Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival attracts young and old alike

SHARJAH: The Children's Reading Festival under the theme ‘Discover Beyond’ kicked off in Sharjah with enthusiastic and excited book lovers thronging the festival. It is the region’s largest children’s reading event.

Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi inaugurated the festival.

The aim of the ninth Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) is to promote love of reading among young and old.

More than 2,093 activities and 123 international exhibitors are focusing on the needs, trends and issues of young readers at the festival.

Running from 19–29 April at Expo Centre Sharjah, SCRF will welcome 179 guests from 18 countries. Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Morocco are participating for the first time.

This year, an elite group of Arab authors and artists who have been responsible for enriching the Arab cultural landscape will also attend the festival.

Other guests such as international authors Gayle Forman, Kwame Alexander and Korky Paul are also participating. Forman is an American journalist and New York Times best-selling author of ‘Just One Day’ and ‘Just One Year’, Alexander is an American poet and New York Times best-selling author of ‘He Said, She Said’, and Korky Paul is a British children’s book-illustrator, whose original artwork is on display at the Mazza Collection Galleria, Ohio, USA.