring people together,” calling the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival “a magical place where stories come alive and children become the stars.”

A global voice in a local setting

For 20 years, Geronimo Stilton has transported children into a world of cheese-chasing adventures and heartwarming lessons about kindness, resilience, and imagination. But for Dami, it’s not just about entertaining kids — it’s about empowering them. “Children are the heroes of today, not just tomorrow,” she said during an informal Q&A session. “They are brave, creative, and full of surprises. We need to listen to their voices and encourage their imaginations.”

During a one-on-one interaction with her young fans, the author – who as an adventure lover got her aircraft pilot and parachutist licences at 20 before travelling around the world on her own and running the 100-km Sahara ultramarathon and New York Marathon thrice – also shared personal anecdotes about how Geronimo, the mild-mannered mouse who finds himself in wildly unexpected situations, was inspired by her own love of storytelling and desire to uplift children facing challenges.

The festival is hosting 133 guests from 70 countries and will stage more than 50 cultural sessions featuring a distinguished group of international writers and illustrators, in addition to 85 theatre and roaming performances.

For more information, visit https://www.scrf.ae/en/sharjah-childrens-reading-festival.

Stories meet technology

The 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), the region’s leading literary celebration for young minds, has opened its doors to a world where stories meet circuits and technology becomes a tool for creativity.

This year’s festival features more than 600 creative workshops and activities, with the Digital Cube workshop – designed around the globally popular game Minecraft – proving to be one of the highlights. The session reimagines a pixelated universe into a hands-on experiment, where children craft glowing, LED-lit cubes that blend art, mathematics, and technology.

“This is a digital LED pixel cube. It’s a project that brings together technology education, mathematics, engineering, and art,” said Mahmoud Hashem, a computer scientist from Lebanon and a first-time SCRF participant representing Room 94, known for its inventive workshops.

“Here, we’re trying to blend mathematical thinking with practical skills, enhancing creativity and sparking curiosity. We want children to know that technology can be fun and approachable.”

Equipped with printed templates, coin batteries, copper tape, LEDs, and scissors, participants set to work building their own digital cubes. The process involved cutting out paper circuits, applying copper tape, inserting the electronics, and colouring and assembling their glowing cubes.

“The beauty of this experiment,” added Hashem, “is its simplicity. Every element is readily available from a local stationery shop, and the children can take the idea home to invent something new.”

For 11-year-old Sana Siddiqui, the session was a revelation. “It was such a fun way to learn about circuits,” she said. “I want to use LEDs in the cards I make for my family and friends - the lights could be candles on a cake.”

Twelve-year-old Akil Ashraf took it a step further, experimenting with two LEDs in a single circuit. “I want to make a castle and light it up, just like in the game,” he shared.

SCRF’s 2025 edition, running until 4 May at Expo Centre Sharjah, stands out for championing digital literacy and creativity in equal measure.