Literature festival growing from strength to strength

Dubai Tickets for the 2010 Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature (EAIFL) are now on sale. With a total of 100 authors and 50 per cent more sessions, the festival is set to be bigger than last year's inaugural event.

Arabic interest sessions have also doubled to 20 and four sessions dedicated to Emirati writers and writing have been introduced.

"The first year was so successful as the inaugural festival, we raised people's expectations," Isobel Abulhoul, EAIFL Director, told Gulf News. "We have to exceed people's expectations this year and we're certainly working tirelessly to build on the success of what we started."

This year's festival includes more than 75 events and is held under the patronage of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

Although sessions are ticketed, there are many free events and those tailored specially for children — these include the Fringe Festival, the Fringe Parade and Time Out Kids Zone, which will involve interactivity with books and book characters for younger readers.

After receiving feedback from the EAIFL 2009, the children's programmes have been tripled, comprising 17 sessions that will run on March 12 (Friday) and March 13 (Saturday). Guest authors include Jacqueline Wilson, Julia Johnson and Roger McGough. There will also be three children's storytelling events in Arabic, hosted by Nadine Touma, Taghreed Najjar and Fatima Sharaf Al Deen.

Musical strands, workshops and cookery demonstrations are added features of this year's EAIFL.

Workshops are for adults and children where experts will provide master classes for adults in creative writing, drama and translation (Arabic to English). Children will be able to take part in creative writing, drama and illustration workshops.

"This is now a landmark event on Dubai's cultural calendar for people of all ages and nationalities and a celebration of how literature enriches our lives," said Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice-Chairman, Emirates airline and Group.

The 2010 Festival will open with a session on ‘Emerging Emirati Writers' on day one, followed by the launch of Khalid Al Budoor's collection of historic Emirati poetry going back to the 1800s, entitled Looking Back with Love.

Two International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) winners, Youssef Ziedan and Baha'a Taher will appear on the first day. Day two includes author sessions by Alexander McCall Smith, commentator Shobbha De and BBC reporter John Simpson and Arabic poetry will also be a feature.

Renowned journalist and novelist Kate Adie, fiction writers Chris Cleave (The Other Hand), Vikas Swarup (Q&A/Slumdog Millionaire) and Yann Martel (Life of Pi) will feature on day three.

On the final and fourth day, an ‘in conversation' event with Wilfred Thesiger's biographer, Alexander Maitland, will treat visitors.

Information: Accessible venues

Are you looking forward to the literature festival? Are people giving less importance to books these days? Why do you think so?