International Children's Book Day (ICBD) Celebration
Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day…
Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day…
In line with its mission to develop the children’s book industry in the United Arab…
The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s literature was launched in 2009. It aims to provide…
Hans Christian Anderson Awards Every other year IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Award to…
Keeping with the UAEBBY’s goal to bring children and books together, as well as seeing…
About the Sharjah/IBBY Fund for Children in Crisis On April 23, 2012 the UAE Board…
Jointly launched by the UAEBBY and Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, ‘Books – Made in UAE’ aims…
The UAEBBY’s “Guest of Honour” initiative, which began in 2015, seeks to cultivate new relationships…
In 2013, the UAEBBY launched ‘Read, Dream, Create’ campaign to encourage interaction between children and…
A child who loves books will develop better verbal skills
A child who reads will be able to express opinions
A child who reads will learn to be self-assured
Reading enhances critical thinking
Books can help to give a child that is growing up in adverse surroundings a better quality of life
As the home of one of Europe’s most innovative artistic cultures, several Italian literature experts will be attending the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival 2018 (SCRF) as the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY)’s Guests of Honour. The festival, organised by Sharjah Book Authority, runs from April 18–28 at Expo Centre Sharjah, and is the jewel in the crown of children’s literature events in the region. The delegation from Italy, including Dr. Marcella Terrusi, Representative of the Italian Board on Books for Young People (IBBY Italy) will take part in panel discussions, storytelling and book signings at the UAEBBY stand. Accompanying Dr. Terrusi are well-known author Beatrice Masini, who has produced over ten books in children’s literature and won the prestigious Andersen Prize as “best children's author of the year in 2004”; and young illustrator Andrea Antinori, who shared the Andersen prize for "best book 6/9 years" with other celebrated Italian publishers and authors. A collection of the celebrated works by them will be showcased at the UAEBBY stand, and several storytelling sessions and other book activities around them will be organised for children during the festival. Elena Pasoli, Manager of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and children’s book expert Grazia Gotti are also part of the Italian delegation to the UAE. In hosting IBBY Italy as Guests of Honour at SCRF, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, the UAEBBY encourages new relationships with different sections of IBBY, inspires local talent to explore new literary cultures, and promotes a culture of reading across the UAE’s many diverse communities. The Guest of Honour programme is being organised by the UAEBBY in partnership with the Italian General Consulate in the UAE, and the Dubai-based multilingual international school, International Concept for Education (ICE), which opened their Italian section ‘Da Vinci’ in 2016. Welcoming this collaboration between the two national sections of the IBBY, Valentina Setta, Consul General of Italy in Dubai, said: “IBBY Italy’s participation at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival as the UAEBBY’s guest of honour is another big step in furthering cultural cooperation between the UAE and Italy. We are pleased to facilitate this collaboration between the two cultures to benefit and enrich young minds with a variety of new literary experiences, which will broaden their horizons, enable them to experience a different culture, and develop appreciation for diversity at a young age.” Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY, said: “Italy has played a key role in the evolution of European literature and has inspired countless generations from a tremendous range of cultures. To be able to tap into such a rich history is enormously beneficial to the children, regional authors, illustrators, and publishers who attend the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival”. “The initiative also has major benefits to the Guest of Honour country, who will be able to engage directly with their target audience and explore the similarities and differences in reading cultures. For UAEBBY, there is an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with other international sections and gain in-depth insights into literature from around the world.” During their visit, the Italian representatives will meet with Emirati authors and illustrators, take part in a cultural tour to the emirate of Sharjah, and attend the opening ceremony of the Italian Library. The UAEBBY’s “Guest of Honour” initiative, which began in 2015 seeks to cultivate new relationships with different IBBY sections, allow local talent to learn from the experience of international experts, and encourage reading among UAE’s diverse communities. As it is known, the UAE is a multicultural country and this initiative hopes to embody this sprit. In April of each year, during the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, the UAEBBY hosts a different IBBY section. As a part of their visit they have their own section in the UAEBBY’s stand to display their work and do readings, workshops, and more. The guests include a writer, illustrator, and representative of the IBBY section. UAEBBY is the national branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Operating in more than 77 countries, IBBY is the main board based in Switzerland and founded in 1953. The organisation is an international network of institutions and individuals from around the world who are committed to promoting and encouraging the culture of reading and bringing children and books together.
