Sharjah 24: The new issue of “Publishers Weekly” magazine reviewed the indicators of Sharjah's cultural leadership, and the importance of the "Sharjah Children's Reading Festival" (SCRF) in building future generations, stressing that the 13th SCRF will continue for 12 days (from 11 to 22 May), for the first time in its history.

The magazine, issued by the "Sharjah Book Authority", addressed the importance of launching the "Book Distributors Conference" for the first time in the world.

In the editorial of the issue "Awal Al Kalam", the Chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, wrote about the cultural leadership of the Emirate of Sharjah, and said that after five decades of continuous work in the Sharjah cultural project, led by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, we are reaping the fruits of His Highness’ vision and his continuous support to build the human being first, through a cultural system based on the book as the first source of knowledge, and through new initiatives within the cultural project that does not stop growing.

Regarding the book distributors conference, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri stressed that the conference comes within the vision of the wise ruler to expand the umbrella of the cultural project on the one hand, and to lead the cultural action on the other hand, as well as to strengthen new initiatives that contribute to the development of cultural work, and support of knowledge makers, including authors, publishers, designers, printers, stationers, librarians and book distributors, all of which comes to facilitate access to sources of knowledge, as it is a fundamental right for all, explaining the importance of the conference in reviewing successful experiences, and in promoting the freedom of movement of writers. 

The new issue of the “Publishers Weekly” included topics related to the publishing industry, authorship and reading, and an interview with the Palestinian poet and an interview with novelist Ibrahim Nasrallah, the Tunisian poet and translator Adam Fathi, a survey about the audiobook and its presence in the Arab world, and a study on Ukrainian literature and the preoccupations of the Spanish poet Lorca in painting.

In the "Raqeem" corner, the editor-in-chief, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, wrote about the role of SCRF in shaping the horizon of the future by enhancing children's passion for reading. He added that the future is now opening with the SCRF, which has reached its 13th session, this year, and has great reliance on making reading a daily behaviour, emphasising the importance of the book, and establishing future generations. He concluded that the future begins, in the hands of children who spell light in the letters of a book.