Sharjah Children's Book Awards Announce AED 110,000 Prizes For Young Authors And Illustrators

The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, is currently accepting entries for three prestigious awards. These include the Sharjah Children's Book Award, the Sharjah Audio Book Award, and the Sharjah Children's Book Award for Visually Impaired. Submissions are open until 31st March, with the festival scheduled from 23rd April to 4th May 2025 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The awards aim to enrich children's literature in the Arab world and beyond. They focus on enhancing children's awareness and developing their literary taste. By honouring authors who contribute to high-quality literary works, these awards nurture intellectual and creative abilities among young readers.

The Sharjah Children's Book Award offers a total prize of AED60,000. This amount is split equally among winners in three categories: Best Arabic Children's Book (ages 4-12), Best Arabic Young Adult Book (ages 13-17), and Best English Children's Book (ages 7-13). The award targets publishers, authors, and illustrators.

Submissions for this award must be original and newly published. Only first editions released within the last two years are eligible. Winners must wait two years before reapplying in the same category. This ensures a continuous influx of fresh content into children's literature.

The Sharjah Children's Book Award for Visually Impaired offers a prize of AED20,000. It includes publishing and global distribution of the winning book. This award supports blind and visually impaired children by allowing them to read alongside their sighted peers.

Entries must feature tactile illustrations with raised designs, clear fonts, Braille text, and easily turnable pages. These features ensure smooth tactile reading experiences for visually impaired children.

Sharjah Audio Book Award

The Sharjah Audio Book Award has a total prize of AED30,000. This is divided equally between two winners: Best Arabic Audio Book and Best English Audio Book. The award aligns with technological advancements in children's literature.

This category promotes high-quality narration and production while maintaining literary standards similar to those of the Sharjah Children's Book Award. It encourages innovation in how stories are delivered to young audiences.

With a combined prize value of AED110,000 across all three awards, this initiative celebrates excellence in children's literature. It honours those who contribute significantly to enriching young minds through books and audio narratives.

With inputs from WAM