Emirati literature gets fans in Hong Kong

The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) has participated for the first time in the Hong Kong Book Fair, which ends on Tuesday.

The UAE cultural organisation, which works to introduce children to books, was invited to take part in the week-long literary event in the far east Asian country, by the UAE Consulate in Hong Kong.

The UAEBBY's first-ever attendance at the 28th edition of the event saw it act as an ambassador of Emirati children's literature.

UAEBBY delegates who attended the event included Marwa Al Aqroubi, president of the UAEBBY executive board and Alia Al Shamsi, children's book author and illustrator. The representatives have tried to disseminate the UAE literature and culture to new audiences.

During its participation at the fair, the UAEBBY showcased a selection of titles it has released as part of the 'Books - Made in UAE' project. It also organised a number of smaller exhibitions and created installations that highlighted the UAE's literary heritage, local customs and traditions.

"I am very pleased that the UAE's first participation sends a strong message and I hope that this will be the foundation for more co-operation between the two countries on the perspective of culture and education," said Nabila Abdelaziz Nasir Saeed Alshamsi, Consul General of the UAE to Hong Kong.

Al Aqroubi added: "The UAEBBY will continue attending global cultural forums, and we are delighted on this occasion to engage directly with our audience through the Hong Kong Book Fair."

She expressed her delight over the selection of the UAEBBY as the UAE's cultural representative at the fair, which she said gave the organisation the chance to highlight Emirati literature and open up new channels of communication with publishers, writers, and illustrators in the East Asia region. Such participation helps the UAEBBY develop relations with global entities that have a stake in promoting children's and young people's literature, she noted.

Source: Khaleej Times