Rania Zaghir
Personal information
Contact information (Private)
Contact information (Work)
Community/Lebanon Impact
Her work is tailored to help young Arab readers build a new understanding of their own childhood by focusing on their own inner worlds, and by providing a simplified explanation for these worlds which allows them to have a better notion of the vast changes occurring all around them.
Zaghir’s new & unique writing style is very different from the usual ones found in traditional children books, which for years have focused upon education without providing the right keys to decipher complicated codes of modern life. She speaks to the children with a smart, thoughtful language that links them to the present. For this reason, she works on getting every child to become acquainted with a variety of human cultures in a conscious and careful manner.
She has also been acclaimed as a pioneer in introducing more indigenous and imaginative storybooks which enhance the child’s self-confidence. In addition, her stories make children feel free, untied, receptive, and able to make good decisions, thereby giving them the capability of addressing life problems.
Social Media
Education
- Master's Degree, Educational Psychology, 2004, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
- Teaching Diploma, Elementary Education, 2001, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
- Bachelor Degree, Communication Arts, 1999, Lebanese American University, Lebanon.
Work history
- Owner and manager, 2008-present, Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir publishing house.
- Children's book author, 1999-present.
- University lecturer, 2002-2006.
- School teacher, 1998-2002.
Major Achievements
- Zaghir, R. (2018), Fikreyyeh, Beirut: Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir.
- Zaghir, R. (2010).Haltabiss haltabiss. Beirut: Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir.
- Zaghir, R. (2010).Man lahasa qarn al-booza [Who ate my ice cream]. Beirut: Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir. [Translated into 19 languages].
- Zaghir, R. (2009).Sissi malaket talbasu kharufan wa dudatayn [Sisi and the seasons]. Beirut: Al-Khayyat Al-Saghir.
- Speaker at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, United Arab Emirates, 2018.
- Speaker at the Tunisian Book Fair, Tunis, 2018
- Speaker at the Sharjah international children's reading festival, United Arab Emirates, 2012.
- Speaker at the literature festival of Lillihamar, Norway, 2010.
- Speaker at the literature festival of Mantova "festival de littérature de Mantova", Italy, 2009.
Accomplishments
- Al-Khayat Al-Saghir publishing house wins the Anna Lindh foundation award for the children's book "Heya Huma Hunna", 2010.
- Winner of Assabil (friend of public libraries) Best Book Award for her children's book "Sissi Malaket talbasu kharufan wa dudatayn" [Sisi and the seasons], 2009.
- Winner of Berlin Literature Festival, Extra Ordinary Book Award for her children's book Haltabees Haltabees], 2015.
- Winner of Beirut Bookfair Award, Best Book Award for her children's book Beirut, 2016.
Competences & Skills
- Authorship
- Publishing
- Teaching
- Training
- Project Management
- Arabic
- English