Books — Made in UAE
Workshop with book illustrator Jutta Bauer

© Goethe-Institut As part of the project „Books – Made in UAE“, the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region organised a workshop for Emirati illustrators, thus continuing their efforts to support the growth of an Emirati children’s book literature scene.
 

In the workshop under the direction of children’s  and young adult’s book illustrator Jutta Bauer the participating illustrators worked with texts for children’s picture books or short chapter books, all of which written by Emirati authors who had participated in the workshop for authors in April 2014 with German children’s book author Anja Tuckermann. The illustrators were guided by Bauer through all stages of children’s book illustrating – from the first sketches to the final storyboard.

„Illustrations are a very important part of children’s books”, Jutta Bauer said. „They are capable of transforming a simple story into an exciting and fascinating one.” She further commented: „I hope that through this workshop young Emirati artists have not only trained to express characters and emotions in children’s books, but also have enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow illustrators who understand their passion.”
„Jutta shared so many of her personal techniques with us“, said Eman AlRaesi, an artist form Sharjah who had already participated in the author’s workshop. „The workshop helped me to look and think of the illustrations in the way children do, not just focus on how I want the book to be.“

„For me it was a dream come true, since I used to watch Jutta’s drawings when I was a teenager and admired the lines and tiny details without knowing who draw these pictures”, Reem Qahtan explains her enthusiasm. „Jutta is very inspiring, the workshop was so beneficial for me and it was very smooth to grasp everything taught by her.”

Maitha Al Khayat, author of The Runaway Louse is sure: „The Books – Made In UAE project has acted as the foundation for every aspiring children’s author and illustrator in the United Arab Emirates. It kick starts their career and places their names as landmarks in the literary world.”