The journey to Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2017 began today with the official launch announcing the line-up of 140+ authors who will be in attendance next year. The annual event, now in its ninth year, will be held over nine days from 3-11 March, during the UAE’s 2017 Month of Reading.
Key Features
• More than 90 first time authors
• Theme is ‘Journeys’
• What’s New at Festival 2017
• Peace, Tolerance, Happiness Strand
• Emirates Literature Foundation Media Awards
The cast of authors at the ever-popular event include first-time guests Sana Amanat, the co-creator of Marvel’s Pakistani-American superhero, Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), 2015 Great British Bake-Off Winner Nadiya Hussain, creator of the popular Emirati animated television series Freej, Mohammed Saeed Harib, entrepreneur Jo Malone, crime writer Kathy Reichs, whose books have been adapted into the hit television series Bones, renowned children’s author Tanya Landman (Buffalo Soldier, Hell and High Water), Kuwaiti writer Bothayna Wail Al Essa (Map of Wondering, I Grew up and Forgot to Forget) and International television presenter Alan Titchmarsh.
Returning authors include international bestsellers Jeffrey Archer, Ahmed Khaled Towfik, Francesca Simon, and Mourid Barghouti.
The author round-up was presented during a special event at the home of the Festival, the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, featuring an illusionist whose captivating performance only added to the excitement as famous names were revealed.
‘Books allow us to take journeys far beyond the limits of our physical surroundings’ said Isobel Abulhoul, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. ‘They gift us an understanding of other cultures and communities, helping us to become a truly harmonious society. This is the vision of the Foundation, the Festival’s governing body, and one that aligns with the UAE’s aims as well. It dictates the work we do at the Foundation, through our year-round events, and especially during the Festival.
‘Our motto is Happiness, Tolerance, Diversity and Peace – which can be discovered through books. We have selected an exceptional group of authors of more than 30 nationalities who advocate this same message, and we hope that this year’s incredible Festival will entice even the most reluctant reader into loving books.’
For the full list of authors, visit emirateslitfest.com/authors
Theme
The theme for the 2017 Festival is ‘Journeys’, and it is reflected in the programme through a number of inspiring sessions. ‘When you think about journeys, it can mean so many different things. For example: a physical or emotional journey, a journey through life, a journey through a storybook, a journey towards happiness, or fitness, or achieving a dearly held ambition.’ explained Abulhoul.
Foreign Correspondent Christina Lamb and Syrian refugee Nujeen Mustafa will retrace Nujeen’s incredible 4000-mile journey from Syria to Hungary in her wheelchair, while Saudi Arabian social media sensation Abdullah Al Jumah relates his experiences flashpacking across Latin America.
Visitors can journey back in time with UAE history specialists Frauke Heard-Bey and David Heard, presenter of BBC Radio Series Museum of Lost Objects, Kanishk Tharoor, historian Bettany Hughes and cultural heritage expert Abdulaziz AlMusallam, and to the future with prolific science-fiction author Peter F Hamilton, Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance, and science writer Lucy Hawking, daughter of Stephen Hawking.
What’s New at the Festival
The nine days of the Festival will be packed with exciting events, appealing to every age group, and reflecting the range of diversity through its varied programme.
Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre said: ‘We believe that art and culture are an integral part of our lives and this is why we are proud to be one of the founding partners of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. The much anticipated annual event is one of Dubai’s most diverse festivals, offering a rich programme of events that feature critically acclaimed authors who help us explore fresh ideas, learn something new, and most importantly – they inspire us. This year, we are confident that the Festival will continue to offer audiences even more opportunities for education, engagement and entertainment, which have become ever so important to Dubai’s cultural landscape.’
The International Publishing Conference, held from 5-6 March in partnership with The Executive Council of Dubai, will bring together renowned speakers from the UAE, MENA and across the world to look into the heart of what good publishing means, from starting up a business to managing runaway bestsellers and discussions on online successes transforming into offline hits. In addition to the main speaker and panel sessions there will be masterclasses on key skills necessary in today’s world of books.
The Residential Creative Writing Course, held from 5-8 March, will be a three-day writing course for new writers and established writers, set against the stimulating backdrop of the Festival. Participants will have the unique opportunity to mix with attending authors and publishers whilst receiving expert advice at lectures from leading literary agents and editors and from the course tutors, award-winning authors Patrick Gale and Sue Moorcroft.
In a first for the Festival, visitors can enjoy a live ‘radio play’ reading of an author’s work. Leila Aboulela’s Mystic Life, an adaptation of a short story from her book Coloured Lights and originally adapted for BBC Radio 4, will be performed as part of a session by local actors.
Visitors are also invited to the Murder Mystery Dinner, with an original script by 2017 Festival crime author, Martin Edwards. Unravel the mystery behind the murder of a literary agent at the fictional ‘Mammoth Literary Festival’. Wandering crime authors will act as ‘consulting detectives’ to help diners solve the crime.
And, for those wishing to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the master of Austen adaptations for the big screen, Andrew Davies, will conduct an evening to celebrate her storytelling and favourite characters such as Elinor Dashwood, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy.
His Excellency Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: ‘Dubai Culture is proud of its long-standing partnership with the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature – an important event in Dubai that aims to build a strong culture of reading among the city’s youth and the wider community. The initiative supports the UAE’s National Strategy for Reading 2016 – 2026, and via its strategic objectives it aligns with the UAE’s Month of Reading in March 2017. The Authority maintains a core focus on promoting culture and reading to all UAE community members, and we are committed to work in collaboration with all of our stakeholders to fulfil this vision in line with the directives of the Dubai Plan 2021 and the vision of our wise leadership to further establish Dubai’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered individuals.’
View News Headlines
