Int’l Award for Arabic Children's Literature launch 17th edition

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, along with Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, who leads the Sharjah Book Authority and is also the Founder and Honorary President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, visited the Sharjah Book Authority's pavilion during the opening of the 16th edition of the festival. Marwa Al Aqroubi, who chairs the UAE Board on Books for Young People, shared with His Highness the vision behind the newly updated award from e&, highlighting the important changes that have been made. 

This year, the award has introduced a new category called "Non-Fiction." This initiative aims to promote books that share real-life experiences and help spark critical thinking and exploration in young children. In addition to the new category, there are also four other categories: "Early Childhood," "Picture Book," "Chapter Book," and "Young Adult Book."

Al Aqroubi announced that the 17th edition of the award is kicking off with fresh aims and a wider reach. It now has a name that highlights its global importance and its role in supporting Arabic literature for children. The award has been recognized for adding valuable books to Arabic libraries. As it moves into this new phase, the goal is to make an even bigger impact and include more participants from different countries who are involved in creating Arabic books for kids and young adults.

Al Aqroubi has shared exciting news about a new initiative aimed at getting more people involved and attracting fresh creative talent for an award. They have decided to focus on nonfiction books, which will change every two years. This choice highlights how important nonfiction is for helping people learn through reading and connecting with real-life experiences. Writers and publishers are encouraged to send in their works that blend creativity with awareness, with the goal of cultivating a generation of readers and thinkers who appreciate well-written, high-quality Arabic.

At the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, Al Aqroubi had a meeting with Mohammed Al Amimi, who is the Acting General Manager of the Northern Emirates at e&, the main sponsor of the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature. They talked about how to strengthen their partnership and looked for ways to make the award even better, aiming to reach more authors, publishers, and illustrators from around the world. Both agreed on their commitment to promoting reading among children and young adults and finding new ways to inspire a love of books.

Al Amimi emphasized that the organization is committed to supporting the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature. This award helps showcase and celebrate creativity in books for children and young adults in the Arab world. It has played a key role in helping many Arab authors grow and encouraging publishing companies to release impressive new titles. As a result, these books have enriched the collection of literature available in Arabic, making reading more enjoyable and engaging for young readers.

e& is working together with the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) to support projects that help promote culture and education. This partnership aims to strengthen the UAE’s role in community-focused efforts and to highlight the importance of the Arabic language. The award represents a commitment to the future by investing in the book industry and supporting the development of today’s and tomorrow’s Arab generations.

The award has introduced its new website, which showcases its updated identity. This change is part of an exciting new initiative aimed at expanding its presence and influence around the world. The website reflects the award's commitment to reaching a global audience and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.

A new award is open for creators of children's and young adult books in Arabic! This includes authors, illustrators, and publishers from all over the world. If you're interested, make sure to submit your work by August 31. The award has a total prize of 1.2 million AED, which will be shared equally among authors, illustrators, and publishers. Additionally, 100,000 AED will be set aside for special training programs through “Warsha.”

To qualify for this award, your work needs to be original and written in Arabic. It must also have been published in print within the last five years and not have received any other awards. Please note that books focused on education, school subjects, science, series, e-books, or audiobooks are not eligible.

The Early Childhood category is for books aimed at children from birth to five years old. Publishers can submit up to five books in this category. The Young Adult category is for readers aged 13 to 18 and includes different types of stories, like fiction, nonfiction, and fantasy. In this category, publishers can submit as many books as they want, as long as the stories are fresh, unique, or adapted from something else. The stories should be engaging, with good dialogue, a strong plot, and well-developed characters.

For the Picture Book category, which is for ages 5 to 9, publishers can submit a maximum of five books. The Chapter Book category is for kids aged 9 to 12 and emphasizes telling stories through words instead of pictures. Publishers can submit as many of these books as they like, provided they are new, distinctive, or adapted. There’s also a new category for nonfiction books aimed at children and young adults up to 18 years old, where publishers can submit as many entries as they want.

If you want to participate, you need to send copies of your books through the award's website https://uaebby.org.ae/iaacl/, along with your name. Only officially registered publishing houses can enter, and you can’t submit books that have participated before. The judges can choose not to give an award or exclude any book that doesn’t meet the requirements, and their decisions are final. Winners will be announced at the opening of the Sharjah International Book Fair in 2025.