As part of its ongoing efforts to extend the experience of silent books to the region, the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD), has held a three-day workshop on ‘silent books’ at the Riyadh International Book Fair to encourage Saudi illustrators and publishers to produce the stories, which rely on images rather than text. As the book fair’s Guest of Honour, the UAE was eager to share cultural experiences with Saudi Arabia, and building on the success of the pioneering silent book workshop held for the first time in UAE, MCKD and UAEBBY were keen to extend the experience to a wider region. The three-day workshop, held on the sidelines of UAEBBY’s participation at the fair, which ran from March 14-24, was presented by Finnish artist and illustrator Emmi Jormalainen who has a Master’s degree in graphic design, and is specialised in authoring comic books and children’s books illustration. The workshop showed how designs and illustrations can be as effective as written content in telling a story and conveying emotions. Silent books can also encourage children to be more imaginative in their interpretations of plot, characters and outcomes. Emmi Jormalainen taught the participants the steps of creating a silent book, starting with the ideas and events and concluding with its design. Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY, said the textless books enable a wider range of young people to understand concepts and enjoy the same stories without the potential barriers of language and culture. “While literature has a beauty of its own, we must remember that art in its most traditional sense is visual and the messages we derive from a painting or a drawing are as vivid and meaningful as the words that would describe them. One of the greatest applications for silent books is for children under school-age who may be able to fully enjoy a book several times,” she said. “For the illustrators, graphic designers and publishers attending the workshop, it not only opens up a new world of creativity, it enables them to implement the skills they have learned at the workshop to create and publish their own silent books.” She added. Al Aqroubi praised the collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development which aims to extend successful cultural experiences that the UAE has pioneered. The first day of the workshop included an introduction and history of silent books, along with an assignment for the 14 participants to draw a classic fairytale in nine images. On the second day, they created concepts and a storyboard for their own silent book before designing an ‘accordion’ book format. On the final day of the workshop, the participants produced their own silent book and discussed the results. The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) is the local branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), founded in 2010 upon an initiative by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the UAEBBY.
The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), the local branch of the International Board on Books for Young People(IBBY), was at the helm of two discussion panels, which explored the vital role played by silent books in enriching children’s literature, as well as the significant role illustrations play in adding value to literary content that targets young generations, These discussions were part of the cultural programme at the 38th Livre Paris (Paris Book Fair), which runs from 16 to 19 March. The silent books’ panel addressed their significant role in nurturing children’s intellectual capabilities, by helping children unlock their imagination with only visuals making up the book’s content. The panel featured Alia Al Shamsi, an Emirati author and illustrator; Geraldine Alebeo, Representative of the French Board on Books for Young People (FBBY); and moderated by Anne-Laure Cognet. The second panel on children’s books’ illustrations shed light on the important role visual art plays in helping children understand and appreciate the story contained within an illustrated book. It highlighted the latest practices in this field, discussing the most significant challenges that face children’s books illustrators. The panel also discussed the crucial role played by awards like the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature, which dedicates a category to ‘Best Illustrations’, as it believes that visual content has an equally substantial role to play in enriching a story, its creative message and goes a long way in enhancing the aesthetic dimensions of children’s literature. Moderated by Alya Al Shamsi, the panel comprised Egyptian illustrator Walid Taher, winner of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature’s and French Illustrator Luwick Ghom. Marwa Al Aqroubi, said: “Through these discussion panels, the UAEBBY’s aims to open broader horizons to in-depth discussions and dialogues on the realities of artistic illustrations featured in children’s books. These intellectual dialogues enable us to exchange expertise with European intellectuals, fair-goers and children’s illustration experts, which provides Arab illustrators with a more nuanced creative experience,” “We seek to promote the developed cultural reality in the Emirate of Sharjah and UAE during our participation in Paris Book Fair – an exceptional global cultural event. Through our presence, we intended to educate a large segment of European intellectuals on the array of cultural activities and programmes that are planned and implemented by the UAEBBY throughout the year. We also enlightened visitors about the role the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature has been playing since 2010 in furthering the creative capacities of Arab authors and illustrators and contribute to not just Sharjah’s but the UAE’s overall cultural projects,” she added. The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) is the local branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) that was founded in 2010 upon an initiative by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi to encourage publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children’s books. UAEBBY aims to provide publishers, authors and illustrators as well as publishing houses, with opportunities to network and share expertise with other professionals in the book industry and help them build their capacity.
