Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2025 line-up includes Nobel Prize-winning author and local talent

American novelist Abraham Verghese and Diary of a Wimpy Kid writer included on speakers list

The festival will run from January 29 to February 3, 2025, at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. Leslie Pableo for The National

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will welcome award-winning international writers and speakers early next year, organisers have announced.

The annual gathering, which takes place from January 29 to February 3 at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, features more than 150 events, including author talks, panel discussions and workshops.

Among the renowned names attending are American writer and physician Abraham Verghese. His 2023 novel The Covenant of Water, which tells the story of three generations of a Malayali family living in south-west India, was selected as part of Oprah's Book Club and was in The New York Times bestseller list for 37 weeks.

Tanzanian-British novelist and academic Abdulrazak Gurnah will also be in attendance. Gurnah, whose work deals with identity, displacement, colonialism and cultural hybridity, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2021. To date, he has written 10 novels, including Paradise and By The Sea. The former was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the latter was longlisted.

Also attending the festival is Booker Prize-nominated Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma and Emmy Award-winning journalist Hala Gorani.

“As we navigate a world of uncertainty and change, the Emirates LitFest serves as a vital platform for dialogue, understanding, and reflection,” said festival director Ahlam Bolooki.

“Global conversations around identity and culture have never been more crucial, and we are honoured to welcome literary icons from across the globe whose works speak to the heart of these issues.

“Through our dynamic programme, sessions that inspire future generations and events that celebrate our shared experiences, we build a community based on empathy and understanding. Now, more than ever, we need stories that connect us to our shared humanity, and the Emirates LitFest is where those stories happen.”

The programme includes entertaining sessions for young readers. Jeff Kinney, author and illustrator of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, will be in attendance along with author and screenwriter Daniel Handler, who is also known as Lemony Snicket, creator of the books A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Influential illustrator Megan Hess will be speaking about the influence of colour in our daily lives throughout style history, while celebrated Palestinian chef and hotelier Fadi Kattan will discuss all things food.

A number of Arab authors will also be in attendance, including Algerian novelist and winner of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature, Waciny Laredj, and Emirati poet and author Khalid Albudoor.

This year’s Bil Emirati section of the festival, which celebrates the culture of the UAE, will bring together Emirati and international authors on the stage. The line-up will include Emirati poet Adel Khozam; artist and designer Asmaa Al Remithi; filmmaker Nahla Al Fahad and many more.

Annual sessions will include Desert Stanzas, where poets gather for a night of readings in the desert; LitFest After Hours, which includes a mix of performances, games, activities; weekend event LitFest Families, which has activities and entertainment for young readers; and Discovery Talks, a series of discussions with the authors which will include a talk by Laaleen Sukhera. This session will delve into the timeless work of Jane Austen on her 250th birthday anniversary celebration.