Sharjah: The 13th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), hosted at Expo Centre Sharjah from the 11th of May to the 22nd is expected to feature 25 globally renowned children’s authors from 5 continents.
Organized by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the 12-day event annual festival for children and youth will run under the theme ‘Create Creativity’ this year.
PROMINENT FACES
This year’s festival will witness the participation of American animator and film director, Mr. Kyle Balda who was the co-director of notable children’s movies such as Minions and was the creator of the animation for Despicable Me and Jumanji.
SCRF will also see the presence of the bestselling children’s author of Big Noah Little Boa, Mr. Ken Spillman, from Australia. A successful mentor and presenter of workshops on writing and creativity for adults and teens, Mr. Spillman has written 90 books.
British author-illustrator Mr. Curtis Jobling, best known as the designer of Bob the Builder TV show, will be a celebrity presence at SCRF this year, in addition to Mr. Sebastian de Souza, actor-author who wrote the best-selling time-travelling adventure story, Kid: A History of the Future.
Ms. Vashti Harrison, the No. 1 New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator of children’s books from the US, will also be at SCRF this year. Her middle-grade books, Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, Little Legends, is a best-seller. Ms. Harrison is also a two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children.
Ms. Claire Legrand, the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels, most notably the Empirium Trilogy, is expected to be present at the event , along with Mr. Kobi Yamada, award-winning children’s author of picture books, such as What Do You Do With An Idea? and What Do You Do With A Problem?.
Ms. Shanda McCloskey, a writer and illustrator of children’s books and an enthusiast who loves talking to children about robots, drones, and stories with words and pictures, and Ms. Alicia D. Williams, author of children’s titles such as Genesis Begins Again; and Ms. Nanette Heffernan, author of Earth Hour are other US authors at the festival.
Themed ‘Create Creativity’, the forthcoming 13th edition of SCRF will see the participation of 139 publishers from 12 nations across the globe. A host of popular artists and experts will lead 750 workshops and 130 art shows and performances. The event will also host cookery shows, competitions and plays, among other interactive sessions.