Emirates Airline Festival of Literature takes place from 8th – 12th March 2011 and will deliver perennial festival favourites alongside more than 40 completely new events including Gala Evenings, Literary Lunches and a Literary Quiz.
All tickets can be purchased from selected Magrudy’s outlets in the UAE or from the Festival’s official website: www.emirateslitfest.com.
Once again, the festival will offer numerous opportunities to meet and listen to a literary prize-winner. The 2011 Festival will deliver in-depth interviews with many favourite authors including Bernard Cornwell, Lionel Shriver, China Mieville and Tony Parsons. Leading academics and thinkers will get together to discuss topics of international interest. Emirates Airline Festival of Literature brings audiences cutting edge discussion of social media with two Digital Revolution events – one looking at the impact of social media on writers and their readers and the second looking at the future of the book and how we read.
Emirates Litfest Programme at a Glance
Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th March
• Brand new multi-author Gala Evenings: Tuesday’s Gala Evening stars the traveller extraordinaire Michael Palin in a one man show entitled Forty Years Without a Proper Job followed by an unmissable encounter with Nigeria’s foremost man of letters and first Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. The following night’s Gala Evening will open with a rare opportunity to hear from one of the most respected writers of our time, poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist Margaret Atwood followed by four leading international poets – Simon Armitage, Nathalie Handal, Dha’en Shaheen and Benjamin Zephaniah. Complementing the words will be musical performances by the Dubai Sinfonia orchestra.
Thursday 10th March
• First Literary Lunch: Emirates Lit Fest will join forces with Michelin starred chef Pierre Gagnaire to hold its first Literary Lunch. Pierre will create a special Emirates Lit Fest menu at his Reflets restaurant at the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City. This will be preceded by a cookery demonstration by Pierre himself. Numbers for the lunch will be strictly limited to just 45 spaces.
• Inaugural George Orwell Lecture: BBC journalist Gavin Esler will present a revealing insight into George Orwell as a prophet of the 21st Century.
• Brand new strand: This year, the Festival is introducing 25 Focus On sessions. These more interactive, intimate sessions will allow festival goers to get closer to their favourite authors.
• New Calligraphy Workshops for adults and children: The first of a series of new Calligraphy Workshops begins today. There will also be free demonstrations throughout the festival.
Friday 11th March
• Sessions in a third language: French writers Elisabeth Horem and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt will speak in their native tongue in the festival’s very own ‘quartier francais’.
• New ‘Masterclasses’ for budding writers: In addition to an expanding workshop programme, the festival is launching its first Masterclasses, which will be given by Tony Parsons, Roger McGough, Marina Lewycka, Louise Doughty, Mark Billingham and Morris Gleitzman.
• First ever Literary Quiz: British crime writer Mark Billingham will be the MC for the Festival’s first Literary Quiz. Do you know your Amis from your Azzawi? We expect the Eclipse Bar to be jam-packed with Festival authors locked in friendly verbal combat.
Saturday 12th March
• First ever ‘Festival Personality’ named: The Festival has named the exceptional business man, philanthropist and champion of literacy, Juma al Majid, its first Festival Personality. He will be interviewed by Festival Director, Isobel Abulhoul in this unique session.
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture). Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is supported by Dubai Culture, the Emirate’s dedicated authority to promote culture, heritage and the arts.
