World-renowned writer, Brandon Sanderson, pleased a legion of adoring fans during a book signing event yesterday at the 7th Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, SCRF 2015, when he had signed several visitors' books.

The American author has published eight solo novels throughout the past decade, alongside popular series Tor-Elantris, the Mistborn books, War Breaker, The Way of Kings, the young adult fantasy Rithmatist collection, as well as four books in the middle grade Alcatraz Versus the Evil Liberians series from Scholastics.

A fervent reader from a very young age, Brandon's presence at SCRF 2015 has inspired many children at the festival to pursue their love of literature. Speaking about the event, he said, "I want to thank Sharjah for having me in for the Children Children's Reading Festival, it is fantastic - the hospitality is amazing here, the people are a lot of fun and there are tons of readers."

The writer's infatuation with fantasy came by way of his eighth grade teacher who gave him a copy of Dragons Bane by Barbara Hambly, and he soon became a fan of authors like Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Melanie Rawn, and Orson Scott Card. Brandon continued to be an avid reader through junior high and high school.