As Sharjah wraps up one of its most significant participations in Paris Book Fair 2018, as the fair’s Special Guest City, breaking down cultural and lingual barriers between East and West, the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature (Etisalat Award), organised by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and sponsored by ‘Etisalat Group’, took the opportunity to celebrate its 10th year by exhibiting to hundreds of thousands of international visitors MENA’s best Award-winning Arabic titles. The exhibition, held in Institut de Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute, Paris), comes as part of Etisalat Award’s mission to create a positive impact on participants and visitors as they familiarise themselves on some of the leading Arabic books that inspired children and adults across the region. This initiative aims to promote the most significant contemporary literary productions in Arabic designed for children and young adults, among European audiences. The exhibition showcases all 27 wining books and digital book apps, as well as an art exhibition featuring the best illustrations contained within these books, contributed by a host of Arab artists. Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY, said: “Etisalat Award has recognised the talent and creative prowess of several contemporary Arab intellectuals, authors, illustrators and publishers who have dedicated themselves to promoting children’s literature through their works. Since its inception, the award has been a pioneering partner and supporter of an array of works that aim to further elevate Arabic children’s literature. Bringing these gems before an elite European audience is in the interest of enhancing cross-cultural understanding and communication. It also opens an opportunity for the flourishing European translations market always keen to introduce diverse works to their readers, and will allow French intellectuals access to select books that have won the Etisalat Award. Through these new initiatives, we seek to contribute to the promotion of Arabic literature and culture on important literary forums worldwide,” “Curating this exhibition aligns with our dedication to supporting creative children’s literature personnel in the Arab world who have contributed to the award and helped it reach the position it enjoys today, with their valuable titles. This is why we have chosen the Paris Book Fair to showcase their works – one of the most prestigious cultural events in Europe and the world. This was a great way for us to attract the attention of authors and intellectuals from Europe and beyond to our efforts in trying to elevate the realities of the literary and cultural industries at local and global levels,” she added. The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature contributes to promoting Arab children’s literature globally, through its participation at important international forums and events worldwide. It also plays a vital role in showing intellectuals from around the world the Arab world’s literature and culture. The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature was launched in 2009 as an initiative by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the UAEBBY. Sponsored by Etisalat Group, it aims to enrich children's literature and motivate publishers, authors and illustrators to produce the most creative Arabic children's books. -ENDS-
One of the region’s most celebrated literary awards for Arabic children’s literature, the UAE-based Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature (Etisalat Award) was recently in Cairo, Egypt, to share its cultural vision with Egyptian and Arab publishers and media on the sidelines of its participation at the 49th annual Cairo International Book Fair. The Etisalat Award is organised by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and sponsored by the Etisalat Group. Moderated by media figure, Mohammed Abdo Badawi, the session touched upon various aspects of Arabic children’s literature, the role of the Etisalat Award in recognising regional literary excellence, and general trends in the global children’s book market. Welcoming all of the session’s attendees, the UAEBBY President, Marwa Al Aqroubi, said: “Being here in Cairo, one of the region’s cultural giants, makes us nostalgic about an exciting childhood smitten by the great authors of this country. Our generation has grown up reading Kamel Al Kilani and Abdel Wahab El Messiri, and comprehended the aesthetics of Arabic language and literature through Hafez Ibrahim’s and Ahmed Shawqi’s poems, and Naguib Mahfouz’s prose.” “The Etisalat Award was launched in 2009 by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the UAEBBY, with the key theme ‘Nurture their Imagination… Encourage their Dreams’. The award’s ongoing objective is to support and encourage children’s books authors, illustrators and publishers to offer high quality books with quality content and illustrations. The award also aims to foster an environment that ignites and supports children’s imaginations and instill in them a love of reading.” Eman Mohammed, Programs and Award Executive at the UAEBBY, listed the Award’s details, highlighting the many developments it has experienced since inception. First valued at AED 1,000,000, and given to a single book in the first four editions, the Etisalat Award grew to feature five categories starting its fifth edition, which helped recognise all contributors to children’s literature – authors, illustrators and publishers. In 2017, it introduced the ‘Digital Book App of the Year’ category, taking the cumulative value of the Awards up to AED 1,200,000. Eman underscored that from 88 competing books in 2010, the number shot up to 145 entries last year – indicating an over 60% increase in the number of submitted titles. With 21 digital book applications competing in the recently introduced Digital Book App category, the total number of submissions at 166 last year, reflected an over 88.5% increase