SHARJAH – Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi launched her children’s book The Conference of the Birds and signed copies at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair on Sunday.
Published in Arabic and English by Kalimat, the book adapts the classic poem of the same name by Farid al-Din Attar of Nishapur for readers aged eight to 12. Illustrated by Noushin Sadeghian, the retelling explores courage and cooperation against a backdrop of disappearing forests and polluted skies.
In the story, a hoopoe gathers birds from around the world beneath the Waq Waq tree. They cross seven valleys on their way to Mount Qaf, where they hope the legendary Simorgh can tell them how to save their home. As they face setbacks along the way, the birds begin to see what they can do together.
Sheikha Bodour, founder and chief executive of Kalimat Group, won the 2025 BolognaRagazzi Award for fiction for her book House of Wisdom.
