Sharjah: The 6th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival will feature more than 1,694 events and see the participation of 124 publishing houses from 17 countries.
The festival, which will be held under the theme “Discover Friends for Life”, is scheduled to take place from April 15 to 25 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Revealing more details of the 11-day event, Ahmad Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Director of the Festival, said during a press conference that in light of the Sharjah Capital of Islamic Culture 2014 celebrations, an award-winning exhibition from the UK-based organisation, 1001 Inventions, will be hosted. The interactive exhibition, which will run from April 15 to May 15, will highlight a thousand years of scientific and cultural achievements during the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation.
The 6th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, will be the biggest festival so far.
Comparing it to last year’s, Al Ameri said it will see the participation of 124 publishing houses from 17 countries, compared with 80 at the 2013 festival. The activities and events have also increased from 450 in 2013 to 1,694 this year.
Ninety-five writers, artists and academicians from the UAE and abroad will take part in the festival.
Abdullah Mohammad Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, Hind Abdullah Lenaid, General Coordinator of the festival, and Ahmad Salim, producer and director of 1001 Inventions, also attended the press conference.
Al Ameri said, “The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival was conceived with the aim of developing children’s culture, skills and talents. It also hopes to engage all parts of the community in the Emirate’s cultural scene.”
The event will include workshops, reading sessions, theatrical performances, film screenings, painting and writing competitions and educational lectures in addition to a cultural programme of lectures and workshops. Some are designed for parents, teachers and professionals in children’s literature, while others are dedicated to children of different ages.
