Renowned Arab Artists and Popular Media Celebrities to Pull in the Crowds at SCRF 2016

Renowned Arab artists and popular regional TV celebrities will be a main attraction at this year’s Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), which is organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and takes place from April 20-30, 2016 at Sharjah Expo Centre. 

Now in its eighth edition, the theme of this year’s major literary event is ‘Shine Out’ and will witnesses the participation of a number of well-known celebrities and media personalities who will be adding to the discussions and debates that form part of the festival’s cultural and intellectual programme.

Famous Egyptian actress and TV presenter Najwa Ibrahim, best known as ‘Mama Najwa,’ will meet the audience at the festival where she will talk about the social role of the media and her long experience in the field through her work as children’s TV programme announcer and presenter. She will be expounding upon her time with the popular show ‘Sabah Al Khair,’ which many older viewers will fondly recall as being a mainstay of their television schedule when they were growing up in the seventies and eighties.

Najwa Ibrahim began her media career with Arab TV in Cairo in 1965, being involved in a number of notable productions, such as ‘6/6,’ ‘Ekhtarna Lakk’ and ‘Fakker Thawani wa ksab daqa’iq,’ which lasted for more than five years and achieved considerable success. Following her auspicious beginnings as a presenter, she moved to cinema and appeared in the movie ‘Al-Ardd’ with Youssef Chahine in 1970, as well as making appearances in 11 other movies. 

SCRF 2016 will also host Mohammed Yassin, Bahraini actor of Emirati origin, who is best known for his role ‘Baba Yassin’. Yassin began his professional journey in 1997 with the series ‘Al Shaqeeqan - Sha’baan wa Ramadan’ and ‘Ashhafan’ in 1998. He also took roles in a number of other series, the most notable of which was the three-part ‘Laila’ series, ‘Lulu Marjan’ in 2012. In his works, Mohamed Yassin embodied the role of the good man and the righteous educator.

Renowned Kuwaiti artist Huda Hussein, who is well known for her works targeting children, is also participating in the SCRF 2016 cultural programme. Huda began her professional career in radio when she took part in the work ‘Nawader Joha’ at the age of four. She played many other roles, appearing with Mama Aeesa and as a character in ‘Habbaba wal sindibad al bahrai.’ She is known for her performances in children’s theatre as well as through her major roles in several TV series, such as ‘Habbaba,’ ‘Bader Al Zaman, ‘Ela Ummi wa abi ma’a al tahiyya,’ Aleik Saeed wamubarak,’ ‘Fidda qalbha Abyadh and ‘Umayma fi Bait Al Aytam.’

SCRF 2016 will also witness the participation of the Saudi Arabian actor and playwright Ibrahim Hamed Al Harthi, media representative in Saudi Arabia for the Arab Theatre Authority, member of the theatre workshop in Al Taif and member of the Saudi Theatre Association and the International Theatre Authority. Ibrahim has taken part in more than 18 festivals out of his home country, including The Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre, the Fez Festival of University Theatre, the Festival international de Carthage, the International Festival of Sousse, the Jordanian Theatre Festival, the Alsawari Theatre Festival for Youth and the Arab Theatre Festival in Sharjah.

Al Harthi has received several local and international awards for his work, including the Sharjah Award for Arab Creativity 2015, the Naji Nu’man Creativity Award 2015, Best Theatrical Text Award at the International Theatre Festival of Tyre 2011, Best Theatre Text Award for ‘Sayyid Al Jamajim’ at the Damman Short Shows Competition 2012, in addition to Bahrain Gulf School Theatre Festival and Best Text for the play ‘Waba’ at the Madinah Al Munawwarah Theatre Festival 2010.