Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 16th edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the flagship of the Emirates Literature foundation (ELF) opened on Wednesday.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and member of the Dubai Executive Council, attended the inaugural event.
Running from January 31 to February 6, the Emirates LitFest, one of the world’s top literary events, is being held with the support of Emirates Airline as title sponsor and the Dubai Culture as founding partner.
The official ceremony began with an extraordinary night of readings featuring three exceptional authors and speakers, including Sir Ben Okri, poet, novelist, essayist and winner of the 1991 Booker Prize for Fiction; award-winning poet Claudia Rankine; and Saud Al Sanousi, the best-selling Kuwaiti novelist and winner of the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
The three literary luminaries presented readings from their books and reflected on their individual journeys. The headliners were accompanied by spellbinding poetic performances from Emirati poet Amal Al Sahlawi, a member of the group “Untitled Chapters”, and locally based artist Ammar Ashkar, creating a captivating poetic experience.
LitFest 2024 will host more than 160 various events and sessions in a variety of formats such as conversations, workshops, special events, such as LitFest After Hours, Discovery Talks, Family Activities and Youth Day.
The opening ceremony began with the announcement of the winners of the third cycle of the First Chapter: the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship – the region’s first standard mentorship program for aspiring writers. The fellowship program, featuring a number of international publishers and literary agents, has achieved a remarkable success during the past years. Sara Hamdan, a graduate of the first cycle of the fellowship, signed a landmark two-book deal with US publisher Holt-Macmillan. Her debut novel ‘What Will People Think’ will be out in 2025.
Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of Emirates Literature Foundation, Director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Managing Director of ELF Publishing, said: “The LitFest reflects the image of the world around us and the diverse stories that make the very fabric of our existence. We gather today to let stories be our compass, to teach us, to help us understand our world and to offer us an escape into the infinite worlds of our imaginations, and the tools and courage to turn them into our realities.”
Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing Brand for Emirates, said: “Tonight’s opening gala sets the tone for the rest of the festival, filled with inspirational performances and lively discussions as we embrace storytelling to bridge cultures and bring us closer together. The LitFest is thrilled to host an impressive lineup of 160 speakers from around the world, with one-third of them being Emiratis.”
Dr. Saeed Mubarak Bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, emphasized that the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has become an integral part of the community calendar in Dubai, thanks to its annual presentation of diverse programs and activities, showcasing the potential and capabilities of the local culture and arts sector.
16th edition of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Kicks Off
