Sharjah: The ninth edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) will feature a line-up of 2,093 events and activities, from April 19-29, at Sharjah Expo Centre.

Themed ‘Discover Beyond’, the festival will bring together 123 exhibitors from across the region and the world.

Extending across 2,304 square metres, the festival will also see the participation of 179 guests from 18 Arab and foreign countries, six of which are participating for the first time: China, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Morocco. The guests will include some of the world’s well-known children’s book authors, educational experts and media personalities.

During a press conference, Ahmad Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), pointed out that the festival’s activities span several programmes, with the Children’s Programme featuring 1,403 activities and 55 guests from 22 countries, and the Cultural Programme brings more than 60 guests from 23 countries to take part in 40 activities. Other programmes on the agenda include the Cookery Programme, with 83 activities bringing in 14 guests from 14 countries. Al Ameri added SCRF 2017’s Cookery Corner has three elements: live cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions and the little chef.

The festival will also host the Brain: The Inside Story exhibition, a highlight of this year’s edition and the first-of-its-kind exhibition in the UAE. Held in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the installation aims to unveil the secrets of the human brain by taking visitors on a thrilling journey.

“The Journey to the Human Brain exhibition features a spectrum of interactive shows relating to the organ in our body that is responsible for our intellect, thoughts and emotions. It will allow visitors of all ages to learn about brain function, to see its development from birth and to examine the impact of technology on consciousness,” said Al Ameri.

He noted that the festival will host a number of social media influencers and organise an array of activities and competitions. He encouraged all visitors, media personalities and other interested parties to use the hashtag #SCRF17 in all SCRF news, comments and photos.

Also a part of the festival this year, is the Little Innovator Cafe, which offers a platform for visitors to meet talented children in the fields of literature, sports, science and art. Youngsters who have achieved notable successes will share their stories with the audience and speak about their innovations, achievements and ambitions.

Al Ameri outlined that SCRF 2017 will host the sixth edition of the Sharjah Children’s Books Illustrations Exhibition, which will feature 303 artworks by 90 artists from around the world. It will also include the School Students Competition, which will see a daily award presented to the best written report about one of the festival’s seminars, as well as a competition dedicated for students from universities, colleges and Institutes.