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UAE: All kids must have access to books, Sheikha Bodour says

Sharjah - Books play a crucial role in nourishing children’s imagination, and developing language and critical thinking skills, she says.

Stressing how literacy can change lives, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, president of International Publishers Association (IPA), has called for coordinated action to make books accessible to children around the world.

Chairing a panel discussion organised by Book Aid International at the online edition of the London Book Fair held from June 21 to July 1, Sheikha Bodour cited conflict and wars, poor digital infrastructure, absence of a strong library network, and underdeveloped or non-existent publishing as the chief reasons why many communities are without access to books. Books play a crucial role in nourishing children’s imagination, and developing language and critical thinking skills, she said while speaking at the session titled, ‘Closing the gap: Why access to books matters for children around the world’.

At another panel discussion curated by Book Machine, Sheikha Bodour highlighted the importance of lifelong learning to address the skills gap in the publishing sector and stated that new business models are imperative to cope with the rapid pace of change in the industry.

Mentorship and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing are great learning strategies as it expands the big picture for team members, said Bodour, who was one of the four influential publishing leaders on the panel at the session titled, ‘Leading the way in book publishing’.