HER desire to find interesting and well-illustrated material for her children to read led Thuraya Adel Batterjee to create a new career for herself as a writer and publisher of children's books. Her work has been well-received and she was nominated best Saudi publisher at a London book exhibition. Batterjee, the founder and managing director of Kadi and Ramadi (K&R) publishing house, specializes in producing children's books which have been adapted to life in the Arab World. It was as a mother that she first realized the difficulty in finding books in Arabic that would interest her children. At the same time, she noticed that Saudi children were attracted by children's stories in English books because of the way they were displayed and the colors and pictures that they contained. “I believe that reading is very important, especially when children are young, so I felt that I wanted my children to read Arabic books that were attractively designed and illustrated like English stories. That was when I started to write my first two stories,” Batterjee said. This led her to become involved in promoting reading for children and eventually in forming her own publishing house which has attempted to change the way that children's books are designed and published in the Kingdom. “I wanted my children to read well-written Arabic stories with designs and illustrations that would capture their interest,” Batterjee said. After publishing her two stories, she was selected by the British Council in the Kingdom to participate in a London book exhibition where she was nominated as best Saudi publisher. “There were candidates selected from different countries in the Middle East and each candidate was required to provide a 35-minute presentation from his/her work,” she explained. Batterjee first became involved in writing and publishing children's books because of her children, and they have continued to inspire her and even to help her with her work. “My work is part of my family life, and I involve my children in it as I consider them to be the best critics of my work since it is directed at young people their own age. And seeking their opinions and involving them in my work has led me to discover their own abilities,” she said. “My daughter Joud, who is nine, is a great salesperson and always helps me sell my books at exhibitions, and my son Sani, 12, who has become an expert in the use of Photoshop, helps to design my books, brochures and flyers.” Batterjee criticized the lack of a well-organized publishing business in the Kingdom which, she feels, has led to a shortage of local children's stories especially in the small towns and cities in the country. “Saudi Arabia is a large country and it is difficult for publishers to cover all of its towns and cities. That is why I decided to start my own publishing company with the aim of distributing our product to all parts of the Kingdom,” she explained. Batterjee's publishing house, which she started in 2008, does not release a book until it has been thoroughly checked. “It takes at least one year before a book can be sent to the market. Apart from the story itself, the illustration of characters has to be checked so that their look and expressions match the story and are able to stimulate the imagination of the children reading the book,” she said. Batterjee has taken courses in children's book illustration, design and animation and small enterprise management to help her develop her business. She has also shared her knowledge and experience with others by conducting seminars and workshops, giving lectures, and promoting reading for children in schools and summer camps. Batterjee was the first woman admitted to the Saudi Publishers Association under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture and Information. “Publishers associations in most countries are not related to any government department which gives them a wider scope to be freely active and participate in different events,” she said. “Becoming a member of this association was not easy, I hope that it will be the first of many steps leading to further success.”
