QF’s Qatar Reads develops children’s imagination – The Peninsula

QF’s Qatar Reads develops children’s imagination – The Peninsula

Doha: Children from all over Qatar have learned about the book ‘Kalila and Dimna', one of the most famous books in the history of Arabic literature – through the One Book, One Doha campaign by Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Reads, whose festival takes place this week.

The festival will be held from March 23 to 26 at Hall 10 at Katara, and feature a range of activities, including an art exhibition, readings of Arabic poetry, writings in Arabic calligraphy, and watercolor painting. Its aim is to bring the community together for a unique creative experience.

Ahead of the festival, Qatar Reads, in cooperation with Qatar National Library (QNL), has held a series of sessions for the One Book, One Doha Book Club.

The sessions featured a discussion of the book ‘Kalila and Dimna’ – which collects 15 anecdotes, with animals as the main protagonists, that offer wisdom and guidance and the importance of its lessons in the past and the present, with children aged 9-16 being given the opportunity to create a painting that expresses the book and its characters.

Muneera Ahmed Al Buainain, Senior Information Services Librarian in the Children and Young Department, QNL, said: “Kalila and Dimna’s book addresses all segments of society