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The military tactic in mind is very simple: Charge! All you need to do is grab as many tickets as possible to the book event of the year in the UAE – and dare I say, the Middle East. Last year saw the spectacular debut of the Emirates Airlines International Literature Festival, and this year’s event promises even more magic and firecrackers. When I heard about the festival last year, I knew I couldn’t miss it. I was busy and had a ton on my to do list, but I made the time to go to two sessions (only two! Shame) and boy was I impressed. You could feel the place vibrate with energy and it seemed to bounce off in all directions. Some authors had us in fits of laughter, others had a lively debate – it was, in short, inspiring. Just being in a place like that is enough to send off a million ideas rocketing in your brain, whether you’re a budding writer or artist or any creative spirit, really. Like I said, the air was just pulsing with creativity and happy thoughts. What’s really good about this is that the festival includes both Arab and International authors. Emirati and Regional talent are a force to reckon with, and it’s only appropriate that this festival gives them the recognition they deserve and fosters an air of solidarity amongst all authors. I must also say that the organization of the event is top notch. Staff are available everywhere to help you find the hotel from the adjacent Festival mall, to help you get to your sessions and with everything else you need assistance with. A Magrudys bookshop area was also available at the InterContinental Hotel last year, with all the books by the visiting authors. It was great to be able to pick a couple more titles after hearing someone speak. And if you’ve forgotten your book at home, you can always pick an extra copy to get it signed at the book-signing event after each session. I’m looking forward to the festival this year, as there are a couple of sessions I’d love to attend. With more than 80 authors coming in this year, it’ll be tough deciding which sessions to go to. The fringe festival is also worth a visit; this year they’ll not only have creative writing workshops for kids and adults, but they’ll also have translation workshops which I’m sure will be pretty interesting. William Dalrymple, Yann Martel, Alexander McCall Smith, Mohammed Al Murr, Amjad Nasser, Ahdaf Soueif and many more will be there. Make sure to book your tickets and treat yourself to a weekend of inspiring dialogue and ideas. When: Wednesday, March 10th – Saturday, March 13th Where: Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City Why: Because we need this! For more details, click here. And like their motto says: There are places only books can take you to. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss that! |
