The “Warsha” programme, a trailblazing initiative by the “Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature”, sent a number of Arab illustrators to participate in the 53rd edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF).
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) is a recently concluded literary event that took place in Italy.
The destination for the attendees was the “Illustrators Café,” which was held on the sidelines of BCBF. It’s one of the most important events for creative networking for children’s book illustrators from around the world.
This initiative forms part of the “Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature”, which is supported by the UAE’s leading telecommunications operator Etisalat, and organised by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY). It reflects the organisers’ commitment to developing the children’s book industry in the region and to give those involved in the field the opportunity to gain further experience.
Its ultimate goal is to increase the attractiveness of content, thereby elevating the quality of children’s Arabic books for young readers.
Speaking on the initiative, Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY Executive Board, said: “The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is one of the most important international events that specialises in the children’s book industry. We were keen to send a group of Arab illustrators to take part in this important initiative as part of UAEBBY’s strategy to give them the opportunity of gaining international experience and enable them to keep abreast of new methods and techniques for the production of high quality children’s book illustrations.”
She added, “Technology and the instant transfer of information have contracted the world into a small village. As a result, Arab children no longer accept books of less than the highest quality, in particular with regards to text and illustrations. The ‘Warsha’ programme provides Arab illustrators with a range of important opportunities to meet internationally acclaimed trainers, specialists and experts in the fields of children’s and young adult literature from more than 75 countries. This helps them hone their skills and develop their ideas into creative artwork, which contributes to the development and enrichment of children’s Arabic publications.”
The Illustrators Café gave visitors at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair the chance to get together and discuss the sector’s latest developments. It enabled them to meet publishers, writers, artists and introduce themselves to professionals seeking new talent. It also gave them the opportunity to attend an array of lectures, workshops and discussion panels on important subjects to illustrators and stakeholders in children’s and young people’s literature.
Etisalat is the official sponsor of the “Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature”. The Warsha programme was launched in 2013 by UAEBBY with the support of the “Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature”.
Source: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/4f2e7e7a-88bf-4cca-8935-930a12282914.aspx