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UAE Reading Month: Abu Dhabi to organise 100 literary activities in March

MAKTABA to conduct various events to promote reading as a lifestyle and a means of enriching knowledge among various communities

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Abu Dhabi will organise more than 100 literary activities this month to mark the UAE Reading Month, which is observed every year in March.

The Department of Libraries of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi)’s Culture Sector 'MAKTABA', will organise these activities to promote reading as a lifestyle and a means of enriching knowledge among various communities in Abu Dhabi.

MAKTABA will hold events, interactive workshops, educational programmes, seminars, reading workshops, and competitions, targeting children, students, teenagers, academics, the elderly, and people of determination. This year, and in celebration of reading month, MAKTABA will launch the "Let’s Read Together" initiative, through which a selection of books from all genres, and appropriate for all age groups, will be made available for public reading and discussion in book clubs and other events hosted by MAKTABA.

Shaikha Al Muhairi, library management department director, culture sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “UAE Reading Month is an annual occasion that reflects the leadership’s vision to build an educated generation that can drive tomorrow’s social, scientific, and cultural development. This month is a great opportunity for us to work closely with our strategic partners in the government and private sector to offer cultural programmes that suit all social groups.”

Participants will enjoy various activities like storytelling in both Arabic and English, poetry readings, meetings with authors, and creative reading workshops. MAKTABA will also organise a cultural week for adults to promote reading among employees of institutions and companies.

Held across DCT Abu Dhabi’s library branches, MAKTABA’s programme will cover literary, cultural, scientific, and educational topics. For instance, the “Get to Know the Author” workshop will allow participants to better understand the rationale behind the author’s ideas presented in their books. Additionally, aspiring writers will have the chance to hone their writing skills through the “Creative Writing” workshop, while the “Arts and Crafts” workshop will introduce participants to Emirati crafts, arts, and heritage.

Today’s children are the creators of our tomorrow. As such, MAKTABA is designing special programmes for them to encourage children to read and train their imagination. MAKTABA will also organise theatrical performances on the cultural and historical heritage of Abu Dhabi to enhance children's national identity and pride in the Arabic language.

The programme will also include awareness workshops targeting teachers to help them manage learning difficulties faced by students. MAKTABA will hold lectures, seminars, dialogue sessions, and literary evenings tailored to adults and parents starting from the last week of Reading Month and running through the third week of the holy month of Ramadan.

Writers like Mona Al-Nawfali, Maryam Al Ketbi, and Amer Al Mahri will participate in these activities, along with poets like Najat Al Dhaheri and Afra Atiq. Director Khadijah Kudsi and Samia Ghobash, journalist and media trainer, will also participate in these sessions.

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