Sharjah24: The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), has opened registration for its highly anticipated literary accolades: the Sharjah Children’s Book Award, the Books for Visually Impaired Children Award, and the Sharjah Audio Book Award. The festival is accepting submissions until the 15th of March.

The three awards pay tribute to children's literature, acknowledging its intellectual and creative facets across various formats. They recognise and inspire authors to create exceptional works, enriching children's libraries in the Arab region and worldwide. At the same time, the awards foster children's literary appreciation, cultivate their talents and intellectual skills, and nurture a generation of enlightened, informed young individuals who are equipped to propel the development of their communities and countries forward.

Sharjah Children’s Book Award
The Sharjah Children's Book Award targets three categories: Arabic Children's books (4 - 12 years), Arabic Young Adult books (13 - 17 years), and English-language-based International Children's books (7 - 13 years). The award is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers. Winners in each category will receive AED 20,000.

The submission criteria stipulate that the nominated book must be new and unique in its field. Revised editions are not eligible for nomination, and the book must have been published at any time in the two years preceding the current SCRF edition.

Furthermore, only books that have not previously won any literary award can be submitted while the nominated author must not have won a prize for the category applied in the past two years. Additionally, translated books or those developed from other books are not accepted.

The winners will be announced during a special ceremony during the upcoming edition of SCRF.

Books for Visually Impaired Children Award
The same conditions apply for submitting entries for the AED 20,000 Books for Visually Impaired Children Award. The criteria further states that all books must feature tactile pictures and use different styles to enable three-dimensional images. All images must be accurately glued and fixed.

The text must be printed clearly in large fonts as well as those printed in Braille characters and must facilitate reading without any interruptions. The books must feature different and clear colours to stimulate the sight of partially sighted children and should have literary merit.

Sharjah Audio Book Award 
The Sharjah Audio Book Award aligns with modern technological advances in children’s literature. It is divided into Best Arabic Audio Book and Best English Audio Book. Winners in each category will receive an AED 15,000 cash prize.

Registration for the awards and further details are available via https://www.scrf.ae/ar/content?id=10203. Applicants must submit three non-refundable copies of the nominated book, a brief of the publisher, and the curricula vitae of the writer and illustrator, in addition to a copy of a valid passport of the writer and illustrator.