focus on her own family, her creative spirit would take her into the world of children’s literature, as an author and illustrator. She produced her first two titles in 1997, under her own publishing house. She would draw inspiration from her everyday adventures as a mother to five wonderful children (Saud, Moothi, Tanah, Khalid, and Leen). “Each book is a manifestation of a conversation, a teachable moment, or an anecdote I’ve witnessed from my kids. Hiccups for example is a book I wrote about fearless Leen and her brother, Khalid. Everywhere was my way of teaching Tanah why it’s not a good idea to sip water from a fish tank. They are the characters in most of my books, a fact that still makes my children blush,” Halla shares with a light laughter.
Since then, Halla Bint Khalid has continued to write in both Arabic and English, illustrate, and design her own books for children. Each of her work takes an average of two years to complete. In April 2017, she managed to cross into the international scene, when her book One Hundred was published in Barcelona, in both Spanish and Catalan.
Always keen to broaden her horizon and contribute to the creative community of Saudi Arabia, Halla ventured into the world of design. Partly inspired by her love of museum stores, she set out to create stationeries and merchandise that capture the Kingdom’s identity and diversity. “I started dabbling in design a couple of years ago, and last year, I launched a new company called Halla’s Designs. It’s a joy for me to create different collections
inspired by my culture and it fills a gap in the market. People are looking for products that showcase the beauty of our heritage, which they can keep or share with others.” The Camel Series created by Halla drew positive reviews during its showcase at Saudi Design Week 2017. She is also developing quality stationery that are inspired by petroglyphs, Arabic proverbs, and the like. Halla Bint Khalid’s journey is not marked by choosing a road less travelled in the past, but one wherein she had to blaze her own path. Through her imagination and talent, generations are able to find themselves in the pages of her books, and provide others with a glimpse of the Kingdom’s heritage and traditions. Web: hallabintkhalid.com
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