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Fujairah Children’s Book Fair Draws to Close with Total of 10,000 Visitors

The event welcomed 40 publishers from the UAE and abroad. WAM
The event welcomed 40 publishers from the UAE and abroad. WAM
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Fujairah Children’s Book Fair Draws to Close with Total of 10,000 Visitors

The event welcomed 40 publishers from the UAE and abroad. WAM
The event welcomed 40 publishers from the UAE and abroad. WAM

The inaugural edition of the Fujairah Children's Book Fair concluded on Saturday after offering a packed cultural agenda featuring more than 87 different activities, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. These included ten panel discussions, 43 literary events, and 34 workshops hosted on the main stage and at the booths of participating publishing houses.

The event welcomed 40 publishers from the UAE and abroad, showcasing an extensive selection of educational, cultural, and artistic books, WAM said.

The first edition of the Fujairah Children's Book Fair was held under the theme 'Create the Future with Imagination' and featured four zones: Imagination, Adventure, Creativity and Future. These zones embodied the fair's slogan by promoting creative thinking, scientific imagination, and learning and exploration skills among children, the news agency added.

Over the seven days, the fair welcomed 10,000 visitors, including school students, children, families, and literature and culture enthusiasts who attended activities daily to engage with the rich and diverse cultural program. The event particularly attracted younger audiences, showing a strong demand for books in young adult and children's literature genres.

The fair featured a group of prominent authors and influential figures who contributed to the exhibition's extensive cultural and educational programs. The agenda included interactive workshops in Arabic and English and a series of panel discussions for children on topics such as art, philosophy, story creation, drawing, and book readings in Arabic and English.

Additional sessions included creating books using origami, which engaged visitors, especially children. The young participants shared their ideas, enriched the discussions, and participated in hands-on workshops.

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Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center Reveals Shortlists for Sard Al Thahab Award

A total of 15 works from eight countries have been selected to compete across four categories. WAM
A total of 15 works from eight countries have been selected to compete across four categories. WAM
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Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center Reveals Shortlists for Sard Al Thahab Award

A total of 15 works from eight countries have been selected to compete across four categories. WAM
A total of 15 works from eight countries have been selected to compete across four categories. WAM

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has unveiled the shortlists for the second edition of the Sard Al Thahab Award, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Wednesday.

A total of 15 works from eight countries have been selected to compete across four categories: ‘Short Story for Published Stories’, ‘Popular Narratives’, ‘Short Story for Unpublished Stories’, and ‘Illustrated Story,’ WAM said.

In addition to these, the center will announce the winners in the ‘Narrators’ and ‘Emirati Narration’ categories, along with the winners in the four categories, over the coming months.

The shortlist features works from the UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The increase in the number of participating countries highlights the award's rapid expansion and its capacity to attract creative talents across its six categories.

The shortlist for the ‘Short Story for Published Stories’ category is: ‘The Two Sisters’ by Ali AlAbdan from the UAE, published in 2023 by the Emirates Writers Union; ‘The Last Storyteller in This Time’ by Abdulrahman Abbas from Sudan, published in 2023 by Rwafead Publishing & Distribution; and ‘The Green Dragon’s Wife and Other Colourful Tales’ by Rawaa Sunbol from Syria, published in 2019 by Alaan Publishers & Distributors.

The shortlist for the ‘Popular Narratives’ category features: ‘Bahraini Folktales: One Thousand and One Tales’ by Dr. Dheya Abdulla Khamis AlKaabi from Bahrain, published in 2018 by the Arab Institute for Research & Publishing; ‘Encyclopedia of Folktales: One Thousand and Eighty Tales from Northern Upper Egypt’ by Dr. Sayed Fares from Egypt, published in 2023 by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; and ‘The Hidden Heritage: The Sumerian Legend and the Gulf Novel of the Al-Sirah al-Hilaliyyah’ by Fathy Abdelsamie from Egypt, published in 2024 by Dar Waad for Publishing and Distribution.

The shortlist for the ‘Short Story for Unpublished Stories’ category has five entries: ‘Rooms with People Running Underneath Them’ by the Iraqi writer Yas AlFahdawi; ‘Biography of a Creature’ by the Moroccan writer Said Alfellak; ‘Suspended Souls’ by the Egyptian writer AbdelHady Ibrahim; ‘Judeilah Weather’ by the Egyptian writer Aida Deraman; and ‘Al Hashashat’ by the Tunisian writer Nasr Sami.

The shortlist for the ‘Illustrated Story’ category has four works: a documentary film titled ‘Tifan’ by Aaesha Alteneiji from the UAE; a photograph titled ‘Grandma’s Stories’ by Nuwair Alhajeri from the UAE; a photograph titled ‘Wife’s Loyalty’ by Issa Mohamed from Bahrain; and a drawing titled ‘Antara and Abla’ by Mahmood Shubbar from Iraq.

The jury selected the nominated works based on their alignment with the award's standards and objectives, reinforcing the award's commitment to excellence and fostering creativity in the literary field.

The Sard Al Thahab Award is an annual initiative launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center. Its objectives are inspired by the poetry of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation. The award aims to serve as a platform that merges creativity with intellectual thought, fostering an artistic movement that draws upon Sheikh Zayed’s creative legacy as a foundation for new forms of creativity.