Kalimat’s Books and Art decorate Mar Mikhael wall in Old Beirut

Kalimat Publishing, a subsidiary of the Kalimat Group, a Sharjah-based publishing house dedicated to publishing Arabic children’s books, has participated in the fifth edition of the ‘Nehna wel Amar wel Jiran’ (Us, the Moon and the Neighbours) Festival, recently held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, and the town of Hammana in Greater Beirut.

Kalimat showcased one of its publications, Lisanak Hisanak (Tongue Twister), winner of the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2016 – New Horizons. The book is written by Lebanese author Fatima Sharafeddine and illustrated by Lebanese artist, Hanan Kai. Kalimat organised an art exhibition curated with the book’s illustrations at the festival’s art gallery, and painted a mural at the Mar Mikhael wall in Beirut.

In the book, the author re-introduces Arabic tongue twisters that are difficult to pronounce and alphabets that look similar and can be easily mixed up during elementary learning. She combines vibrant colours and detailed illustrations to encourage children to overcome their fears and embrace the language in fun and creative ways.

Organised by ‘Collective Kahraba’, a performing arts company, the festival is a key biannual event that offers theatre, dance, puppetry, storytelling and music in a Beirut neighbourhood. This year, over 40 regional and international artists took part in the festival with exceptional performances and artistic shows.

Tamer Said, Managing Director at Kalimat Group, explained that being part of this important festival adds value to Kalimat’s efforts in gaining more international exposure. He pointed out that the Kalimat Group has always been keen to promote its pioneering experiences in the field of children’s literature, especially within the context of the Arab region, among leading artists and cultural figures from the Arab world and beyond.

Kalimat organised engaging reading activities for the festival’s young visitors, and showcased several of its literary works and visual illustrations to the audience. They also made some of their published works by renowned authors such as Sana Shabbani and Samar Mahfouz Barraj available for sale.

Kalimat Group participated in 50 international book fairs worldwide, and distributed its books in more than 16 countries and 3,000 schools. The group prides itself in publishing several high-quality books, of which 30 titles have won Arab and international awards. Since its inception, the Kalimat Group has collaborated with more than 70 authors and 100 illustrators from the Arab region and the world, and translated more than 42 Arabic books into foreign languages. So far, Kalimat Group has published more than 300 Arabic titles.