Bodour Al Qasimi honors the winners of the 17th edition of the International Award for Arab Children’s Literature

Sharjah, 6 November / WAM / Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, Founder and Honorary President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, honored the winners of the seventeenth session of the International Award for Arabic Children’s Literature presented by E& and organized by the UAE Board on Books for Young People, during a ceremony held at the Sharjah Expo Center yesterday evening as part of the activities of the Sharjah International Book Fair 2025.

The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAE Council on Books for Young People, and Mohammed Al Amimi, Acting Director General – Northern Emirates at E&Emirates, along with many cultural and media figures, publishers and those interested in children’s literature.

The ceremony witnessed the announcement of the winners in the five award categories: early childhood, picture book, book with chapters, young adult book, and non-fiction books. The winner in the early childhood category (0 to five years old) was the book “Tomorrow is Another Day,” written by: Dalia Al-Manhal Mirza and illustrated by: Maya Majdalani, published by Kalila and Dimna Publishing House (Jordan).

The picture book category (from five to nine years old) won the book “The Hidden Gate of Jerusalem,” written by: Ibtisam Suleiman Barakat and illustrated by: Charlotte Shama, published by Dar Al Salwa (Jordan), while the award for the book with chapters category (from nine to twelve years old) went to the book “Dive,” written by: Nour Al-Huda Muhammad and illustrated by: Zeina Al-Mesiri, published by Dar Raheeq Al-Kutub for Publishing and Distribution (Egypt).

The young adult book category award (from thirteen to eighteen years old) was won by the book “Sons of the Shadow,” written by: Hala Abbas and published by Juice Al-Kutub for Translation, Publishing and Distribution (Egypt). As for the non-fiction book category (up to eighteen years of age), the book “I Am” won by: Qais Saleh Al-Hanti and illustrated by: Israa Haidari, published by Dar Al-Salwa Publishers (Jordan).

The members of the award’s jury were also honoured, who chose the winning works according to precise criteria that included the originality of the idea, the soundness of the language, the quality of the drawings and direction, and the extent of their ability to address the child in an inspiring and creative spirit. The honor included the Italian artist Francesca Dell’Orto, the Qatari writer Sheikha Al-Ziyara, the Algerian writer Dr. Fatima Al-Zahra bin Arab, the Omani writer Dr. Wafa Al-Shamsi, and the Saudi educational consultant and publisher Thuraya Batterjee, founder of Dar. Cady and Ramadi Publishing House, which has won national awards in recognition of its contributions to children’s literature and education, are considered among the most prominent names in children’s and young adult literature in the Arab world and beyond.

In its 17th edition, the award received (407) entries from 22 countries, which is the largest number since its establishment in 2009, with the participation of 280 authors, 263 illustrators, and 116 publishers. The UAE topped the list with 111 entries, followed by Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, in addition to entries from Arab and European countries such as Finland, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. These numbers reflected the status the award has reached in the Arab world. Internationally and its ability to discover new creative voices in Arab children’s literature.

Marwa Al Aqroubi said: Seventeen years ago, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi laid the foundation stone for a great Arab dream: to give the Arab child literature worthy of him, to cultivate in his awareness a love of the word, and to restore the book to its place so that it remains the most beautiful means of discovering oneself and the world. Hence, the International Prize for Arab Children’s Literature was launched with a humanitarian vision that made Sharjah a capital that illuminates the path of Arab publishing and gives book makers space for creativity and innovation.

She added, with each new session, the award sheds light on young Arab energies and new influential names that contributed to shaping the features of children’s and young people’s literature, in addition to raising the level of quality from idea and drawing to directing and printing, noting that the winners of the 17th edition carried the responsibility of the word honestly and creatively, so they deserved to be honored and celebrated, as their success is not only a personal achievement, but a victory for the Arabic language and for young readers who are waiting for books to open the doors of dreams and knowledge for them.

For his part, Mohammed Al Amimi, Acting General Manager – Northern Emirates at E&Emirates, said: “The partnership with the Emirates Council on Books for Young People has brought us together with one vision that believes that the children’s book industry represents an integrated cultural project. Through the award, we work together to support Arab authors, illustrators, and publishers and enable them to produce high-quality books that reach every Arab child wherever they are. This represents an extension of E&Emirates’ mission, which seeks to expand the concept of communication to include building intellectual and humanitarian bridges that enhance the presence of Arab culture on the global stage.” .

He added, through its successive sessions, the award has proven that cultural sustainability is only achieved through partnerships based on trust and a shared vision. We are proud to be part of this continuous success that has established the award’s position as a leading platform for discovering talent and stimulating creativity in the field of Arab children’s literature. From this standpoint, we view our sponsorship of the award as a national responsibility before it is an institutional commitment because it touches the essence of what we believe in, which is that empowering children with knowledge is the greatest investment in the future.

The winning works and those that were shortlisted showed diversity in their topics and styles, as they combined imagination and reality and included stories that instill in children the values ​​of tolerance and acceptance, youth novels that address issues of identity and difference, and interactive books that encourage contemplation and philosophical and scientific thinking. The works as a whole painted a vibrant literary scene that elevates the book as a means of learning and awareness and confirms that literature directed at children and young people has today become a mirror that reflects their deep questions and renewed curiosity about the world.

The International Award for Arab Children’s Literature is one of the most prominent Arab awards specialized in children’s literature, as it continues its mission to support Arab writers, illustrators, and publishers and provide a space for them to present works that enhance imagination and nourish thought and the Arabic language. The total value of the award is 1.2 million dirhams, with 180 thousand dirhams for each category divided between the author, illustrator, and publisher, with the exception of the young adult category, which is shared by the author and publisher only, and an amount of 300 thousand has been allocated. AED 100,000 for the “Warsha” training program launched by the award to qualify Arab writers and painters according to the highest standards of publishing directed at children.

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