QF’s Qatar Reads Develops Children’s Creative Imagination Through Readings From ‘Kalila and Dimna'

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 23-26 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 of different ages and cultural backgrounds, as it is full of life stories that address us as individuals."

"When reading the book, we feel that it is close to our generation, as we apply the same principles and values. Although there are some new and difficult words for children, it is an opportunity to learn new words and enrich their Arabic vocabulary. ‘Kalila and Dimna’ is a family book, which family members can read together and draw lessons and morals from.”

Dania Mohamed Abu Fodeh, Information Services Librarian, QNL, explained that the importance of the book lies in the lessons and morals it contains, saying: "The book embodies many values and morals in a simple, easy way to children, and taking this from characters drawn like animals helps to convey the idea of the book as being appropriate for their age. It shows them how they should learn values such as honesty and truth and apply them in their lives.

"After reading the story, we asked the students to express their ideas in an artistic way, as applying the ideas they learned through drawing and coloring will help them to better consolidate these values and lessons in their minds.”

Aisha Al-Kuwari, 16, one of the participants in the Book Club's activities, said: "I participated in the event to learn more about the ‘Kalila and Dimna’ book, and through the stories I listened to, I noticed that there are many useful lessons.

“One of the most important ways of people learning is to learn from the mistakes of others in the past to avoid them in the future. I believe that telling these values and ideas through stories makes them become more firmly entrenched in our minds, which helps us to adopt them in our lives.”

To enhance the creative imagination of children, Qatar Reads, working with Qatar Academy Sidra – one of the schools under Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education - embodied the characters of ‘Kalila and Dimna’ through a puppet theater, helping them understand its stories and instill values and lessons.

Huda Mohammed Al Yafei, librarian at Qatar Academy Sidra, said: "The book ‘Kalila and Dimna’ is enjoyed by the old before the young, and it is wonderful to present this book to introduce students and society in general to the importance of Arabic literature and the stories that enrich it.

“The students enjoyed embodying the characters of the book ‘Kalila and Dimna’ through puppet theater, unleashing their imaginations and creativity as they told their own stories about their favorite animals. I believe that embodying characters, whether through puppet theater or actual acting, helps students understand and consolidate values and lessons, and leaves a deep impact that helps them transfer this knowledge and experience they have gained." Al Yafei continued.

The campaign also explained how literature contributes to shaping fashion, as Qatar Reads organized an event entitled ‘Fables in Fashion: Kalila Wa Dimna Night’ with InStudio Club, which was held at Galeries Lafayette, Katara, and allowed people to experience of silkscreen printing and design with animal prints.

Influenced by ‘Kalila and Dimna’, artist Zainab Al-Shaibani, a graduate of QF partner university Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, has printed her own design on environmentally friendly bags, saying: "By reviewing the illustrations quoted from the book itself, I wanted to reflect the stories in the book in a new way.

“Creativity is everywhere, and it is about how reading is influenced by a range of other arts that exist and are not usually associated with readers.”

To find out more about One Book, One Doha, and to register to attend its festival, visit https://qatarreads.qa/one-book-one-doha/