The journey to Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2017 began today with the official launch announcing the line-up of more than 140 authors who will be in attendance next year. The annual event, now in its ninth year, will be held over nine days from March 3-11, 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, Mohammad 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), Kuwaiti writer Bothayna Wail Al Essa (Map of Wondering) 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.”
The theme for the 2017 Festival is ‘Journeys’, and it is reflected in the programme through a number of inspiring sessions.
Foreign Correspondent Christina Lamb and Syrian refugee Nujeen Mustafa will retrace Nujeen’s incredible 4,000-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.
For the full list of authors, visit emirateslitfest.com/authors
