Sharjah Children's Reading Festival 2016 to shine with 1,500 events and 130 publishers from 15 countries

 The Sharjah Book Authority, SBA, has announced that the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, SCRF, being held under the patronage of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, will host more than 1,500 events and see the participation of 130 publishers from 15 countries during its eighth edition Themed 'Shine Out', taking place from April 20-30 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Details of SCRF 2016 were revealed today at a press conference held at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the presence of Ahmed Bin Rakkad Al Ameri, SBA Chairman; Mohamed Al Amimi, Vice-President, Business Engagement and Customer Support at Etisalat; Shehab Al Hammadi, Director of the Support Service Sector at Sharjah Media Corporation; Hind Abdulla Lenaid, Manager of Fairs and Festivals at Sharjah Book Authority, and Salim Omar Salim, Director of Marketing and Sales at SBA, in addition to a number of local and Arab media representatives.

Ahmed Al Ameri said, "The Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, held under the generous patronage of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah and with the directives and support of his wife, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, together with the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), contributes to emphasising Sharjah's leading cultural and intellectual position and the building of human intellectual capacity."

"I do not think that there is anyone here who is unaware of SIBF’s stature on both the local and international levels. Its globally acclaimed reputation did not come out of the blue, but is a result of the immense efforts, follow-up and guidance of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah over the past 34 years, each year of which he has given his special attention to human culture and knowledge. H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has always been driven to create generations that have a passion for learning, science and knowledge, as he understands that this is the only way for nations to prosper and continue to make progress," he added.

"H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi instructed us to hold an event similar to SIBF but be exclusively dedicated to children, adolescents and the family. This directive was in line with Her Highness’ belief that reading must be nurtured with love and fun in children from an early age in order to empower them with intellect and knowledge," Al Ameri continued.

"I would like to say that SCRF is big, in terms of its message, its goals and its far-sighted vision for the betterment of our children and our country. It is big because it establishes the sustainability and quality of SIBF, which grows year-on-year. It has achieved this with the support of inspiring Emirati minds who were children and adolescents and who are now present among us today to pave the way for more achievements and successes to be talked about on the global stage."

Speaking about the SCRF 2016 events, Al Ameri said: " UAE tops the list of countries taking part with its 55 publishing houses, followed by Lebanon with 25 and Egypt with 20 publishers, with Canada, China, India and the United Kingdom among the many other countries having a presence. This year's edition will see the line-up of 1,518 events during its 11 days."

Hind Abdullah Lenaid, said; "This year we have sought to focus on associating culture and reading with pleasure and entertainment in line with SBA's strategy to develop the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, emphasising expanding children's intellect and nurturing their minds with knowledge. We worked relentlessly for six months to develop a range of events that attract children and the whole family. We have recently finished all preparations for the 11-day festival, which will feature 1, 518 events."

She added, "This year’s agenda span four main areas; the Children’s Programme with 1,245 events, the Cultural Programme with 74 activities, the Culinary Programme with 61 activities and the workshops with 27 activities. There are 45 events as part of the space exhibition and 35 activities as part of the fifth edition of the Sharjah Exhibition for Children's Book Illustrations."

She continued by saying; "The true word is like a lamp whose light will spread to illuminate the world. From Sharjah, the Capital of Culture, we will see the fifth edition of the Sharjah Exhibition for Children's Book Illustrations, which will showcase 1,083 illustrations by professional illustrators from 56 countries."

Shehab Al Hammadi, Director of the Support Service Sector at Sharjah Media Corporation, said, "We meet today to celebrate the book and what it represents. We are delighted to be part of this great event, instilling a love of reading in children who are the future generations and enlightening them with knowledge."

Al Hammadi added that Sharjah Media Corporation will participate in sponsoring the festival through the presence of a fully-equipped studio which will broadcast the events activities through its channels, which include Sharjah TV. Thanking the organisers of the festival he also said that that Sharjah Media Corporation would be supporting the festival by all means, such as through its social media networks.