Last Saturday, the Egyptian Board of Books for Young People (EBBY) and the Shoura Assembly of Agriculture held an awards ceremony at the Zamalek Library. Well attended by local and regional publishers, authors, and illustrators, the day began with an award ceremony for the four winners of the Ardena or “Our Land” competition. Organized by EBBY and Shoura, this competition encouraged writers to submit stories about Egypt’s land or agriculture for children. The awards were given by Dr. Nadia Al Khouly and a Shoura representative to first and second place winners of two age groups, elementary readers and young adult. Congratulations!
Afterwards, Dr. Yasmine Motawy spoke on her experiences judging for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. She explained the requirements for an author or illustrator to submit their work and how best to organize their portfolio. Amongst the most important points was the need for an excellent translator and the ability to showcase the growth and lifetime of an artist’s work.
The day ended with further round table discussions between authors, publishers, and illustrators on the progress and development in children’s publishing in the region and worldwide.
Photos below!
Dina Elabd 