in the quantity of competing entities in eight years. Since its inception, a total of 99 books were shortlisted to win over the years, out of which 27 books have won the award, with Egypt coming in the second place after Lebanon in terms of number of submissions. Among those who attended the session were Dr. Yasmine Motawy, Etisalat Award jury member and member of the Directors Board of the ‘Egyptian Board on Books for Young People; and Tamer Said, Etisalat Award jury member and Managing Director of Kalimat Group – the UAE’s first publisher dedicated solely to Arabic language publishing. Also participating were Balsam Saad, MD, Balsam Publishing House, whose book Getting Out of the Bubble won the 2015 edition of the Award; Amira Abu Al Majd, MD, Dar El Shorouk publishing house, who won the 2010 edition’s award for her work, The Black Dot; Dalia Ibrahim, CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House, and winner of the Etisalat Award 2017 for her book Screaming Behind Doors, and the Children’s Book Award 2014 for another work of hers titled, Sticks of Racemes. They have all been part of the Etisalat Award jury in different editions. Elaborating on the qualities the jury seeks in entries submitted, Dr. Yasmine Motawy, remarked: “We lay special emphasis on quality of editing, as children’s literature must display a high degree of honesty, creativity, veracity and relevance. Good literature is timeless, like a piece of music that can be enjoyed for centuries.” She pointed out that the jury pays a great deal of attention to the aesthetic aspects of literature with a focus on the visual element, and looks for harmony among text, layout and illustration. Tamer Said noted that books dealing with the refugee crisis in the region, which have been crafted to appeal to the sensibilities of young readers, captured his attention most. These books constituted 10% of the total submissions in 2017. The Award has offered much-needed patronage to several up and coming publishers and authors, which is something Said underlined, highlighting the importance such awards in offering financial and moral support to literary works. He has predicted that the Etisalat Award is working to achieve international status in the coming years, and is taking steady and prompt steps towards the same. Amira Abu Al Majd underscored that the awards aim to shed light on Arabic children’s literature, saying: “Until recently, there were no publishing houses in the region dedicated to children's literature, and now we see a significant increase in the number of publishers dedicated to children’s books, thanks to the support the Etisalat Award has offered them since 2009.” Abu Al Majd attributed the lack of children's literature to the high cost of producing children’s books, rationalising the importance of children’s literary awards like the Etisalat Award – an incentive for authors, illustrators and publishers to further their creative projects. For her part, Balsam Saad recalled the moment when she received the award in 2015, saying: “That moment when I was announced the winner was amazing, especially as a debutant. I was overjoyed as I was surrounded by book experts and specialists in the field, making it an important moment in my professional career.” “Financially, the award has motivated me and other winners to focus on producing more quality books. However, distribution still needs more efforts and the media’s emphasis on publicising children's literature furthered,” Saad emphasised. For her part, Dalia Ibrahim, said: “I managed to win the prize despite difficult political conditions that dominated Egypt in 2012 following the January 25 revolution, as well as tough competition by four works from Lebanon. When I was invited to attend the awards ceremony, I did not expect to win at all, and was surprised to hear my name being announced among the winners.” Ibrahim expressed her profound gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, for their support to children’s literature through the Etisalat Award and their fundamental role in elevating all creative fields. The jurors underscored that award goes beyond providing a platform for authors, illustrators and publishers; it plays the role of a cultural institution that offers patronage to literary talents and contributes to building a generation of talented authors who nurture the Arabic children’s book industry in the Arab world. They pointed out that the Etisalat Award has dedicated a special programme titled ‘Warsha’, tailor-made for participants who did not win, and other talented authors, illustrators and publishers. It aims to train them on the techniques of building narrative works creatively and further elevate their talents and hone their skills to enrich the Arabic children’s books industry. -ENDS- About the UAEBBY: The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) is the local branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) that was founded in 2010 upon an initiative by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi to encourage publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children’s books. UAEBBY aims to provide publishers, authors and illustrators as well as publishing houses, with opportunities to network and share expertise with other professionals in the book industry and help them build their capacity. About Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature: The Etisalat Award comprises six categories; ‘Children’s Book of the Year,’ valued at AED300,000 distributed equally between the publisher, author and illustrator; ‘Young Adult Book of the Year’ worth AED200,000 distributed equally between the author and publisher and the ‘Best Text,’ ‘Best Illustration,’ ‘Best Production’ and ‘Digital Book App of the Year,’ worth AED100,000 each. Etisalat Award has allocated AED 300,000 to organise workshops and international conferences to help develop the talent of promising Arab writers, illustrators and publishers through its ‘Warsha’ programme.
