Emirates Literature Foundation celebrated the winners of their new Book in a Box competition at the 15th edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. The competition, which is sponsored by Arcadia School, invited all primary schools in the UAE to choose a book, or scene from a book, and create a visual representation of it using only recyclable materials.

Book in a Box winners:

1. Pristine Private School, Class 1A. Book: As An Oak Tree Grows by Brian Karas
2. United International Private School, Class 1 Lotus. Book: The Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
3. Pristine Private School, Class 2D. Book: They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO Emirates Literature Foundation said: “I am a voracious reader and enjoy all genres of books but the magic I find between the covers of a children’s book is unmatched by any other. Successful children’s authors have found the right combination of words and images that ignite a child’s imagination and foster a life-long love of reading. And this competition takes that concept even further, inviting children to select a favourite book, and to dissect it or a scene from it, and collaboratively and in a tactile and environmentally friendly manner create an aesthetic representation of it. The restriction of a simple cardboard shape allows us to judge the children’s entries in an unbiased way and encourages them to think out of the box.”

The competition was launched on 2 January and schools had just over two weeks to conceptualize and execute a literary inspired diorama, documenting the process with photographs and videos. The inaugural cycle of Book in a Box received over 150 entries. 15 entries were shortlisted – 12 of which were inspired by English books and 3 by Arabic books. The  final contenders from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah were invited to showcase their dioramas at the Emirates LitFest.

The Book in a Box shortlisted entries were assessed by a panel of judges including two representatives from Arcadia School and authors and illustrators, Greg Stobbs, Maitha Al Khayat and Sarah McIntyre. The entries were graded on craftsmanship, originality, collaborative effort by the class, ingenious use of materials intended for waste, and creative portrayal of a whole book or a scene from a book in a single box.

Other initiatives celebrated at the Festival includes the Voices of Future Generations, which launches its third anthology of winning stories; the School Librarian of the Year; OUP Story Writing Competition; RGS Guildford Dubai Children’s Letter Writing Competition; ENBD Poetry For All; Emirates LitFest Writing Prize, Chevron Readers’ Cup; and the announcement of the second 10 fellows for the First Chapter: ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship.

More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation can be found online and year-round news of #EmiratesLitFest on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The Foundation also has two podcasts; the Best of the Emirates LitFest, and the Boundless Book Club.