The new session of the festival starts on January 29th
Emirates Airline Literature is changing the story in 2021
Festival guests will showcase their experiences with word lovers through a mixture of live and virtual sessions.
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Blocky Dreams: “The program that we have prepared embodies the spirit of the current period and the circumstances the world is going through, as we look forward to a better future, and a world that is more optimistic, understanding and compassionate.”
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The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature for 2021, whose 13th session will be held from January 29 to February 13, under the slogan "Changing the Story", has revealed that it has hosted a group of writers, innovators, thinkers and influential personalities, including Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and younger than Winners of the Nobel Prize throughout its history, and a number of well-known writers, including: Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf, and Yaman Sisay, and others will review their experiences with word lovers, through a mixture of live and virtual sessions.
The director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dreams Blocky, said: “The world has changed after the 2020 Festival, and we have all changed due to the circumstances of the past year. And although circumstances have made some of our regular festival events impossible to implement in 2021 in their usual way, we are happy that we will host sessions. Directly again, and the program that we have prepared embodies the spirit of the current period and the circumstances the world is going through, as we look forward to a better future, and a world that is more optimistic, understanding and sympathetic.
The director of the festival, organized by the Emirates Literature Foundation, added during a virtual meeting organized yesterday to reveal the details of the next session: “We all want to make more positive choices in our lives, and to enjoy a measure of entertainment and fun, and with the beginning of the New Year a new beginning must be made. , We hope that we can all (change the story) in 2021, and we look forward through the festival to presenting a message urging optimism for a better future. ”
Moving voices
In addition to many creative bodies and names, the festival hosts new voices and talents in many sessions and events, within the framework of the 2021 session theme "Changing the Story", which expresses the spirit of our time.
For his part, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “We are delighted that the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is back in a few weeks. Culture is gaining more importance in these difficult circumstances. In-depth discussions are launched, knowledge enriches and people come together.” He added, “It will help. A mixture of live events and virtual sessions, which will be moderated by a group of the most prolific authors and intellectuals, to offer ideas and information to the festival’s loyal and new audiences.
An exceptional experience
An exceptional experience imposed by the circumstances of the pandemic on the administrators of the festival, whose usual agenda has changed this time to cover, for the first time, weekends over a period of three continuous weeks in Dubai, in partnership with artistic and cultural institutions friendly to the festival, such as the Jameel Arts Center, by hosting The activities of the first weekend, while the Culture and Arts District will host its last weekend activities, and it will take place during the second weekend at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, while the three-week vacation activities are characterized by an atmosphere of vitality and renewal. To host a special mix of family events and thought-stimulating workshops, in which creativity strikes a steady date with live performances, culinary arts, film screenings, and books, with the active participation of the festival writers.
As for the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, it will host the activities of the "Spotlight on Emirati Talents" axis, which includes sessions of various topics, dealing with issues of publishing, translation and cinematography.
For her part, Director General of Dubai Culture, Hala Badri, said: “Our support for the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature stems from our absolute belief in the importance of awareness and cultural exchange between different nations and peoples, as we seek to highlight Emirati cultural talents and allow them to learn about the innovations of their counterparts from countries. Other around the world, in addition to creating an effective cultural movement to enhance Dubai's leading position on the world's cultural map, and to support the "National Reading Strategy 2016-2026".
Cosmopolitan writers
As usual, the festival focuses this year on inspiring its guests and visitors by hosting a constellation of the most famous writers around the world, among the most prominent guests of this session: Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf, Avni Duchi, Derek Oso, Emmanuel Kim, Uyinkan Braithwaite, Ali Sparks, Sam Copeland, and others .
The festival also hosts a number of Arab creative people, among them: Hisham Al-Kheshen, Rasha Adly, Abdullah Al-Busais, Hoda Hamad, Munir Al-Hayek, Nasser Iraq, and Alawiya Subuh and Walaa Kamal.
Each year, the festival devotes an interesting space for local literary experiences dedicated to supporting writers in the Emirates. In its current session, the festival offers them the "Book" platform, which gives writers in the UAE a 10-minute period to discuss their latest books and present them to the public.
In cooperation with Dubai Culture, the festival dedicates an entire day to highlight Emirati literature and local writers. Among the participating names: Sultan Al-Amimi, Shamma Al-Bastaki, Muhammad Al-Hammadi, Amira Boukadara, Maitha Al-Khayyat and others, the festival also hosts writer Muhammad Al-Murr and writer Abdul Ghaffar Hussain.
The program, developed this year, features a mix of live performances, virtual sessions that bring together literature, arts, science, contemporary affairs, film screenings, performing arts, as well as culinary arts.
Several sessions will be broadcast live to enable those who cannot attend, or have been unable to pre-book, to follow the important annual event.
Amin Maalouf: I look forward to meeting you in Dubai
The Lebanese writer, Amin Maalouf, directly from his residence in Paris, sent a special message to the guests of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, in which he said: “Since the beginning of the epidemic, we have preferred to meet virtually, and this is not a bad thing anyway, because there are many people who It is not always possible for us to meet them, but this year we have been able to meet them without the need to travel, ”adding:“ There is a special relationship that is constantly established between writers and readers, but the basis of this relationship is through the books themselves. ”And he added:“ I am pleased to be with you this General, because I believe in the effects of literary festivals, as I think they are pauses in which we take up important discussions about culture and creative ideas. I hope festivals will continue everywhere around the world, whether realistically or through modern media, and I look forward to meeting you soon in Dubai. ”
Special measures
As part of his commitment to the precautionary measures and procedures, Ahlam Blocky drew attention to the intention of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, to implement social distancing measures in the three places hosting events, in addition to applying the strictest preventive standards in the halls, and periodically sterilizing them after each event.
• A group of writers, innovators, thinkers and influential personalities, who are guests of the festival.
• Malala Yousafzai, Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf, Alawiya Subh, and many names of the festival.
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