The ‘Read, Dream, Create’ campaign, an initiative of the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), has hosted a series of highly creative activities for young book lovers at the 36th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), ranging from silhouette shows to miniature book- and puppet-making sessions. Held at the UAEBBY pavillion, the ‘Miniature Book’ workshop catered to younger children in the evenings and school students in the mornings. It showed the participants how to design and create a miniature book to write their stories. They also learned how to bring a paper puppet to life and create a backlit puppet theatre production. The interactive ‘Paper Characters’ workshop focussed mainly on writing and drawing, where the children cut out shapes of birds and animated them to give the impression that they were flying, as part of a story telling exercise. The workshop was attended by students from the ‘Awladouna Centre for People with Disabilities’. Meera Al Naqbi, Manager of the ‘Read, Dream, Create’ campaign, said: “We took part in SIBF as part of our commitment to support cultural events, bringing together children and young people and helping them to develop and hone their talents.” At the ‘Young Story Teller’ workshop, the children told their favourite tales, while in costumes and in character, showing great talent and confidence in making speeches, putting the workshop theory into practice. Launched in 2013 by the UAEBBY, ‘Read, Dream, Create’ aims to bring children and books together and promote the importance of reading among Emirati communities. It also encourages children and young people to read, innovate and create, develop their writing skills and transform their ideas into engaging, well written stories. -Ends- Attached photos during “Read, Dream, Create” activities for the Sharjah International Book fair 2017 kids in the UAEBBY pavilion participated at the fair.
The ‘Books – Made in UAE’ project, organised by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, has inspired 10 Emirati authors to rewrite a number of folk tales for children. The 18 heritage-themed stories mark the conclusion of the second phase of the sixth edition of the programme, which was held November 4-6 at Maraya Art Centre. The various editions of the initiative support the development of a sustainable local children’s book industry by training young and aspiring authors and illustrators in the creative process of producing Emirati children’s books. This year’s edition of the ‘Books – Made in UAE’ project focused on folk tales, with the aim of reviving Emirati folk tales and highlighting the UAE’s rich heritage and authentic customs. The first phase of the sixth edition, sponsored by Knowledge without Borders, a Sharjah-based cultural initiative, was hosted at Sharjah Institute for Heritage. The authors put together a collection of 18 stories inspired by Emirati folklore under the supervision of well-known German children’s book author and illustrator Ute Krause, who worked with them to develop their writing skills. Krause mentored the ten authors during a workshop that was conducted to help them bring their stories to life in a creative and imaginative way. Krause also met with Emirati illustrator Abdullah Al Sharhan at a separate workshop on November 8-9, where they discussed ideas for illustrations for the folk tale collection. The writers drew on Al Sharhan’s vast experience to ensure the integrity of the content and illustrations so as to capture the attention of young readers. Prior to the workshops, reading sessions involving the stories were conducted at the UAEBBY pavilion at Sharjah International Book Fair on November 6. The sessions saw the writers gaining feedback from the children and making necessary amendments before finalising them and offering them to publishers. The stories will be revealed during Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2018. UAEBBY and the Goethe-Institut will monitor the process of presenting the folk tales collection to local and Arab publishing houses to facilitate their productions and publishings. The ‘Books - Made in UAE’ project was launched in 2011 to encourage young talented Emirati writers and illustrators to develop their skills in writing and illustrating children’s books, with the organisers dedicated to promoting the titles in the UAE and beyond. The project inspires authors and artists to produce books that reflect Emirati cultural values and national identity through valued content that captivates children and stimulates their imagination. -Ends- About the UAEBBY: The UAEBBY is the national branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). It was established in 2010 upon an initiative by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the UAEBBY, to encourage the publishing and distribution of high quality Arabic children's books. The UAEBBY aims to provide promising and professional authors, illustrators and publishers in the UAE with opportunities for communication and exchange of expertise and capacity building. Established in Switzerland in 1953, IBBY represents an international network of organisations and individuals from all over the world who are committed to encouraging the culture of reading and bringing children and books closer. Attached photos: 1- During the reading sessions that were organised by the “Books – Made in UAE” project at the UAEBBY pavilion at SIBF 2017. 2-3 Krause met with Emirati illustrator Abdullah Al Sharhan at a workshop, where they discussed ideas for illustrations for the folk tale collection.
