Ouargla – The sixth edition of the International Festival of Books, Literature, and Poetry in Ouargla will focus on the role of digital media in enhancing and modernizing children’s literature. The event, scheduled to begin on Monday, aims to address the challenges of the digital age and the rise of artificial intelligence in shaping young minds, organizers revealed during a press conference on Sunday.
Building a Digital Future for Children’s Literature
Festival Commissioner, Professor El Eid Djellouli, emphasized that fostering a creative culture among children is essential to help them navigate and benefit from modern technologies. Speaking at the “Moudjahid Mohamed Tijani” Public Library, he stressed the importance of providing a safe and responsible environment for children to engage with these technologies, which offer both opportunities and challenges.
“Books are no longer the sole source of knowledge for children,” Professor Djellouli noted. “Modern communication tools have become integral to their daily lives, offering a wealth of diverse content that broadens their horizons.”
Themes and Highlights of the Festival
This year’s conference, held under the theme “Writing for Children to Build the Future”, will explore several key topics:
- Harnessing internet culture as a tool to promote children’s literature.
- Addressing challenges in producing children’s literature in Algeria and the Arab world.
- Showcasing interactive literary initiatives, such as Palestinian children’s literature that counters Zionist narratives.
For the first time, the festival will host a children’s story-writing competition, a recommendation from participants in the previous edition. This initiative aims to nurture creativity among young writers and encourage them to explore the art of storytelling.
A Packed Program of Activities
The festival, hosted at the “Moudjahid Mohamed Tijani” Public Library and the “Moufdi Zakaria” Cultural Center, will run for four days and feature a range of activities, including:
- Workshops: Reading, creative writing, poetry, and theater.
- Cultural Performances: Theatrical shows and poetry evenings with local and international participants.
- Exhibitions: A special international book fair under the theme “With Knowledge We Rise, With Books We Thrive,” featuring 70 publishers from across Algeria.
The festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in collaboration with the Algerian Agency for Cultural Outreach, will run from November 25 to December 2.
This event promises to be a pivotal platform for discussing the integration of digital tools into children’s literature and inspiring the next generation of readers and writers.
For more updates on Algeria’s cultural initiatives, visit DZWATCH.DZ.
Author: Nor-Eleslam
children’s literature, digital media, Algeria cultural festivals, creative storytelling
