Children's Literature in Saudi Arabia

Children's Literature in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began with the publication of the first specialized magazine, al-Rawdah, by Taher Zamakhshari in 1959. A group of notable writers contributed to the magazine, including Abdulghani Qusti, Ibrahim Allaf, Mohammed Omar Tawfiq, Mohammed Abdullah Malibari, Abbas Faeq Ghazzawi, Hamed Matawea, Ahmed al-Siba'i, Abdulhamid Anbar, Aziz Diya, Saleh Mohammed Jalal, Mohammed Zaki Awad, and Hayat Abdulhamid Anbar.

Writing in the field of children’s literature has gone through many stages, from specialized pages for regulating the publication of children’s literature in several newspapers in the Kingdom, such as al-Madina, al-Bilad, al-Jazirah, al-Riyadh, and Okaz, to publishers dedicated to Children's Literature like the Cultural Cooperative Library in al-Ahsa, Dar Ashbal al-Arab for Publishing, Saudi Publishing and Distribution House, Tihama Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing, and Dar al-Mareekh for Publishing and Artistic Production. Government ministries and departments have also played a role. This progression led to the establishment of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission on February 4, 2020, to manage and regulate the literature, publishing, and translation sectors as the official authority in the Kingdom, contribute to achieving the aspirations of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Culture Strategy, which seeks to make culture a way of life, enhance its role in economic growth, and strengthen the Kingdom's international position. The commission's role includes organizing these three sectors, developing capabilities, motivating practitioners, and serving beneficiaries.

The Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission focuses on supporting the literary content industry by developing writers' abilities, raising awareness of literary genres, and enhancing readers' skills. The value chain of the literature sector intersects with various other entities. One of the commission's main strategic objectives is to support children's and young adults' literature.

As part of its initiatives, the commission launched the Children's and Young Adults' Literature Accelerator, a business accelerator specializing in children's and young adults' literature. It aims to empower ten startups focused on enhancing and developing children's and young adults' abilities in writing, illustrating, and storytelling, as well as other literary skills. This is achieved by applying the best international practices by providing mentorship, guidance, training, and financial grants to support the growth and development of companies in this field.

The commission also launched Baba Taher Competition, believing in the importance of nurturing talent and enhancing literary creativity. The competition aims to encourage all members of the community, including adults, children, and young adults, to engage in writing and authorship. It focuses on children's and young adults' literature through various writing forms (story, comic, and short novel). The competition is named after the national icon and pioneer in Saudi children's literature, 'Taher Zamakhshari', a lover of childhood whose artistic and literary legacy has profoundly influenced both writers and readers.