Sharjah: As many as 198 international, regional and local authors and cultural personalities will take part in the 11th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival which begins at the Sharjah Expo Centre today

In addition, 2,546 cultural and literary events and activities, and the best in children’s and young adult literature, being flown in by 167 publishers from 18 countries, will all be a part of the 11-day festival organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, SBA.

SCRF 2019 will be celebrating the theme “Explore Knowledge”.

A lineup of 33 authors, including Elisabetta Dami from Italy, and Carole Boston Weatherford and Stuart J. Murphy, both from the United States, are among the big names to watch out for.

Alongside, the Sharjah Exhibition for Children’s Book Illustrations will feature 320 artists and illustrators from 55 countries. The SCRF 2019 will be hosting two exhibitions, “Traveling the Silk Road” and “Voyage to the Deep”. There will also be live theatrical performances in Arabic, English, Urdu and Hindi, for people from different communities.

SBA has added school competitions, which will feature daily awards for talented students who portray excellence in creative writing, filmmaking and Arabic poetry recitation.

The ‘Kids Cafe’ will bring together young talents such as Arab chess champion Sultan Al Zaabi, and the youngest Arab journalist Durar Al Muraqeb, among others. The cookery corner will have a packed culinary itinerary of 140 workshops and live master classes by some of the youngest Arab and international chefs from eight nations.

Comic book and Japanese manga lovers will have as many as 80 different comic-book and graphic novel themed activities and workshops to learn from. Tech and social media enthusiast can look forward to 28 different events that will be hosted at SCRF’s “Social Media Station”.

What: 11th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival

Where: Expo Centre Sharjah

When: April 17-27

Saturday — Wednesday: 9am-8pm

Thursdays: 9am-10pm

Fridays: 4pm-10pm

Entry: Free