The General Secretariat of the Arab Forum for Children’s Book Publishers has announced the opening of nominations for the 2027 Arab Forum Annual Award for the Best Children’s Book. The nomination period will run from September 1 to November 15, 2026.
This year marks the 14th edition of the Award, which is open exclusively to member publishing houses. Each year, three books are selected across the Award’s three categories to receive the Award.
The following books won the Award in the previous edition:
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, President of International Publishers Association, emphasized that the Association gives due care for effective and open communication with publisher unions and associations around the world to discuss developments and challenges in the publishing sector and identify new business models in line with developments in the previous phase.
Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi said: “We have drawn up a plan to hold a series of in-depth meetings and dialogues with publishers around the world and we started with Arab Publishers Association and Egyptian Publishers Association. The Arab publishing sector has promising opportunities, as the percentage of Arab young people is considered one of the highest percentages all over the world and this category is eager for knowledge and looks forward to getting acquainted with all new and creative aspects. Thus, this constitutes a motivation and inspiration for publishers.”
This statement was said during a meeting held between Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi and members of Arab Publishers Association and members of Egyptian Publishers Association in Cairo.
The meeting of Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi with Arab Publishers Association is the first activity that she has undertaken since holding the presidency of International Publishers Association, in a step in which she affirmed that the issues of Arab publisher are included within the main and essential issues the Association set for its new business cycle. Sheikha Bodour sent a message to Arab publishers, in which she declared that International Publishers Association is keen on interacting with them and continuing the exchange of ideas and visions to find out the factors of growth of the publishing sector in the Arab markets and define how to allow Arab books to reach global markets.
Supporting the creativity
Sheikha Al Qassimi discussed, before the participants in the meeting, the tasks of the specialized committees at International Publishers Association and showed how publishers joined it and participated in achieving its goals, noting that the Association was established to defend for publishers, unify their statements and visions and arrange their efforts to play their roles in an incubating and supportive environment throughout the world.
In addition, President of Arab Publishers Association, Mohamed Rashad, considered that the first visit of Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi, in her official capacity as President of International Publishers Association, is an appreciation and respect for Egypt's position on the map of Arab and global publishing.
He appreciated the efforts exerted by Sharjah under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qassimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in caring for and paying due attention to writers and the publishing stakeholders, pointing out that the establishment of Sharjah International Book Fair and the splendid initiatives accompanying it, represented a good chance for the publishing sector undergoing difficult circumstances.
EIGHTH SESSION / 2021
The Arab Children's Book Publishers Forum announced the winners of the Best Children's Book Award for the eighth session / 2021. The winners as per the decision of the jury, are some of outstanding works that met the criteria of the award, namely:
First: Children’s Books Category Age Group (under 12 years old):
1. The book titled (الذي طارت منه الكلمات) (From which the words flew), the publisher: Nour Al Maarif for Publishing and Distribution / Egypt, the writer Muhannad Al-Aqous, and the illustrations by Dr. Amira Al Tababi,
Second: Books for Young People (16-12 years):
2. The book (الملكة سهيلة) (Queen Suhaila): Publisher: Nahdet Misr Publishing House, the writer Rania Hussein Amin.
Third: Best Text Category:
3. The book (أكاد أختنق) (Almost Choking): The Writer Sahar Shehadi, and the illustrations by Atif Abdullah, the publisher: Nour Al Maarif House for Publishing / Egypt.
Fourth: Best Illustration Category:
4. The book (أمل) (Amal), the painter: Haya Halaw, the writer: Amal Nasser, and the publisher: Dar Hikayat Qamar for publishing and distribution / Saudi Arabia.
On this occasion, the President of the Forum, His Excellency Mr. Nasser Asi, and the members of the Board of Directors of the Forum, extended their congratulations and praises to the winners, wishing them to keep on excelling and succeeding, along with their best wishes to all members of the Forum.
Professor Aisha Hamad Maghawour, Secretary General of the Arab Forum of Children's Book Publishers, chairman of the award committee, also expressed delight at this achievement and distinction, while noting that the Forum's award for the best children's book is meant to develop the children's book and prompt publishers to come up with the best, something that helps to engage children to have a sense of book companionship, and to build up their reading skills.
The jury of the award has wrapped up its work over the past few days to judge the competing works in the eighth session of the Arab Forum of Children's Book Publishers Award for the best children's book throughout an array of assessment criteria for this Award that is intended to aid in promoting the creative output of the publishing houses of the forum's members, and the enhancement of their contributions to the areas of Arab children's book publishing.
The Ministry of Culture and Youth has announced yesterday the start of the "Reading Month 2022" under the theme " The UAE Reads ", embodying the national vision, that seeks to pave the way for a generation of readers, strengthening the country's position as a capital of content, culture and knowledge.
The United Arab Emirates celebrates Reading Month every year, in accordance with the decision issued by the Council of Ministers, which established the month of March annually as National Reading Month, a milestone that sets a new pace in the development of knowledge societies in the country. The Ministry of Culture and Youth is committed to its implementation, in full coordination with the relevant federal and local authorities.
The Reading Month mirrors the eagerness of the United Arab Emirates' leadership, headed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rachid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. The objective of the project is to foster a culture of science and knowledge, and to bring to fruition a series of cultural, intellectual, and cognitive projects launched by the state since its inception.
A key national goal of this initiative is to ensure that reading behavior reaches 50% of Emirati adults by 2026 and 80% of students, with an average of 20 books read by students per year on a voluntary basis. Another goal of this strategy is that the percentage of Emirati parents who read for their children should be no less than about 50%.
Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: "Reading is intricately linked to the UAE's efforts both to shore up the knowledge economy as a platform to step into the future and to sustain the country's progress and the well-being of its people. Indeed, without reading, there is no way for the educated and innovative citizen to embrace the foundations of the knowledge economy, to drive the process of sustainable development, to consolidate the reading culture in society and to make initiatives to upgrade the level of knowledge and culture a top priority in the annual agenda of government and private bodies.
His Highness the President of the State has enacted the National Reading Law, the first of its kind in the world, with the aim of underpinning the development of human capital, contributing to the strengthening of mental and cognitive capacities, supporting national intellectual production and enhancing knowledge. societies in the country. The National Reading Law establishes binding frameworks for all government bodies in the educational, community, media and cultural sectors to further reinforce reading among all groups in society at all ages.
