Sharjah celebrated as Guest of Honour at Bologna Children's Book Fair

The UAE flag fluttered high in the historic Italian city of Bologna where Sharjah is being celebrated as Guest of Honour at the 59th Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF), which runs until March 24.

The opening ceremony was held in the presence of Bodour Al Qasimi, President of International Publishers Association (IPA); Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah, who is heading the emirate’s GoH delegation to the book fair; HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA); Matteo Lepore, Mayor of Bologna; and Glanpiero Calzolari, Director of BCBF.

Also attending were Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere; Ricardo Franco Levi, President of the Italian Publishers Association; Maria Maddalena del Grosso, Director of Consumer Products Division at the Italian Trade Agency; Michéle Roberts, Author Ambassador BolognaBookPlus; Elly Schlein, Vice President Emilia-Romagna Region; as well as several diplomats, representatives of global cultural institutions, and literary and artistic personalities from across Europe.

Over the next four days, the emirate's cultural project founded by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, is being presented by Bologna as a model for cities keen on embracing a knowledge-based development strategy at the BCBF, which is a leading professional event dedicated to the children's publishing industry.

Sheikh Fahim noted: “I grew up in a small city by the seaside, where a young leader decided to build the city’s values on culture and education. This young leader’s vision created a seismic shift in the Arab world’s impact on publishing. Today, Sharjah is a hub of international publishing, a UNESCO World Book Capital, and has given the International Publishers Association its second female president, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi.”

Talking about the emirate's 50-year efforts to inculcate the habit of reading in the community, especially amongst children, through its book fair and children's reading festival, Sheikh Fahim said: "If you're into something you're into books, and if you're into books you're into Sharjah".

Highlighting the vital role played by the publishing industry, especially during the pandemic, IPA President Bodour Al Qasimi said: “We were one of the few sources of comfort and security to millions of children and readers in a world that was abruptly thrown into chaos and uncertainty. I am proud of the work publishers have been doing throughout the world to serve their communities and to adapt to rapid change.”