Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has announced the dates of the 9th edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF) as April 19-29, 2017 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Themed “Discover Beyond”, SCRF 2017 will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness The Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

HE Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: "Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, and the support of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Sharjah has succeeded in instilling a culture of reading in people of all ages. This is due to the numerous initiatives and events, including the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, which continues to grow on a yearly basis."
    

Al Ameri underlined that SCRF has turned into an integrated annual event that brings together all family members and those who love reading and enjoy its knowledge-related and entertainment events.

“SCRF 2017 will see several new events, with a focus on shows and activities that are specifically designed to encourage reading in both youngsters and adults. Training workshops will also be conducted to reinforce children's talents and abilities in scientific, literary and artistic fields. In line with this, SBA has expanded its network of partners in order to strengthen the event’s status as a unique destination for children and school pupils,” he said.

The 11-day SCRF is a fun-packed, entertainment-filled festival of discovery, creativity and excitement and an interactive platform that brings together some of the world’s best children’s authors to read their popular works to their fans. SCRF also offers an ideal platform for publishers to showcase their new titles.

The festival will feature a rich programme of entertaining and educational events that combine the latest technology and visual arts to unlock and nurture the skills of children and young adults.

SCRF also aims to give illustrators and artists the opportunity to showcase their works and offers a place for readers, authors and publishers to meet, network and interact. It features a range of special awards ceremonies, including the Sharjah Children’s Books Awards and the Sharjah Award for Specially-Abled Children’s Books. This year's edition will also see the distribution of the awards of Sharjah Exhibition for Children's Book Illustrations, which is one of the world's most prominent exhibitions focused on illustrative works 

A press conference will be held by SBA within the upcoming days to announce the details of the 2017 SCRF and its associated events, including the names of the prominent authors, intellectuals and artists specialising in children's literature.