Bologna – Italy, April 3, 2025

Emirati publisher, author, and women’s advocate Bodour Al Qasimi has made history by becoming the first woman from an Arab Gulf state to receive a prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award for Fiction.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi received the prize for her groundbreaking children’s book ‘House of Wisdom’ at a ceremony in the impressive Farnese Chapel, at Palazzo d’Accursio, in Bologna.

Reflecting on the honour, Sheikha Bodour said: “For me, this award signals a shift towards a more inclusive children’s publishing sector. Amid heightened global tensions, stories like ‘House of Wisdom’ carry a message that books can occasion unity, progress, and a deeper understanding between cultures. It’s a timely statement about literature’s power to build bridges and keep the bigger human picture in view.”