The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (EAFOL) launched its 11th edition on 19th November at the Festival venue at the InterContinental, Dubai Festival City. The Festival will run from 1st March to 9th March 2019.

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Flora Rees, head of Education, Training and Publishing, said: “This year we’re really excited to be bringing a ‘Youth Day’ to the EAFOL. Last year we held a ‘University Day’. But this year, we’re going to open up to the ideas that we can offer a bit more widely.

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“Youth Day is going to be a really interesting variety of enriching sessions, exciting ideas, great conversations and we’re really hoping that we’ll be joined by a huge number of youth from our region and far beyond.”

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Youth Day will take place at the festival on Thursday, 7th March from 9:30 am to 4 pm. The different sessions will include authors speaking on topics such as ‘Hidden Figures: Women in the Region whose Stories haven’t been Told’ and ‘The Positive Influence of Social Media’.

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Other sessions will feature acclaimed writers such as Omar Saif Ghobash, author of ‘Letters to a Young Muslim’ and Jennifer Palmieri, author of ‘Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World’.

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Ahlam Bolooki, the new director of EAFOL, said, “We’re not looking to target only UAE youth but international youth anywhere between the ages of 16 and 35.

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“We have subjects that will be inspiring, that will guide youth and open discussions where they will get a chance to debate and ask questions. We really want to make sure that the youth have a place.”

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Bolooki introduced the theme for 2019: “What the world needs now more than ever before is Unity, which brings us to the theme of the upcoming festival ‘United by Words’.”

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The launch featured esteemed guest speakers including Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, the Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre for Emirates Airline and HE Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and was followed by the official author line up which will include more than 185 writers.

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“This festival is not only for readers, if you haven’t read a book in the last ten years, don’t worry about it. Come to the festival, there will be a subject that is relevant to you,” said Bolooki.

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