Dubai, UAE, 13 February 2023: The triumphant winners of the Chevron Readers’ Cup, were honoured in a live ceremony at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (1-6 February 2023) following a hotly contested ‘read-off’. The hugely popular competition for schools is held to find out who is top of the class when it comes to mastery of reading skills with students competing against other schools in a series of heats, answering questions from a list of books by a variety of international authors.
The team with the best knowledge of the selected books is crowned winner. Close to 5000 students entered this year’s reading quiz in the first round, with 87 teams competing in the finals, which were held in Arabic and English in person in two age groups – Primary and Secondary. This year has seen an unprecedented number of participants for the Chevron Readers’ Cup and the teams hailed from the UAE as well as the GCC. The winners were awarded trophies, certificates and book vouchers.
The prizes were presented by Muhammad Al Sadek, Commercial & Government Relations Manager, Chevron, Renu Sharma, General Manager & Country Chair -UAE- and festival director, Ahlam Bolooki.
This year marks the eleventh year Chevron has sponsored the competition, which has become a popular fixture in the academic calendar. Renu Sharma, General Manager & Country Chair -UAE- Chevron Middle East JV’s & Aviation, Chevron, said: “We have been proud of our continued sponsorship of The Chevron Readers’ Cup. This lively quiz shows that reading can be fun and entertaining as a group activity, engaging with books in such a dynamic way. At the same time it imparts the benefits of reading, so important for academic success across the board. It is our hope it will kindle in those taking part a love of reading that will continue throughout the contestants’ lives.”
English Winners:
Primary Age Group:
1 - The Maverick Readers, Indian International School, DSO, Dubai
2 - The Polar Readers, The Winchester School, Jebel Ali, Dubai
3 - The Elementals, GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
Secondary Age Group
1 - MRIS-G team 2, Manarat Al Riyadh International, Girls,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2- Where the Wild Books Are, St Mary’s Catholic High School Dubai, Oud Metha Dubai
3 - Millennium Senior Readers, The Millennium School, Dubai
Arabic Winners
Primary Age Group:
1. The Bright Future, Dar Al Uloom Private School, Falaj Hazza, Abu Dhabi
2. Hikmat Al-Ula, Al-Hikmah Private School, Nuamya, Ajman
3. Knights of Creativity, International School of Creative Science, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai
Secondary Age Group:
1. Pioneers of Creativity, Dar Al Uloom Private School, Falaj Hazza, Abu Dhabi
2. Promising Pens, Dar Al Uloom Private School, Falaj Hazza, Abu Dhabi
3. Ambassadors of Reading, Al Marefa School 2, Cycle 1 and 2, Secondary Education Girls, Fujairah
The Festival programme is brimming with sessions to engage, entertain and inform, with topics encompassing fiction, history, current affairs, food, health, travel, biography, business and more. There are opportunities to appreciate poetry, take part in creative writing workshops and generally indulge in intelligent and articulate discussion on a wide range of topics. Sessions appeal to all ages and nationalities, featuring outstanding authors, thinkers and opinion formers.
Other initiatives celebrated at the Festival includes the Voices of Future Generations, which launches its second 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; and the announcement of the second 10 fellows for the First Chapter: ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture. It is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
To buy tickets and for the full list of authors, visit http://www.emirateslitfest.com/shop
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.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature:
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the Arab World’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring international and regional writers, poets, thinkers and speakers from around the world. Over the last 14 years more than 1,800 authors from over one hundred countries have spoken at the Festival. In 2022 the Festival reached more than 105,000 people, in person and via live streaming. Sessions included multi-talented top children's author David Walliams, entreprenuer Gary Vaynerchuck, Indra Nooyi ranked amongst the world's 100 most powerful women executives, and Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, and the Education Programme featured children’s favourites Ali Sparkes, Rob Biddulph, Sanaa Chabbani, Gulnar Hajou and Ken Arto.
The aim of the Festival is to develop a culture of reading as an enjoyable habit in the UAE, and its efforts have been recognised through many awards over the years. By providing an equal platform for international and locally based talents, the Festival continues to build the literary landscape in the UAE and further afield. Alongside the main programme, the Festival organises an Education programme, reaching students across the seven emirates of the UAE. There are also student competitions, held in Arabic and English, which allow young people to showcase their skills through poetry, short stories and reading.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Festival is a key part of the Emirates Literature Foundation, which was established in 2013 by Royal Decree. In partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will be back in 2023. For information and updates about the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature visit the website:www.emirateslitfest.com
About the Emirates Literature Foundation:
The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures a love of literature in the United Arab Emirates and the region, through a programme of varied cultural initiatives.
Established in 2013 by Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Foundation aims to foster a love for literature, with a focus on the Arabic language.
In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, the Foundation has implemented several long-term projects including the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub, and From the Inside Out, as well as conducting year-round student education programmes, book clubs and mentorship programmes. The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference and the 2016 Dubai Translation Conference.
The Foundation is also the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the UAE’s premier literary festival.
About Emirates
Emirates is an award-winning international airline with a global footprint across six continents, connecting passengers and facilitating global trade to and through its modern hub, Dubai to over 120 destinations. The airline operates one of the most modern and efficient aircraft fleet comprised of spacious and comfortable Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. With a culturally diverse workforce from over 130 nationalities, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and world-class products. The airline also supports local communities worldwide and brings people together through its vast portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships.
About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.
As part of its journey to position Dubai as the global capital of the creative economy, Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirate's historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2026.
The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers that seek to support talents and stimulate active participation from society members by investing in the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of six heritage sites, six museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and eight Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that stimulates the cultural and creative industries.
For more information, please visit the Authority's website www.dubaiculture.gov.ae