“Bigger, better, bolder” could well be the motto of next year’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the full programme for which was unveiled today.
The UAE’s largest literature festival will return for an extended run from March 1 to March 12, increasing from five days this year to a 13-day programme in 2016.
This bumper bill will welcome more than 140 writers and thinkers from 30 countries.
Among the headline-grabbers are James Bond author Anthony Horowitz, astronaut Chris Hadfield, renowned children's writer Jacqueline Wilson, and prolific Egyptian scholar Youssef Ziedan.
A touch of glamour comes from Hollywood actor Steven Berkoff, British soap stars Lisa Faulkner and Nadia Sawalha and a return visit from presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Bookworms will welcome appearances from best-selling crime author Ian Rankin, Chinese writer Anchee Min, popular historian Antony Beevor and poetry royalty in the form of Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage.
For Harry Potter fans, A Muggle's Eye View offers a visual journey through the newly published illustrated editions of J K Rowling's books from award-winning artist Jim Kay.
Isobel Abulhoul, festival director and chief executive and trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, says: “The 2016 Festival is a brand-new adventure for us and our audience. I sincerely believe that this will be our largest, longest and most spectacular festival yet.”
The full programme was revealed at the host venue, the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, yesterday. Internationally renowned pianist Jason Kouchak unveiled his specially commissioned 2016 festival theme tune, The Sands of Time, accompanied by an artistic representation of Dubai by a sand artist.
What’s new?
With the festival more than doubled in size, there’s plenty of space for new events and concepts.
Among them is Poetry Live!, which will see students and schools benefit from up-close encounters with and live readings by some of the world’s most renowned wordsmiths. Participating poets include Duffy, Armitage, John Agard, Gillian Clarke, Imtiaz Dharker and Grace Nichols.
Also new for 2016 is two bespoke dinner events. The Literary Cruise is a fine-dining concept that will see guests regaled by charismatic philosopher A C Grayling while sailing down Dubai Creek. The Time Travel Gala Dinner will see literary stars offer “timely tales”.
Most intriguing, however, is In the Round – Poetry and Storytelling Evening, which will celebrate the region’s rich heritage of oral storytelling with a campfire gathering, where writers and poets will share their work.
Star power
There will be no shortage of famous faces at the 2016 edition. British talk-show royalty Richard and Judy make a return visit to discuss their book-club venture.
Fellow TV personality Meera Syal, star of The Kumars at No 42 and author of The House of Hidden Mothers, will make a debut appearance.
MasterChef (UK) judge John Torode will appear alongside the show's former winners and actresses Faulkner (Spooks) and Sawalha (EastEnders).
Space and time
The theme for the 2016 festival may be “time”, but audiences will be invited to gaze into space, too. Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space, will appear as part of a panel associated with the UAE Mars Mission.
Science writers making an appearance will include Susan Greenfield, a British scientist, writer and broadcaster who specialises in the physiology of the brain, and genetics expert Tim Spector, best known as author of The Diet Myth.
Shaking up Shakespeare
To mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death in April 1616, the festival is planning a programme to commemorate William Shakespeare.
British actor Berkoff – known in Hollywood for playing villains in films such as Rambo: First Blood Part II, Beverly Hills Cop and Bond adventure Octopussy – will perform his acclaimed one-man play, Shakespeare's Villains.
Linguist David Crystal and his son, Shakespearean actor Ben Crystal, will debate the relevance of Shakespeare in Language of the Bard Unlocked.
Kuwaiti playwright, director and theatre founder Sulayman Al Bassam will discuss his efforts to adapt Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets to Arabic, while filmed adaptations of the Bard’s best-known works will be screened in Juba Arabic, Hindi and English.
Spotlight on the Emirates
Away from the hubbub at Festival City, authors residing in the UAE will take the reigns at the Spotlight on the Emirates strand, held at the festival’s sister organisation, the Dubai International Writers’ Centre in Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood. Planned sessions include a three-day filmmaking masterclass by award-winning Emirati director Nujoom Al Ghanem and writing workshops by Emirati novelist Shaima Al Marzooqi.
• For more information, visit www.emirateslitfest.com
rgarratt@thenational.ae