Eligibility Criteria

General Criteria

  1. The book must be published in the Arabic language and must be an original work. Translated works are not eligible.
  2. The book should be published in paper format.
  3. The book must not have received any local, Arab, or international award prior to the deadline of submission of entries.
  4. It should be an original work. The entry must not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party. The intellectual property rights of the authors, illustrators, and other producers of the work must be respected.
  5. Books must have been published no more than 5 years preceding announcement of the Award.
  6. Non-fiction, educational, scientific books, or books in series are not eligible for entry.
  7. Textbooks, e-books, and audiobooks will not be considered, nor will manuscripts.
  8. Books of poetry, short story collections, articles, and biographies are not eligible.
  9. Books in the same series may be judged together or separately, at the sole discretion of the judges.
  10. New editions of previously published books are not eligible.
  11. Works of joint authorship or editorship are eligible.
  12. Books submitted should be published by a publishing house or a registered organisation. Self-published books are not eligible.
  13. The entries must be submitted through a publishing house or a registered organisation.  
  14. Publishers should not submit entries that they have already submitted to previous editions of the Award. Any such entry will be disqualified.
  15. The jury is authorised to disqualify any entry that does not comply with the above conditions.
  16. The jury has the right to withhold the award.
  17. No entrant may object to the decisions of the jury.
  18. Works that have reached the shortlist of the award should be available during Sharjah International Book Fair.


Early Reader (0 – 5)

  1. The entry should be a children's book targeting children aged 0 - 5.
  2. Each publisher may nominate a maximum of 5 titles for the Early Reader category.
  3. The winning publisher of this category shall provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book during Sharjah international Book Fair for archiving and promotion bearing the logo of the Award for non-profit use.
  4. The winning author and illustrator of this category should each provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book for non-profit use.
  5. The illustrator who wins this category should submit a proposed theme for the next edition of the Award within a month after the winner's announcement.

Picture Book (5 – 9)

  1. The entry should be a children's book targeting children aged 5 - 9.
  2. Each publisher may nominate a maximum of 5 titles for the Picture Book category.
  3. The winning publisher of this category shall provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book during Sharjah international Book Fair for archiving and promotion bearing the logo of the Award for non-profit use.
  4. The winning author and illustrator of this category shall each provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book for non-profit use.
  5. The illustrator who wins this category should submit a proposed theme for the next edition of the Award within a month after the winner's announcement. 

Chapter Book (9 – 12)

Unlike picture books, chapter books tell the story primarily through prose, rather than pictures. The name refers to the fact that the story is usually divided into short chapters, providing readers with opportunities to pause and resume reading if their attention span is not long enough to finish the book in one sitting. Chapter books are usually of medium length and complexity.

  1. The entry should be targeting children aged 9 - 12.
  2. Arabic nonfiction and fiction are all eligible for the award.
  3. We don't require publishers to strictly limit the quantity of titles submitted in this category. Publishers may submit as many books as they wish and are encouraged to do so. However, we urge publishers to use their best judgment and send only those titles that they believe are distinguished enough to warrant consideration.
  4. The winning publisher of this category shall provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book during Sharjah international Book Fair for archiving and promotion bearing the logo of the Award for non-profit use.
  5. The winning author and illustrator of this category shall each provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book for non-profit use.

Young Adult Book (13 – 18)

  1. The entry should be targeting young adults aged 13 - 18.
  2. New or revised editions of previously issued books are eligible at the discretion of the judges, but reprinted editions are not. In this case, please submit a copy of the original edition and list all the changes made in the revised edition.
  3. Arabic nonfiction and fiction are all eligible for the award.
  4. We don't require publishers to strictly limit the quantity of titles submitted. Publishers may submit as many books as they wish and are encouraged to do so. However, we urge publishers to use their best judgment and send only those titles that they believe are distinguished enough to warrant consideration.
  5. The winning publisher of this category shall provide the UAEBBY with 150 copies of the book during Sharjah international Book Fair for archiving and promotion bearing the logo of the Award for non-profit use.
  6. The winning author of this category should provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book for non-profit use.

Comic Book (up to 18)

Comics is a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically takes the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate dialogue, narration, sound effects, or other information. The size and arrangement of panels contribute to narrative pacing. Cartooning and other forms of illustration are the most common image-making means in comics.

Common forms include comic strips, editorial and gag cartoons, comic books, graphic novels, comic albums, Manga, and tankobon.

In line with this literary form that is popular among children and teens, Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature introduced this special category for 2021 dedicated to Comic books.

Eligibility

  1. The entry should be targeting readers aged up to 18 years old.
  2. Authors, illustrators and artists of this category must be of an Arabic nationality.
  3. We don't require publishers to strictly limit the quantity of titles submitted. Publishers may submit as many books as they wish and are encouraged to do so. However, we urge publishers to use their best judgment and send only those titles that they believe are distinguished enough to warrant consideration.
  4. All forms of comics are accepted including comic strips, editorial and gag cartoons, comic books, graphic novels, comic albums, Manga, and tankobon as long as it is published in paper format.
  5. Books must have been published more than 5 years preceding announcement of the Award are accepted.
  6. Books in series are eligible for entry.
  7. The winning publisher of this category shall provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book during Sharjah international Book Fair or archiving and promotion bearing the logo of the Award for non-profit use.
  8. The winning author and illustrator of this category shall each provide the UAEBBY with 100 copies of the book for non-profit use.
  9. The award organisers have the right to request a proposed theme from the winning illustrator for the next edition of the Award within a month after the winner's announcement.