International festival fun
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
In May 2025, I accepted an invitation by the Sharjah Book Authority to attend the 16th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. This is part of an ongoing commitment to making books accessible and relatable to children of the UAE.
I am so indebted to the Sharjah Book Authority for their warm welcome, so many inspiring panels and learnings that came from authors, illustrators, academics and thinkers, and the chance to meet children in their schools and share story inspiration.
Not to mention such gracious hospitality.
It was an honour to exploring how children’s books can blend engaging narratives with life lessons alongside fellow panellists and storytellers Maryam Hassan and Dr Bayan ‘Amr, facilitated by Dr Sandy Zanella.
Our panel was fizzing with conversation. Collectively we came from Pakistan / Japan, Jordan, Mexico and Australia as we shared our mutual respect for young readers and how stories are their seeking places.
It was also an honour to sit and talk with these women in front of an invested and curious audience.
School visits
During my visit I was a guest of the ASPAM Indian International School, in Sharjah as part of the festival’s school outreach program. Over 200 students joined me to create a wild and wonderful story in the desert of Dubai, thanks to the ideas and imaginations of eager students.
I wish I had recorded the keen-bean 10-year-olds shouting of “Ma’am, Ma’am I have an idea” … the chatter and clambering to build a story together was sensational!
After an energetic session, I was whisked off to the Principal’s office for tea and biscuits, over shared chats about literacy connections, and how to keep children’s loving books.
This school had several experimental approaches, and a dynamic leadership team committed to 100 days of making and modelling change. My visit coincided funnily enough with a BOOKLESS DAY where learning was only shared orally, and children were encouraged to think outside the box for solutions and using their imagination.
This school also has a Water Bell that rings with a waterfall sound every 1 1/2 hrs to remind the students to stop and hydrate. Such a great way to set early health patterns!
My author signing pen had a work out in the signing mosh pit. As in Australia, many miniature scraps of paper, tiny notebooks and even arms and hands were also signed! 😏
I also hung out with the most curiously clever 12-14 year old questions ever goes to Gems Our Own English School for Boys in Dubai.
They hosted me in their well-stocked school library as together the students and I created characters, workshopped story prompts, discussed the importance of imagination and shared a lot of laughter.
I loved that these boys didn’t self-censor their contributions – they were proud and eager to tell me they write poetry, were working on novels, read voraciously or sometimes struggled with writers block. Looking over some of their work was inspiring, but spending time considering their questions really was a joy.
This school also heads to the top of the Leader Board for best-on-ground for welcome cups of sweet chai & more presents than I know what to do with!
Homeward bound with a full story heart
This time has had a profound impact on me, and meeting such talented fellow storytellers has been an honour and a joy. To be asked to visit from Australia and contribute to global conversations about literacy for young readers, has been a privilege
The finding and forming of stories have such universal similarities.
I returned home with a full storytelling heart, inspired energy, new connections, sandy shoes, a suitcase of trinkets and a treasure trove of stories.
Watch video’s of my highlights here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKnh2SShOht/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKnmbv9hCFX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKn1SGbBYqq/
Andrea
