January Ladies Lunch
A celebration of women and life, this unique social and networking platform brought together women to share topical issues. Emirates Literature Foundation CEO, Isobel Abulhoul, COO Yvette Judge, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature author Julia Johnson and her illustrator Patricia Hodge spoke about all things literary at the beautiful World Trade Club.
Visions2Reality Conference – 2016
The inventor of Mind Mapping and Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2013 author, Tony Buzan, and CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Isobel Abulhoul OBE, spoke about the importance of reading and literature at the Visions2Reality Conference.
Read more about the conference here.
The UOWD-DBWC Women and Leadership Seminar Series
Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, spoke at the second UOWD-DBWC Women and Leadership Seminar Series on 11 May 2016.
LitFest @ JBR
Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) held a nine-day literary extravaganza leading up to the Festival in March. The event ran from 18 to 27 February, bringing a host of exciting literature-related activities for the entire family.
Book Lovers’ Quiz Night
Teams of 6 were tested on their knowledge of all things literary at the Book Lovers’ Quiz Night on February 3, at the World Trade Club, 33rd Floor, Sheikh Rashid Tower.
Harry Potter Book Night
The LitFest and Costa Coffee, held the magical world of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter with the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Costa Coffee’s Harry Potter Book Night, part of Bloomsbury’s international retrospective of the best-selling children’s fantasy series
Trinity College London Concert
A night of rock and pop at the beautiful Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood as Trinity College London presents a concert with the students who have achieved the highest marks in their grade.
Arabic Language Courses
The LitFest and Costa Coffee, held Arabic classes every Monday and Wednesday from September-December 2013 and January-April 2014 with tutors from Scriptor Translation Services. The tutors at Scriptor, who have more than 20 years of Arabic teaching experience, used the latest and best methods to teach students how to read, write and speak Arabic fluently.
Kickstart Your Creative Writing with Jo Wroe
This two-part course held in 2013 and 2014 was a great success, with tutor Jo Wroe joining via video-link a class gathered in Dubai World Trade Centre’s World Trade Club.
Three Day Creative Writing Course with Jem Poster
Award-winning novelist, poet and academic Jem Poster came to Dubai to teach a three-day course aimed at aspiring fiction-writers, covering some of the key elements of this form of writing.
A Musical Evening
Saturday 16 November | 19:00 | Dar Al Adaab, Al Fahidi Historic Area
Here at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, we celebrate the written and spoken word in its many forms. One of the many ways of celebrating language is through a combination of words and music, and with this in mind the LitFest has begun hosting musical and dramatic performances by Trinity College London candidates from the UAE.
The performance in November featured students and teachers performing classical and operatic works, including some award-winning musicians.
Teaching Workshop with Leigh Hobbs
Today Leigh Hobbs visited and our Year 2 and Year 4 students, (and I) had the best time ever, listening and drawing and learning how to illustrate characters we may invent through our writing, or turn everyday items into characters through our drawings. Thank you so much for sending him to us!
Susan Lowe, Primary Deputy Principal, Emirates International School – Meadows
Celebrated Australian children’s artist and author Leigh Hobbs visited Dubai in early November and conducted a workshop for primary school teachers at the Costa Academy on Sheikh Zayed Road, as well as visiting schools in Dubai.
Sweden’s Finest Poets Come to Dubai
A rare opportunity to hear some of Sweden’s finest poets, in an evening devoted to cross-cultural exchange between the UAE and Sweden, was held in the atmospheric surroundings of Dar Al Adaab, the home of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, on Friday 26 April 2013.
Magnus William-Olsson, Hanna Hallgren, Johan Nordbeck, Hanna Nordenhök and Jassim Mohammed were joined by guest poet Gloria Gervitz from Mexico, and local poets Nujoom Al Ghanem and Abdulla Al Hadyya, in performing their work before a captivated audience.
The Emirates LitFest Fringe at Sikka Art Fair
The Sikka Art Fair, held 14-24 March in the Al Fahidi Historic Area, is an initiative by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to support and showcase Emirati and Dubai-based artistic talent.
The Fair is held in the Al Fahidi Historic Area, which also houses the LitFest’s year-round home in Dar Al Adaab, so we have invited performers from the 2013 Festival’s Penguin Fringe to stage their shows in our beautiful Literary Square.
Friday 22 March 2013 – Third Half Theatre
Je Pense donc je suis
If I am not, it isn’t me
Therefore I am
I must be.
Third Half Theatre’s Garçon is an exploration of the ephemeral nature of identity and relationships while the hard-hitting I Am is a portrayal of repression in its myriad manifestations. Both are original productions written and directed by Sanjeev Dixit.
19:00-20:00, Friday 22 March, Literary Square, Al Fahidi Historic Area
Saturday 23 March 2013 – Drama Dubai
Dearly Deported is the region’s first long-form improv’ team; part of Drama Workshops Dubai, they rehearse and perform at the Courtyard Studios in Al Quoz.
Give Dearly Deported a topic and watch their abstract approach to creation as they improvise theatre for you.
19:00-20:00, Saturday 23 March, Literary Square, Al Fahidi Historic Area
Saturday 24 November 2012, 19:30: ‘Al Teen’ performed by The Sharjah Society of Theatre
A rare opportunity to experience theatre under the stars with this play that explores Emirati culture and heritage.
Monday 26 November 2012, 19:30: ‘Looking Back with Love: Life in the Emirates’
In association with Dubai Culture and Watani, Emirates LitFest hosted this free talk in Dar Al Adaab’s Literary Square in celebration of the UAE’s 41st National Day.