Shaika Bodour wins Personality of the Year award in Abu Dhabi

Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat publishing house and a tireless promoter of literature and literacy, received the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2013 Personality of the Year Award on Thursday. The award was presented by festival director Isobel Abulhoul at a ceremony. Speaking about the award, Shaikha Bodour said, “I am extremely honoured to be receiving this award here today. I believe strongly in the importance of a culture of reading, supported by a healthy and thriving publishing industry, as a cornerstone of any developed and progressive society, and it is a great privilege to be recognised for my passion in this regard. I want to thank my colleagues and counterparts for their continued support, which has been instrumental in turning so many of our visions into reality. This award serves to only further deepen my commitment to contribute to the development of the industry in the emirates and the region in every way possible.” Isobel Abulhoul said: “I am delighted that the festival can honour this extraordinary person, who is working so tirelessly to enhance the literary and cultural fabric of the United Arab Emirates. Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi has achieved so much in the fields of culture, women’s welfare and children’s literature. She is a wonderful role model to our new generations. “It is perhaps particularly fitting to present Shaikha Bodour with this special award today which is of course World Book Day and the eve of International Women’s Day. We are celebrating all of these milestones with our very first Ladies Morning during which we have connected hundreds of female students and women from the community with our amazing female writers and speakers. “We have also just completed a wonderful event which showcased the writing and illustrating talents of young women from the Dubai Women’s Campus, Higher Colleges of Technology. It has been a great inspiration for us all to have Shaikha Bodour with us and we are honoured to present her with this award. True to form, she has come here this morning to make a contribution and take part. We are all looking forward to hearing her session which is sure to be a highlight not only of the morning but of the whole festival.” After receiving the Award, Shaikha Bodour joined a special Panel of Literary Experts in an open discussion entitled: ‘Love Reading, Love Writing - Encouraging Children’s Literacy’. The panel brought Shaikha Bodour together with Taghreed Najjar, author and publisher for young children; Maya Mazloum, educator and Head of Academic Studies at Eton Institute; and Micheline Habib, writer, educator and literacy advocate; and was chaired by Fatma Al Marri, CEO, Dubai Schools Agency, Knowledge and Human Development Authoirty (KHDA).