ITALIAN EMBASSY’S BOOTH AT THE DOHA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

“DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF ITALIAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS”

The Embassy of Italy in Doha will take part to the Doha International Book Fair (DECC, 13-22 January 2022) with a national booth entirely dedicated to children’s books hosting an exhibition of the works of Italian authors and illustrators of children’s books as well as readings and workshops.

The Italian pavilion, one of the biggest at DIBF, is organized and managed in cooperation with “Reggio Children”, a leading Italian organization in the field of early childhood education and children’s rights promotion, known in the world thanks to its educational project, the “Reggio Emilia Approach”, which develops and renews itself every day in Reggio Emilia’s municipal infant-toddler centers and preschools.

Subject to the latest regulations by health Authorities, the main objective of the Italian booth is to introduce children to reading by offering them a space for active exploration and learning through Italian books, illustrations and workshops. Special attention will be also dedicated to introducing new methods, books and tools to educators.

To this end, the booth will display and sell a selection of children’s books published by Italian publishing houses or by Italian authors. Moreover, the agenda should include different free of charge activities during the whole duration of the fair, including the workshop “Mosaic of Marks, Words, Materials” and readings for children of books by Italian authors in English, Arabic and Italian. For more information and registration, you can submit your email to italy.dohabookfair@reggiochildren.it.

One of the program’s highlights will be 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). The joint project by the Embassy of Italy and the Ministry of Culture of Qatar will be presented on Monday January 17 at 10.30 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 realized by “Bologna Children’s Book Fair” and displayed in Qatar for the first time in the Italian pavilion.

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 have experimented this particular and innovative form of narration.

The Embassy of Italy is also delighted to announce the participation of Italian artist Enrica Pizzicori, specialized in children’s illustrations and author of the booth’s main logo, which will perform live digital painting sessions throughout the fair’s days.

“We are particularly proud of our pavilion at the Doha International Book Fair” said Ambassador Alessandro Prunas. “This year’s will be the first edition featuring an institutional Italian participation and we 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 program during the fair fits perfectly within our shared policies and ambitions towards childhood”.