Publishers should take kids seriously, says expert panel

Sharjah - There is a need to bring back children to books

The debate that digital media pose threat to children's publishing industry is an excuse to justify the failings and shortcomings of such publishing companies, said children literary experts during the discussion held on the sidelines of the ongoing Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2017).
Speaking on the topic on challenges being faced by children's publishing industry, Amal Farah, a prominent Egyptian children's writer said: "People talk about how visual media - the digital media -  pose a threat to the children's publishing industry. When you think about it, visual media aren't new. In the past we had street clowns. These are just excuses to justify the failings and shortcomings of the publishing industry," she said.
"There is a need to bring back children to books and the publishers should show genuine interest to understand how books work," she said.
The classic clichés that pertain to children's books such as using bright colours and fewer words for certain age groups lead to oversimplifying the industry which kills creativity, she said. "The result is children not wanting to read books and hence, less likely to be a reader, when he grows up," she said. The problem also lies in the commercialisation of books and the use of marketing incentives to encourage readers to buy books. "It is as though books need that commercial push to be sold," she said.
Kuwaiti writer Latifa Butti who prints and publishes children's books in Kuwait through the Sidan Media project pointed out lack of motivation to teach or publish stories.
"Before talking about the challenges facing the publishing of books we should talk about the love of books. Schools today offer rigid curricula that are outdated and lack creative stories. They are informative, but dry," said Latifa. She said that the publishing industry is not lacking in terms of quality of paper and story illustration, the real core issue is the lack of good content. "The text has to be relevant to the world in which the children live in. To make them feel safe and happy," she said.
Another challenge she personally faced was the lack of interest in publishing Arabic folktales. "I like to revive these folktales so that the children remain connected to their own heritage. I was shocked at the publishers' negative reactions saying that it is only relevant to the local Kuwaiti culture. Meanwhile we have Peter Pan, Cinderella and Snow White - stories that are not relevant to Arab culture at all - translated into Arabic," she said. 
Afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah