SCRF: Child's agency in choosing books should be respected
Moderated by performing artist and presenter Lamya Tawfik, the session had an engaging discussion by Colleen Nelson from Canada, Samina Mishra from India, Dr Ahlam Nuway-war from Morocco and Nadia AlNajjar from the UAE, all multifaceted personalities with a passion for storytelling.
Colleen Nelson, a celebrated author of Young Adult fiction whose works include Harvey Comes Home and Mystery at the Biltmore, noted that reading preferences of children changed as they grew older. As a teacher librarian who taught the 4-14 age group, Colleen said she guided students in choosing the right book.
'If the subject matter is too mature for a child or if they chose English as a second language, I advise them to reconsider. If they cannot pronounce five words in the first page itself, I tell them to choose another book. As long as the page is not intimidating or makes for quicker reading, it should be fine,' she pointed out. As for her writing style, she stated: 'I don't know what direction my book takes as it is always a journey. I let the publishing house be the gatekeeper.'
Samina Mishra, a documentary maker and author from New Delhi, said that in a diverse country like India children experience many kinds of childhoods. 'I feel a child should be given the right to choose though we can share what we felt or enjoyed. Children today come from another time, so what worked for us may not work for them -- like the Enid Blyton stories.' She referred to her picture storybook about a 12-year-old girl who didn't survive three days of walking from the capital to her village during the Covid-19 lockdown. While the book did not explicitly state the child's fate, Mishra felt it was okay for a privileged child to understand another child's life of hardship. 'The role of an adult becomes critical here – the one who reads to the child and knows the world.'
Dr Ahlam Nuway-war, a university professor and translator and a member of Morocco's reading committee for the Arab Reading Challenge, said the child should be given the freedom to choose books and thus increase their passion for reading. 'We need to respect children's choices and help develop their taste. Good illustrations play an important role in early childhood books.' As for folktales and fairy tales, she said they could be readapted to new circumstances. 'Don't wait for Prince Charming to marry or wake up the heroine,' she concluded.
Nadia AlNajjar, an award-winning Emirati author of children's books, agreed that folk tales could be rewritten in a modern way but felt they have the magic to attract children. 'Each child is unique. While we may help younger children in reading, we should give older ones the freedom to choose and respect their reading instincts,' she added. Publishing houses also share a big responsibility in making books attractive for children, she noted.
Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme 'Dive into Books'. This year's agenda will feature 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations.
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