Isobel Abulhoul is the founder of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which brings 140 authors to Dubai for performances, discussions, workshops and more between March 3 and 11. Born in Cambridge, England, she moved to Dubai in 1968 to teach before co-founding a school and Magrudy’s book shop, and publishing Arabic and English children’s books. Also the chief executive of Emirates Literature Foundation, Mrs Abulhoul, 66, lives in Jumeirah with her husband, daughter and two grandsons.
4am
For many years I’ve not used an alarm clock. I sleep deeply but wake up thinking. Coming into the festival there’s no escaping. I’m a morning person and just want to get on with it. I spend two hours answering emails.
6am
I walk on the running machine for 15 to 20 minutes. Then I go swimming. Some of my best ideas occur while swimming, because I’m relaxed. I then try to spend time with my grandchildren. Breakfast is a family event; organic porridge with sunflower, pumpkin, pomegranate and chia seeds, fresh berries, goji berries and organic yoghurt. I drink loads of green tea – proper tea leaves prepared at the right temperature.
10am
At the office I sit with the team, look at strategy. I believe in an open-door policy – if you’re the head of an organisation it’s really important that anyone can just come and share something. But if you’re constantly interrupted you can’t really get into deep thinking. Someone gave me a tip a while ago to “make appointments with yourself” – it’s blocked in the diary and no one can book you to do something else.
12pm
I bring lunch and fit it in when I can. I need the energy. Organic brown basmati rice and lentils with roasted butternut squash. I’m a great fan of batch cooking. I make lots of soups and have them in the freezer to bring with me. In an ideal world I’d sit here (in the courtyard at work) and say “no one ask questions about work for 20 minutes”. Maybe I’ll start doing that after the festival.
1pm
I like social media, Twitter particularly, and spend 15 minutes on it. I tweet about books, authors. I have bursts and find Twitter relaxing. I can read breaking news; BBC, Al Jazeera, The National, choose what I want to read. It's time-saving and you keep up to date. I also check emails that have come since I left home.
2pm
We’ve got 20 in the team split between two wonderful buildings (Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood). It’s important to wander around, ask how everyone is. Then they don’t have to come to me. Being the age that I am, I don’t have the energy I had when younger, but I do have wisdom. It’s wonderful we have a young team and people not so young; we bring different strengths. As a team leader you need to listen to everyone.
3pm
We have a heads meeting and a team meeting once a week. It’s important we share with each other because there’s so much going on, so fast, it’s easy to miss something. It’s key to treat any kind of organisation as a business. Every dirham has to be accounted for. When sponsors and donors give us donations it is our responsibility to ensure that is spent in the wisest possible way to deliver the vision of the foundation and festival. I have a strong business streak. I’ve been an entrepreneur, started my own businesses. You have to make decisions about what you think is important. From the beginning we’ve always had simultaneous translation in the festival main sessions. That costs a lot of money but we felt from the beginning it was important that language is never a barrier for audiences.
4pm
I’ll try to get home, spend time with my children and grandchildren. We have an early supper around 5pm as a family, relaxed; take time to catch up on the day. I cook but we’ve got help. Cooking is a huge relaxation. I do a menu for the whole week. Tonight it’s white fish mixed with chickpeas, spices and herbs made into patties.
5.45pm
I read for a couple of hours; currently Letters To A Young Muslim by Omar Saif Ghobash, Nujeen, co-written by Christina Lamb, and Crisis by Frank Gardiner. I always have a couple of books on the go. At this time I will be focused on authors attending the festival.
9pm
Depending on the day I’ve had, if I’ve had a meeting I’ll write up the minutes.
10.30pm
I read in bed as well. I sleep like a log.
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