Schoolchildren across the UAE will be encouraged to pick up a book and read as much as they can when the latest edition of the Creative Reader competition is launched by MAKTABA, the library management department of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). The competition kicks off on 20th November and runs through March 2022.

The ninth edition of the popular competition, which is part of MAKTABA’s ongoing efforts to encourage children to read and contribute to Abu Dhabi’s cultural development, aims to motivate readers from elementary and intermediate levels (cycle 1 and cycle 2) in public and private schools across the UAE to not only read as much as they can in Arabic and English, but also to visit and support the emirate’s public libraries.

The competition will also highlight the importance of reading for cultural development, and also seeks to inspire budding writers and new works of literature within the genre of children’s literature.

Shaikha Mohamed Almehairi, Library Management Department Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, "The Creative Reader Competition is an excellent platform to elevate the literary scene here in Abu Dhabi as well as promote the importance of cultural values across the length and breadth of society. At the same time, the competition seeks to awaken the creative potential in children as well as strengthen their language capabilities. At DCT Abu Dhabi, we believe that both knowledge and cultural development intersect, therefore we take great pride in hosting a competition such as this."

The competition is open to participants across the emirates and those who wish to take part must obtain ‘MAKTABA’ membership and register via the competition's website. Participants have to read as many books as possible over a course of two months, fill out the competition form and submit it on time. Participants must also pass a personal interview to join the second stage of the competition and also have the opportunity to join virtual reading clubs. They can also borrow books from the digital library and Dar Al Kutub libraries across Abu Dhabi.

Judges include writers, educators and librarians, who will assess entries based on parameters including the number of books borrowed from public libraries, levels of reading comprehension, the use of descriptive language, the application of linguistics skills while analysing books, and a demonstration of creative thinking skills, such as the ability to be critical whilst reading books.

Previous editions of the Creative Reader competition have attracted more than 4,000 students from state and private schools across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions, including People of Determination.

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