Sharjah Children's Reading Fest a page-turning success

Sharjah - A total of 990 visits to the festival were recorded from schools across the country

The 11 days of the 9th edition of Sharjah Children Reading Festival (SCRF2017), which concluded on Saturday, at Expo Center Sharjah, saw a total turnout of 306,000 visitors.
The SCRF, which was organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) under the Theme 'Discover Beyond', proved to be a top attraction for schools and educational institutions wanting to provide their pupils with an inspiring and intellectually stimulating day out.
Ahmed Al Emeri, chairperson of SBA, said that a total of 990 visits to the festival were recorded from schools across the country, with teachers and students alike keen to experience its rich programme of events and activities.
"Year after year, SCRF furthers the implementation of the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and is being supported by his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, to nurture the imagination and ambitions of the UAE's children and to raise young generations who are equipped with the skills to lead the country,"
The ninth edition of SCRF exemplified the excellent relations that children have with their books, and afforded the perfect platform for individuals, publishers and distributors to showcase their array of literary products and services.
SCRF 2017 saw the participation of 123 exhibitors who displayed their wares across its total area of 2,304sqm. Hosting 179 guests from across the world, SCRF 2017 featured 2,093 cultural, artistic, recreational and educational events. The festival also held the sixth edition of the Sharjah Children's Book Illustrations Exhibition, featuring 303 works by 90 literary artists from across the world.
Al Ameri added that a main draw at this year's SCRF was a special exhibition titled 'Brain: The Inside Story.' Organised by the American Museum of Natural History, the interactive installation took festival-goers on a fascinating neurological journey and provided an illuminating insight into the workings of the human brain, the complex product of millions of years of evolution. The concluding day of SCRF 2017 saw the announcement of the winners of the school student competition 'Best Written Report,' which encouraged visiting pupils to test their skills as critics by reviewing one of the festival's many seminars. The festival was also graced with a visit by Sheikh Dr. Sultan, who allocated Dh 2.5 million worth of books for children and young people to add to Sharjah's public, school and university libraries. "This edition was a success, as evidenced by the increase number of visitors compared with last year's edition."
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com