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Call for entries closed for 2012 Etisalat Award

The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) has announced that the call for entries for the 4th edition of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature has now closed.

The UAEBBY received more than 50 entries and a jury is due to meet to evaluate the books submitted in order to select the shortlist and the winning book. The winner of the Award will be announced in November, during the opening ceremony of this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, General Coordinator of the Award, said: “Since its launch, the Award has been very well-received within literary circles and by Arab publishing houses. This year is no exception, despite political unrest in some Arab countries such as Syria, Tunisia and Egypt.”

According to Al Aqroubi, Lebanon has submitted the largest number of entries, accounting for 25% of total submissions, while entries submitted by publishing houses based in Egypt, Jordan and the UAE account for 15% each. Entries from Syria and Tunisia make up 9%, Palestine 7%, and Saudi Arabia 5%, respectively.

The AED 1 million Etisalat Award is presented annually to the best Arabic children’s book, with 50% of the award money going to the winning publisher, and the remaining 50% being divided between the author and illustrator as per the jury’s decision.

• UAE