The Embassy of Italy in Qatar will take part in this year’s edition of the Doha International Book Fair at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, from 13 to 22 January.
The Italian embassy will have a national booth dedicated entirely to children’s books, featuring Italian authors and illustrators, and activities such as readings and workshops.
The Italian pavilion, one of the biggest at DIBF this year, is organised and managed in cooperation with Reggio Children, a leading Italian organisation focused on early childhood education and children’s rights promotion. It was known for its educational project, the Reggio Emilia Approach, which develops and renews itself in Reggio Emilia’s municipal infant-toddler centres and preschools.
Introducing kids to reading
The main objective of the Italian exhibition in this year’s book fair is to introduce children to reading by offering them a space for active exploration and learning through books, illustrations and workshops. Special attention will be also dedicated to introducing new methods, books and tools to educators.
Aside from the selection of children’s books, the booth is also hosting activities during the fair, including the workshop, Mosaic of Marks, Words, Materials and readings for children of books by Italian authors in English, Arabic and Italian. To register for these events, please send an email to [email protected].
Gianni Rodari, Enrica Pizzicori and more
One of the highlights of the exhibition is the official presentation of the translation in Arabic of two books by Italian writer Gianni Rodari, 1970 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award – the Nobel Prize for children’s literature, La Torta In Cielo (The Cake in the Sky) and Fiabe Lunghe Un Sorriso (Fairy Tales Long a Smile). This is a joint project by the Embassy of Italy and the Ministry of Culture of Qatar and will be presented on Monday, 17 January at the fair’s conference venue.
Those interested in Rodari’s work will also have the opportunity to visit the exhibition, Illustrations for Gianni Rodari, a selection of pictures by 21 Italian artists displayed in Qatar for the first time.
The booth will also feature the exhibition, Out of silence. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, narrating through wordless books by Bologna Children’s Book Fair, a selection of 41 wordless books by Italian authors who experimented on a particular and innovative form of narration.
The Embassy of Italy is also delighted to announce the participation of Italian artist Enrica Pizzicori, who specialised in children’s illustrations and author of the booth’s main logo. She will perform live digital painting sessions during the book fair.
Ambassador Alessandro Prunas said they are particularly proud of their pavilion. He said that this will be the first edition featuring institutional Italian participation and they have chosen to bet on younger generations.
Indeed, both Italy and Qatar give great importance to education and promotion of children’s potential and rights and I think that our intense programme during the fair fits perfectly within our shared policies and ambitions towards childhood.
For more information, visit dohabookfair.qa.
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