<span class="s1">A new, high-profile conference beginning on Sunday is drawing educators, authors and academics from the Gulf, Central Asia and North Africa to address the children’s publishing industry.</span> <span class="s1">More than 40 speakers from 20 countries are expected to attend the first regional Conference of the International Board on Books for Young People (Ibby), under the theme Bringing Books and Children Together. They include Tunisia’s celebrated children’s author Mohamed Ghozzi, the <em>Ma Waraa Al Tabiaa </em>series creator Ahmed Khaled Tawfik and the Emirati children’s author Maitha Al Khayat, whose works include <em>I Love My Dad’s Long Beard</em>.</span> Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, a patron of the UAE Board on Books for Young People, the organisation running the event, says the region needs such a gathering – and now. <span class="s1">“The world today faces many diverse challenges,” she says. “Despite these challenges, life goes on and it is our responsibility as caregivers or people in positions of responsibility to prepare our children to deal with the challenges facing them. This is through making all sources of knowledge accessible to them.”</span> <span class="s1">Another hope is that the conference can promote the importance of reading across the region.</span> <span class="s1">“It is an excellent opportunity to promote the importance of books for children, to develop the community and bring books and children together,” says Sheikha Bodour. “Investing in reading is the best way to invest in the future of our children.”</span> <span class="s1">Sessions will cover topics such as the challenges in creating community reading initiatives and examining culture and tolerance in children’s books from the region.</span> Ÿ Ibby is on April 21 and April 22 at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For more details or to register your attendance, visit <a href="http://www.uaebby.org.ae" target="_blank">www.uaebby.org.ae</a> Follow us Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thenationalArtsandLife">Facebook</a> for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news.
