Sharjah Book Authority Launches World's First Virtual Reality Book

Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has launched the world’s first virtual reality book in Arabic and English, as part of its campaign to promote the eighth edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), which takes place from April 20-30 at Expo Centre Sharjah. 
SBA chose the title Baba Zayed, a publication from Kalimat publishing house, as the first book to employ the virtual reality technology. The book enables children to learn a brief biography about the founder of the Union, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who is renowned as not just a political leader but also a visionary. 
The book will be the first of its kind in the world that uses 3D VR Glasses to enable children to read and at the same time enjoy 360-degree interaction with the story. 
The launch of the virtual reality Baba Zayed, which encourages children to engage with its events and be influenced by its characters directly, aims to attract children and encourage them to read by taking advantage of their passion for technology and its latest developments. 
The new offering is in line with SBA’s literary initiatives that involve a range of inspiring and innovative ideas to increase children’s interaction with books and instill a love of reading, as well as help facilitate SCRF 2016 as an interactive platform that combines learning, fun and activity. 
The 11-day SCRF will bring together top Arab and international children’s authors engaging in a series of sessions to discuss ways to help stimulate young people to read.