Sharjah: The Children’s Reading Festival in Sharjah is more of a celebration than a festival for children. For the past 12 years, Sharjah has been a wonderful world of children’s stories and poems that children love to listen to. The 13th Children’s Reading Festival kicks off on Wednesday at the Sharjah Expo Center. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and a member of the Supreme Council of the UAE will inaugurate the reading today.
Admission to the 12-day fair is Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 8 pm, Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm. There is a storehouse of books, children’s stories and surprises. The theme of the fair is ‘Create Creativity’ at the Expo Center in Sharjah Al Taawun. Admission to the fair is free, with the aim of introducing students and their works in the fields of literature, science, art, entertainment and culture.
In the coming days, students from all over the school will come together to participate in the reading festival. Various competitions are also organized for children. Free registration can be done through the website or in person. Children’s programs including expatriate Malayalees are also an active feature of the fair. Indian authors Vibhabatra and children’s story writer Anitha Vacharanchini will be present at the fair. Anita is the author of the 2021 Sahitya Akademi Children’s Award winning book Amrita Shergill. Priya Kurian, the writer who makes the readers laugh and think, will be the Malayalam star of the fair. Priya Kurian is the author of the book ‘Ammachiyude Kannada’.
The Reading Festival, which runs until the 22nd, will feature 139 publishers from 12 countries, including India, with their latest books. Another highlight of the fair is the 750 workshops. In addition, there will be 130 art events. Cooking exhibitions, competitions, drama and sports events are also part of the reading festival. The UAE tops the list with 76 publishers. Other participating countries are Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, US, Kuwait, Qatar, Sudan, Morocco, India, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Twenty-five world-renowned writers are participating in the reading festival to entertain children. Many international writers will lead the activities of the reading festival. The Reading Festival aims to expose the younger generation to the world of their creativity, develop their skills and enhance their knowledge.
Various events at the fair, including the Robot Zoo
A museum with robots has also been set up at the fair. The zoo has eight animal robots and regarding 15 programs for children to learn. The Robot Zoo features small creatures that can be transformed into large robotic creatures. Even the smallest species are depicted here with fascinating and real-life features. This will help young children learn regarding animal behavior in a fun way. Magic School Bus, Magic Lab, The Mystical Garden, Ice Skating, Brick People, Akbar the Great Nahi Rahe and Sethura will be the highlights.
The Kids in Action section is open to children ages 3-5. There were 264 creative activities organized. The fair also showcases the world of comics through over 100 activities led by many artists from around the world. Another highlight of the popular cookery corner fair is the more than 30 culinary activities presented by eight renowned chefs from seven countries. They are Sierra Atwell, Sally Bee from the UK, Dario Stephen from the US, Tabet Sham Al Asil from Syria, Najla Shershabi from Egypt, Anis Nabila from Malaysia, Fatina Dahar (Lebanon) and Nidal Al Brahi.
There is also a ‘Poetry Night’ literary competition at the fair. It is a competition that encourages young talent to develop their reading and general performance skills. The first, second and third place winners of the Poetry Night competition will be awarded Dh3000, Dh2,000 and Dh1,000 respectively.
De V Vaishna V
Malayalee student to share writing experience
Devi Vaishnavi, an 11-year-old Malayalee student at Ajman International Indian School will share her writing experiences. Vaishnavi’s third book ‘The Voice’ will be introduced at the fair along with other talented children at the Kids Creative Cafe in Hall 6. Devi has written three books at such a young age, as well as a collection of poems, The Promise, in addition to Vampire the Vampire Virus and The Sky Speaks.
Child writers at the fair
Authors include Balika Al Reem Hammadi (9), Taif Al Dufairi (8) from Saudi Arabia, athlete Farah Mustafa (Egypt), Ahsan Ramzan (Pakistan), 12-year-old Amina Hossain from Bangladesh living in Dubai, and Patrick Khorag (12). Kids will be at the Creative Cafe in a few days.
