SHARJAH: Winners of the 12th edition of the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature were announced in a virtual ceremony, organized by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and sponsored by Etisalat Group.
The winners of all six categories of the AED 1.2 million award were selected amongst a record of 221 entries from 22 countries. This edition witnessed 174 authors, 158 illustrators, and 93 publishers in the region compete for the coveted award.
The Etisalat Award dedicates AED 300,000 to its Warsha programme to build the capabilities of Arab writers, illustrators, and publishers, through a series of creative workshops that are held throughout the year. The workshops are held for writers and illustrators who had submitted entries but were not shortlisted under the supervision of a host of Arab and international experts.
HE Abdulaziz Taryam, CEO, Advisor and General Manager of Etisalat – Northern Emirates, said that the award aligns with the vision to support and promote an inspiring intellectual and cultural environment to further the development of the UAE across the economic, cultural and social domains. He also said that children’s literature enriches young people with the right values, beliefs, imagination, and creativity, and helps in the advancement of societies.
Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY, described how despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the upheavals around the globe, the only constant has been the need for knowledge and creativity. She added that the Etisalat Award is helping the new generation to better appreciate a literary and visual art form with the creative potential to shape their futures by celebrating talented authors, illustrators and publishers who have helped elevate the standards in content, imagery, and production in Arabic literature.
In the 12th edition, the Etisalat Award received entries from Egypt, Algeria, the USA, the UK and Morocco, Kuwait, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Tunisia, and Sudan. Submissions also came in for the first time from Finland, Georgia, Canada, Congo, Iran, and Spain. Egypt topped the list of the submitted entries with 59 books, followed by the UAE with 43, and Jordan, KSA, and Lebanon with 22 entries each.
