Event 1 Wednesday 10 March 11.15amAl Ras 2 & 3The issue of illiteracy throughout the Arab World is a prime concern and there is a major drive to tackle it.  Providing children with bright and entertaining books is a vital element in the campaign as not only does this encourage a love of reading but is also proven to have a positive impact on academic achievement.

With the support of OKTUB, a programme to support first time authors, run by the Mohamed Bin Rashid Foundation, a group of thirteen students from the Education & Applied Communications Faculties at Dubai Women’s College undertook a project to write and illustrate picture books for young children.  A key objective was to focus on enjoyment and dispel the idea that books are only for ‘learning’. These new Emirati writers, represented here today by Rauda Al Hallami and Shahrazad Al Jaziri, will be working to promote them, to ‘spread the word’ and provide inspiration to other potential writers. Reem al-Gurg has developed a series of seven baby board books, each one focusing on a different Emirate.

Joining these new and emerging writers will be award-winning Lebanese children’s publisher Nadine Touma, whose books epitomise the quest for quality in every sense; Andy Smart - Consultant Publisher to the Bloomsbury/Qatar Foundation and translator of many books from English to Arabic, including, with his wife Nadia Fouda, the children’s classic The Gruffalo; and Polly Dunbar, the young but already world-renowned children’s book illustrator.

The panel will be discussing the challenges of writing and producing quality books for children and why children’s books are now viewed with such importance in the world of publishing globally.

This is a free event open to all, but to guarantee a seat we recommend you book a ticket.

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