3 Emirati books on IBBY’s Honour List for 2024

In the writing category, the International Board on Books for Young People chose the book “Yellow Sea Green Sand” by the writer Nadia Al Najjar, illustrated by Haidi Fawzi, and published by Wow Publishing House, and in the illustration category, the silent book “The Clown,” written and illustrated by Ayesha Jassim Al Badi, and published by AlFulk Translation and Publishing. In the translation category, the board chose the book “Water Life,” written and illustrated by Jha Rambharos, translated by Samar Mahfouz Barraj, and published by Kalimat Group.

Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, said: “We are proud for the selection of 3 books published in the UAE during the last three years, in the Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People. This reflects the development and prosperity of the children’s and young adult’s book industry in the country, and the advanced status enjoyed by the local publishing industry, keeping pace with international standards and capable of attracting not only the interest of children, parents, and teachers, but also the interest of international publishing houses to translate and distribute them.”

She pointed out that the three books nominated by the UAE Board on Books for Young People to compete at the global level are distinguished by their high quality at the level of writing, illustration, and translation, and address topics close to the child’s world and interests. At the same time, it reflects the board’s efforts to contribute to supporting and developing the book industry through the workshops and training programmes it organises on an ongoing basis for those interested and working in this field, and to appreciate and honour them through the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Books.

The selection of these three books on the list was a culmination of the efforts of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, the national branch of the International Board on Books for Young People in the United Arab Emirates, to enhance the participation of Emirati authors, illustrators, and local publishing houses in international competitions, most notably the Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People, which honours authors, illustrators and publishers of the most prominent high-quality children’s books from all over the world.

Authors, illustrators and translators whose works have been included in the Honour List will be honoured in a special ceremony during the annual conference of the International Board on Books for Young People, which will be held in Italy from August 30 to September 1, 2024.

A special catalog for the honour list will also be printed, containing details of each book, with the aim of encouraging children’s and young people’s literature in multiple languages and from diverse cultures around the world.