Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature facts for kids
Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature is an Arabic literary award for children's literature. It was established in 2009 by the Arab Children's Book Publisher’s Forum. It is sponsored by Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of UAEBBY (United Arab Emirates Board on Books for Young People). Organization of the prize was handed over to UAEBBY in 2010. The award is announced each year during the Sharjah International Book Fair.
Entry is open to books that meet these criteria: the book must be written in Arabic; must be original (not translated, quoted or reproduced); and must have been published within the past three years. The book may not have received any previous local, regional or international awards, and the content must not violate the values, traditions and customs of Arab communities. Entry is open to children's books that target the age group from 0 to 14 years, and each publishing house is entitled to nominate a maximum of three titles.
The prize is for DH 1,000,000 which is split with 50% divided between the author and/or illustrator, and 50% to the publisher. From 2009-2012, it was one of the richest literary prizes in the world for a single winner.
Starting in 2013, the award was significantly restructured with new categories and a splitting of the 1,000,000 AED award as follows.
- Best Text 100,000 AED
- Best Illustration 100,000 AED
- Best Production 100,000 AED
- Best Children's Book of the Year 300,000 AED (split between author, illustrator and publisher)
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year 200,000 AED (split between author and publisher)
- Etisalat Award Workshops for Children’s Books 200,000 AED
Winners
2009-2013 (winner received 1,000,000 AED)
| Year | Author | Title | Illustrator | Publisher | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Nabiha Muhaidali | Ana Oheb ("I Love") | Nadeen Saidani | Dar Al Hadaeq | Lebanon | |
| 2010 | Walid Taher | Al Noqta Al Sawda ("The Black Dot") | Walid Taher | Dar El Shorouk | Egypt | |
| 2011 | Amani Al Ashmawi | Teari Ya Tayara (Fly Away Kite) | Nahdet Misr | Egypt | ||
| 2012 | Nabiha Mheidly | Creatures on the Ceiling | Hassan Zahreddine | Hadaek Group | Lebanon |
2013
- Best Children's Book of the Year: Rod of Racemes by Egypt-based Nahdet Misr Publishing House, authored by Afaf Tobala and illustrated by Hanadi Sleet
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year: Ajwan by Egypt-based Nahdet Misr Publishing House, authored by Emirati writer Noura al Noman
- Best Text: My Mum Jadida by UAE writer Mariam Suhail Al Rashedi
- Best Illustration: Rod of Racemes by illustrator Hanadi Sleet
- Best Production: When You Get Angry by Lebanon-based Asala Publishing House
2014
- Best Children's Book of the Year: Naughty Kitty by Abeer Ibrahim Taher and illustrated by Maya Fidawi
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year: Extraordinary Journeys to Unknown Places by Sonia Nimr and illustrated by Lubna Taha
- Best Text: My Mom Loves Fattoosh by Eva Kosma and illustrated by Azza Hussein
- Best Illustration: The Pomegranate Girl by Rania Zbib Daher and illustrated by Joelle Achkar
- Best Production: Clever Walker by Nabiha Mheidly and illustrated by Hassan Zahreddine
2015
- Best Children's Book of the Year: The Judge's Mule by Shafeek Mehdi and illustrated by Taiba Abdullah
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year: Getting out of the Bubble by Ibrahim Shalabi
- Best Text: Me and My Granny written and illustrated by Ebtihaj Al Harthi
- Best Illustration: Nour Runs Away from the Story written by Abeer Ali Al Kalbani and illustrated by Gulnar Hajo
- Best Production: The Judge's Mule by Shafeek Mehdi and illustrated by Taiba Abdullah
2016
- Best Children's Book of the Year: Excuse Me, Give Me Away by Nabiha Mheidli
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year: Screams Behind Doors' by Rania Hussien Amin
- Best Text: I Want to Be a Turtle by Amal Farah
- Best Illustration: The Blue Lake of Questions, written by Maya Abu Al Hayyat
- Best Production: Boulqash, authored and illustrated by Yara Bamiya
2018
- Best Children's Book of the Year: Homesick (الحنين) written by Aisha al-Harthi and illustrated by Hassan Manasra from Dar al-Alam al-Arabi
- Best Young Adult Book of the Year: The Secret of Oil (سر الزيت) written by Walid Daqqa from the Tamer Institute
- Best Text: Mama My Classmate (ماما بنت صفي) written by Lubna Taha and illustrated by Maya Fadawi from Al Salwa Books
- Best Illustration: Think of Others by Mahmoud Darwish and illustrated by Sahar Abdullah from Tanmia Publishing House
- Best Production: Koozy (كوزي) by Anastasia Qarawani and illustrated by Maja Kastelic from Al Salwa Books
