Knowledge Without Borders (KWB) organised an evening of discussion about the publishing industry and the importance of reading at the Sharjah Public Library. The event called ‘Suhoor at the Culture Table’ brought together a number of specialists to talk about publishing and writing for children and adolescents.Amal Al Kous, Assistant Undersecretary for the School Environment and Activities Sector at the Ministry of Education; Rashid Al Kous, General Manager of Knowledge Without Borders; Tamer Said, Director General of Kalimat Group and Jamal Al Shehhi, the founder and director of Kuttab Publishing House participated in the session which sought to uphold the values of culture, education and learning for everyone in the UAE.Rashid Al Kous thanked Sharjah Public Library for hosting the event at their venue and said that was a testament to the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah in promoting knowledge and creating cultured citizens. He said, “Knowledge without Borders aims to build a conscious and cultured generation of leaders through the provision of a library in every Emirati household in Sharjah.
So far we have distributed more than 20,000 libraries, comprising 50 books to 20,000 families in the Emirate of Sharjah and its cities, totaling a giveaway of one million Arabic books. We have also created small libraries in government departments and institutions, mobile libraries in hospitals, as well as the bus containing a library which roams neighborhoods and public areas in Sharjah. Recently we initiated a drive to have libraries of Arabic books on board through Air Arabia flights, which is the first initiative of its kind in the Arab world.” Al Kous said that His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, aims to promote a culture of reading and issued a decree transforming the KWB project into a permanent committee. The committee is headed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi and works throughout the year on this aim.“There is a need to establish Emirati publishing houses and support UAE publishers. It is thanks to the efforts of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, who has supported the publishing industry that we have managed to overcome the challenges of establishing local publishing houses and gained expertise,” he said.
Amal Al Kous highlighted a number of initiatives launched by the Ministry of Education focused on developing reading skills and scientific research methods. “There are several campaigns supervised by HE Hussein Al Hammadi, Minister of Education such as the ‘Reading Torch’, the ‘National Reading Campaign’, and the ‘Read Innovate’ campaign,” she said. “The Ministry of Education is focusing on 21st century skills such as research, reading, and creative thinking in its 2015-2021 plan.” Al Kous said that forthcoming projects include a huge and well-equipped library in its building and a summer reading campaign in collaboration with other institutions, part of which will be on social networking sites as many families are away during the summer holiday period. Tamer Said highlighted Kalimat Group which currently comprises four companies, Kalimat Publishing House aimed at children up to 12 years old; Horouf which publishes educational books and smart applications; Riwayat, the newest company in the group which will be showcasing 35 new publications for teenagers at the Sharjah International Book Fair in November and Maktaba, a cultural cafe for children, which will be opening its first branch soon.
Tamer Said that it was important to remove obstacles to children reading, and to make sure the book is an essential part of every house. “I urge parents to read and examine books before offering them to children, in order to check their content, style, and expressions, and determine whether or not they are suitable for their age group or useful to them, because simple and uncomplicated books spark their imagination and help nurture thought,” he said.
Jamal Al Shehhi said that Kuttab Publishing House, launched in 2010, had to overcome many challenges. He said, “Publishing was very difficult and faced many problems. So it is quite an achievement to find a publishing house aimed at young writers and have 100 Emirati writers with publications on the market in just five years. Through our work, we noticed that there are talented young Emiratis who are capable of excelling in writing if they are provided with the appropriate environment to succeed. We have attracted these young talents and provided support and development for them.” He concluded by referring to Kuttab café which, he says, opens its doors to everyone without discrimination.
“The café has become a cultural venue consisting of a library and a cafe, which hosts cultural events such as book signings, seminars, film screenings, new magazine and book launching, among others. The cafe seeks to convey a message that culture and education are not exclusive to specific segments but are for all people and should not be a privilege,” he said.The Knowledge without Borders project was launched under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and with the close follow up of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of the KWB’s Organising Committee. The move aims to spread community awareness on the importance of reading and general knowledge, and to establish a library in every house containing a valuable collection of Arabic books that address different topics, including literary, scientific, religious, cultural, and children’s books, among many more.