UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
A UAE newspaper has said that the recent bestowing of the World Book Capital for 2019 title on Sharjah by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, is a well-deserved recognition of its outstanding role in supporting the publishing industry, and nurturing a culture of reading locally, regionally and internationally.
“As people across the globe enthusiastically marked the World Book Day on Tuesday, Sharjah has kicked off its year-round festivities to celebrate its recognition by UNESCO in a unique way,” said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Wednesday.
The paper continued, “A new and original theatre production titled ‘1001 Nights: The Last Chapter’, the largest-of-its-kind the world has ever seen, marked the grand opening act for the celebrations”, adding that the fact that an alliance of 537 theatre artists and acrobats, innovators, technologists and storytellers representing as many as 25 nationalities shaped this massive production indicates its uniqueness.
The massive efforts to promote reading are bound to be effective as the events are being held across different locations in Sharjah and will engage all segments of the UAE community as well as Emirati, Arab and international literary figures and intellectuals, in a series of book-themed events and activities.
Books are an endless source of knowledge. Books shape an individual’s mind and wield tremendous power to transform lives for the better. It is the duty of every society to promote the book in order to build sustainable societies, which eventually help fortify the foundations of peace.
Sharjah’s cultural status is thriving thanks to the vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who is keen on creating a reading community and promote the benefits of reading among children.
Last week, Sheikh Sultan allocated AED2.5 million to enrich Sharjah’s libraries with the latest publications. The announcement came following the inauguration of the 11th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, SCRF 2019. The funds will be used to purchase the latest publications from participating publishing house at the reading festival.
Over the years, the SCRF, one of the most important cultural events dedicated to children in the UAE and greater Arab region, has been offering a fabulous platform for young ones to enrich their minds with knowledge and wisdom. It is fair to say that the festival has developed into an integrated event that contributes to enriching the knowledge of visitors with science and literature.
As Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice President of International Publishers Association and Head of Advisory Committee of Sharjah World Book Capital, stated earlier, the UNESCO title is a global acknowledgement of Sharjah’s longstanding cultural achievements. It is certainly a reward for pursuing an approach of knowledge-based human development in Sharjah through the use of books, reading, and strong intercultural dialogue.
“Landmark initiatives launched by the UAE, like funding public libraries, distribution of home libraries and honouring distinguished authors and publishers have contributed to the adoption of reading as a lifestyle by members of the Emirati society,” added the Sharjah-based daily.
