A sketch a day captures the spirit of SCRF 2025

Sharjah24: How would it be to see the 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) through the sketches of an artist? The appeal of books, workshops and cultural discussions that gives SCRF its unique flavour has been minutely captured in the canvas of Egyptian illustrator Mohamed Wahba at the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) pavilion where the Egyptian Board on Books for Young People (EBBY) is the Guest of Honour.

Wahba, a master of comic creation, has been drawing a sketch each day at SCRF 2025. If the first day sketch depicted His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurating SCRF, the second day sketch was a detailed study of a storytelling session at the UAEBbY pavilion, where mothers excitedly took photographs on their mobile phones while children sat on stools gazing at storybooks. The third day's illustration was the House of Wisdom, the new icon of Sharjah’s reading culture.

“This is my first time at SCRF, and it is an honour to be here as part of EBBY. I make a live drawing of an activity here every day. The vibes here are magical, with numerous books and activities,” said Wahba who began drawing at the age of four and has numerous illustrated books in Arabic and English. The Cairo-based artist said he had received professional training in Japan, South Korea, France and Turkey and likes to travel around the world to imbibe more cultures. “For the past 20 years, I only do pen sketches; before that, I used to do pencil sketches. I do this like a game and a challenge,” said the artist.

The UAEBbY is exhibiting numerous children’s books from Egypt including a few in English at SCRF 2025. Adding colour to the sessions with children are author Dr Ibrahim Shalaby and storyteller Haitham Shoukry who read aloud the books from Egypt. The EBBY team is led by its President Nadia El Kholy, a Professor of English at Cairo University and a distinguished translator.

Under the stewardship of UAEBbY President Marwa al Aqroubi, the organisation has collaborated with EBBY for a cultural exchange of ideas. At SCRF, it is organising workshops for children every day. The visiting EBBY team will witness cultural programmes and will be taken for sightseeing across Sharjah including Heart of Sharjah; they will return to their country enlightened about SCRF and its reach.

By hosting Egypt at SCRF 2025, UAEBbY is furthering its collaboration with EBBY, which started during its participation in the Cairo International Book Fair earlier in the year. There, UAEBbY had organised a Kan Yama Kan event to visit schools and libraries and gift children with books. One of the stated objectives of the organisation is to donate books to children in need or have poor access to them, and also in places of unrest. In 2024, it had donated over 15,000 books to countries including Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco fulfilling its mission to nurture creativity and positive values in younger generations.

Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme “Dive into Books”. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this year’s agenda features 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations.

For more information on this free-to-attend event, visit www.scrf.ae.