‘Books help children build understanding’

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‘Books help children build understanding’
Rachel Hamilton has penned a number of children’s favourites

The well-loved, locally-based author, Rachel Hamilton spoke to Khaleej Times

by

Kelly Clarke

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Published: Sun 5 Feb 2017, 10:16 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Feb 2017, 12:21 AM

It’s clear the UAE is doing all in its power to foster a lifelong love for all forms of reading, reaching as many young readers as possible. So who better to hear from than the well-loved, locally-based author, Rachel Hamilton?
In 2013, as part of the Montegrappa Prize, Hamilton received a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster based on her competition entry The Case of the Exploding Loo, published in 2014.
Since then, she has gone on to pen a number of children’s favourites. Here, she speaks to Khaleej Times.
“Literature has a key role to play in children’s lives. Storytelling is how we begin to make sense of the universe and our place in it. I like the way books allow young people to have a practice run at life before they’re forced to experience it first-hand: literature lets kids explore situations in their imaginations before they encounter them in real life.
Books are a wonderful gateway to other lives and other places, allowing us to see the world through the eyes of different races, religions, ages and genders. This helps children build understanding and empathy, and to see the similarities as well as the differences between us. Books help us realise that no matter who we are, or what we believe, we’re not alone in the world. By allowing kids to experience different perspectives, literature helps them build connections with other communities, other customs and other cultures.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the perfect example of this, bringing authors from all over the world to create a melting pot of thoughts and ideas. I’m obviously biased, but for me, the children’s sessions are the best part of the festival. They often inform and educate, but at the same time they fill you with hope and sometimes leave you in fits of giggles. I’ve seen a Lit Fest author make his audience laugh so much that one boy fell of his chair. You don’t get better than that.”
kelly@khaleejtimes.com


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