Guadalajara (Union)
The activities of Sharjah, the guest of honor of the 36th session of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, presented a vivid picture of the reality of the children’s book industry in the United Arab Emirates, and the corresponding movement and effort in Mexico, as it hosted both writer and illustrator Alia Al Shamsi and Mexican author Erika Olvera, in a dialogue session Entitled “Characteristics of Children’s Books in the Emirates and Mexico,” it was moderated by writer Paulina Delgado.
Art power
The session, which witnessed a distinguished presence from Mexican publishers and illustrators of children’s books, began with the writer and illustrator Alia Al Shamsi, talking about her experience in entering the world of drawing children’s books, and the journey that led her to believe in the power of art to support children psychologically, protect them, and ensure their proper development.
And she said: «During the period of the Corona pandemic, I was feeling anxious, as well as my little son, and during that time I was practicing some experiments in writing and drawing therapy techniques, so I decided to go through the experiment with my son, and I started doing drawn exercises to relieve the anxiety that we feel, and after that I developed The idea, and the school in which I work invited me to turn these activities into a pamphlet for distribution to parents of students, and from that experience my silent book (Night and Day) appeared.
Al Shamsi confirmed that the children’s book industry in the UAE is witnessing a great development, especially in the field of children’s book illustrations, noting that the arts of children’s books in the UAE have a special identity that can be touched and reached once you look at one of the Emirati publications.
Speaking about the challenges of building generations of children who are passionate about reading, she explained that the main problem lies with the parents.
reading reality
For her part, Erika Olvera spoke about the reality of the children’s book industry in Mexico, saying: “There are many challenges in this field, including the difficulty of obtaining books, and the lack of public libraries and even bookstores. Some children today read the books of their fathers and mothers, which they often be a classic of literature.
She explained that the crisis of advancing the reality of reading in Mexico is one of the pressing issues that publishers, writers and intellectuals work to overcome with individual initiatives and efforts, stressing that the absence of the reading habit among parents will inevitably lead to new generations that do not know the value and impact of reading and do not adhere to it as a daily habit in their lives.
Erika Olvera indicated that the size of the Mexican children’s book market is large, and includes a group of prominent artists and publishers, but it sometimes lacks the quality of printing, and it faces a crisis in distribution and marketing, blaming part of these challenges on official cultural institutions and the decline in their role.
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