World of books, art and fun

288 AUTHORS AND ARTISTS TO ENGAGE IN 2,600 ACTIVITIES DURING 11-DAY FESTIVAL

Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival at Expo Centre features leading authors |

Acolourful world of picture books, artworks and activities welcomed visitors to the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) that opened at Expo Centre Sharjah yesterday.

The 10th edition of SCRF, running till April 28, was inaugurated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Shaikh Sultan, along with Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of Sharjah Book Authority and senior officials, toured the event and presented awards in various categories, such as best children’s book and illustrator.

Upon his arrival at the venue, Shaikh Sultan was greeted by a group of small girls who presented a performance for him. As always, scores of schoolchildren also visited the festival on the first day, browsing the huge selection of books and taking part in activities.

This year’s SCRF is featuring 134 publishing houses from 18 Arab and foreign countries, bringing together 288 guests, including authors, artists and illustrators from 121 countries who will engage in 2,600 cultural events and art activities throughout the 11-day festival.

Last year, 306,000 people visited the festival over its 11day run.

Reading still popular

Despite the rise of digital hand-held devices, children are still reading books, SCRF exhibitors and visitors said yesterday.

“Yes, there are smartphones, e-books and electronic games now, but I still like to read paper books. I read around five books a year; I like to read about history,” said Ahmad Abdul Rahman, a 15-year-old Egyptian student visiting SCRF.

Besides books, a total of 355 artworks is showcased at the Sharjah Children’s Books Illustrations Exhibition at SCRF. This year, the exhibited works are contributed by 104 illustrators from 32 countries. They include 12 from the UAE, constituting the nation’s largest participation in the exhibition’s history. There are also 29 illustrators from other Arab countries and 63 from the rest of the world.

Among the famous authors and illustrators at SCRF is Britain’s Ed Vere, India’s Varun Pruthi, and Miranda Paul from the US.

WAM Dr Shaikh Sultan meets kids during a tour of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival yesterday.

Dr Shaikh Sultan honours one of the winners of the Illustrations awards in the presence of Ahmad Al Ameri. WAM

Atiq ur Rehman/Gulf News Students looking at pop-up books at the 3D Book Exhibition being held alongside the reading festival at Expo Centre.

Atiq ur Rehman/Gulf News Students enjoying the ‘Future on Mars’ virtual reality experience of the Red Planet’s surface.