Three Emirati authors spoke about their desires to maintain the heritage of traditional storytelling and some of the challenges they faced while trying to produce it to an audience at Sharjah International Book Fair, which is taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah until 11 November. The authors participated in a four-day workshop in April this year aimed at reviving the art of traditional folk tales in book form, marking the sixth annual edition of UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and Goethe-Institut Gulf Region cultural collaboration, ‘Books – Made in UAE’. Following the workshop, the participants were tasked with writing their own folk story in a way which would appeal to children and at the same time help them to explore and encourage greater interest in their heritage. The panel of Ameera bin Kadra, Maitha Al Khayyat and Alya Al Shamsi was presided over by German author and illustrator Ute Krause, who also conducted the workshop and has written 22 picture and children’s books and illustrated around 400 books for young readers. She told the audience that many examples of folk tales and fairy tales were universal. “We see similar elements across the world to the extent that some are so similar they must somehow come from the same source. We can see that there will always be differences because even when we look at the same stories, some have travelled through generations in the desert and some from the oceans and some from the mountains, these stories vary according to different ways of living and different ways of communicating.” And she pointed out: “What we do know is that in any form, if parents do not read to their children, their children will not become readers.” Maitha Al Khayyat agreed: “When I was writing my story, I felt that we always need to keep the backbone of the narrative but at the same time, I needed to write it in my own way. Our kids don’t know enough about each other and about our community, so it’s up to us as authors and illustrators to tell these stories. And of course it’s also down to the publishers to make these books attractive and accessible.” Ameera bin Kadra continued: “To be honest, I found my story a little rigid and I wanted to make sure the messages and origins were there but I needed to lighten it up to a certain extent, so I injected some humour as well – I hope it’s worked!” For Alya Al Shamsi, there was always reasoning behind the stories she was told and others that she had heard from other people. “My tale was really quite disturbing, so I had to tone it down in some form. But it was generally accepted as a way of living that you told stories sometimes to scare your kids – when you have six children, how else are you going to keep them in order and make sure they don’t go off or get lost?” Ute Krause concluded the session with her thoughts on the content of a traditional tale – or the modern equivalent. “While positive message should be conveyed, I think values are more easily learned by children if they are shown through the experience of the story’s character, rather than shouting and finger pointing.” Having completed the written content, the authors will then have their stories illustrated and ready for publishing in time for the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival in April 2018. -Ends- About the UAEBBY The UAEBBY is the national branch of the IBBY, a non-profit organisation which represents an international network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together. The IBBY seeks to promote international understanding through children's books; to give children everywhere the opportunity to have access to reading material with high literary and artistic standards; to provide support and training for those involved with children and children's literature; to stimulate research and scholarly works in the field of children's literature and to protect and uphold the right of the child to a general education and direct access to information. Ute Krause – Workshop Instructor Ute Krause has been working as a children’s book writer and illustrator for the past 30 years. She has illustrated around 400 and written 22 books. Her work has been turned into films for children’s T.V., into radio plays, nominated for children’s book prizes and translated into many different languages. Six of her books have been translated by Abu Dhabi translation initiative KALIMA into Arabic. She grew up in Asia and Africa and lived for six years in New York. Ute Krause’s picture book “Oscar and the Very Hungry Dragon” (also translated into Arabic) was nominated for the Florida Reading Association Award, for the Montana Treasure State Picture Book Award and the Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award 2012. Attached photo during the panel discussion: From left to right: Ameera bin Kadra, Maitha Al Khayyat, Alya Al Shamsi, and Ute Krause.
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