@emirateslitfest EMIRATES FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE REVEALS SPARKLING AUTHOR LINE-UP FOR MARCH 2014

A literary feast is in store for next year’s Emirates Festival of Literature as organisers announced a sparkling author line-up for the 2014 event with an expansive programme covering a diverse range of subjects, styles and genres.

Now in its sixth year, the programme includes world-renowned writers, speakers and politicians who will converge on Dubai for what is recognised as one of the leading international literary festivals in the world.

Following its success in 2013, which saw it named as ‘Best Festival’ in the Middle East Events Awards, the Festival will go forward for 2014 with a new name – now to be called the Emirates Festival of Literature (formerly Emirates Airline Festival of Literature).

More than 100 authors from 24 countries will be part of the event, which takes place from 4-8 March 2014 and is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with title sponsor Emirates and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage. In March the Festival was honoured to become, by Royal decree, part of the newly established Emirates Literature Foundation.

The great reveal of next year’s attending authors was made at a gala dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel, also the venue for the Festival itself, to an audience of authors, dignitaries, sponsors and partners.

“Emirates supports many events, both in Dubai and across the world. But this festival is particularly fitting for what we do every day – that is connecting people, cultures and minds across our vast six continent network. Each year, the festival produces a flurry of creativity, ideas and debates that buzz around Festival City and reverberate across Dubai. It is a true literary feast – and for anyone who has not been able to make the festival, I would strongly urge you to try this time,” said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations – Centre.

Author line-up

The 2014 programme includes, among others, best-selling authors Joanne Harris, Jojo Moyes, Marc Levy, Tash Aw and Amish; crime and thriller writers Peter James and Simon Kernick and a strong Arabic contingent which features Mohammed Achaari, Saud Alsanaousi, Maitha Al Khayat, Alia Mamdouh, and Ibrahim Nasrallah.

The world of celebrity will be represented by prima ballerina and judge of the TV show Strictly Come Dancing Darcey Bussell, lyricist Tim Rice, and Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, book club champions and icons of British day-time television, while cricketing commentator Henry Blofeld will entertain with tales from his memoirs.

Politicians and journalists are also to the fore with diplomat Paddy Ashdown, physicist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili, and TV correspondents and journalists Jeremy Bowen, John McCarthy, Amit Chaudhuri and Pankaj Mishra.

The packed programme also includes sessions from poet Pam Ayres and former UK poet laureate Andrew Motion.

Dr Salah Al Qassim, Advisor to the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “Building on Dubai Government’s strategy of supporting the growth of arts and culture industry, as one of the founding supporters of the LitFest, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority has seen the initiative grow from strength-to-strength, creating a genuine appreciation for the written word among audiences from across the region. The sixth edition of the LitFest, which will set the stage for the world’s foremost authors, will once again reinforce Dubai’s credentials as a world-class events destination, while supporting the vision of the Emirate to become one of the world’s most sought-after cultural and artistic destinations.”

The 2014 Festival also includes a vibrant programme for children of all ages. Amongst the lively collection of speakers are John Burningham, Helen Oxenbury and Tony Ross who will lead sessions based on their well-loved stories and picture books; Eoin Colfer and Francesca Simon who will appeal to school-aged children with the misdemeanours of Artemis Fowl and the humorous adventures of Horrid Henry; while Charlie Higson (Young Bond, The Enemy) will engage older children and young adults.

As ever, education will be a strong element to the children’s programme, which will include outreach author visits and the two dedicated Education days.

Festival theme

The theme for 2014 is Metamorphosis, which will be adopted throughout a range of sessions and panel discussions. Not only is it one of the great motifs that shape story-telling, it will be used to explore change in all its many forms, creatively, physically and intellectually.

Isobel Abulhoul OBE, Festival Director, said “The theme is very apt for next year, and after winning the wonderful accolade of Best Festival, we continue to evolve. Each year our international reputation grows and this has helped us attract our stunning line-up of authors, resulting in a programme that is exciting, enriching and accessible. I must especially thank HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his gracious patronage of the Festival and his commitment to literature in the UAE. The success of the Festival is also due to our wonderful sponsors, who share our vision and belief in creating a world-class event, and I must particularly extend our gratitude to our partners Emirates and Dubai Culture and Arts Authority for their magnificent support. I would also like to thank our international and locally-based authors who so willingly give their time, our Festival Friends, the bedrock of our public support, and all the Festival audiences whose enthusiasm and appetite for literature make the Festival such a worthwhile and rewarding experience for all involved.”

The Workshop and Masterclass series will run alongside the main sessions and featured lectures such as the prestigious Orwell lecture. Most sessions will be simultaneously translated between Arabic and English, and there will additional language translations in selected sessions, including those in the French strand.

Genres featured include fiction, journalism, history, poetry, science, sport, self-publishing, creative writing, Arabic language, calligraphy, cookery, biography, crime/thriller, travel, psychology, children, dance, economics, fantasy, business, illustration, cartoons, folk tales and life-enrichment.

Special Events and Sessions

One of the highlights of this year’s Festival will be Desert Stanzas, introduced last year to great acclaim, a magical occasion celebrating world poetry performed against the atmospheric back-drop of the desert. The Murder Mystery Dinner also returns, a light-hearted evening where diners combine their sleuthing skills with those of the visiting authors and compete to be the first table to solve the mystery.

New this year will be Friday Rhythms – an evening of poetry and music which will include an innovative rock/poetry fusion performance by LiTTLe MaCHiNe.

Also new for 2014 is Literary Idol – a cross between Pop Idol and Dragon’s Den, where a panel of experts critique writers’ unpublished work, which will be read aloud by an actor. The highly popular Quick Pitch, which gives budding novelists the chance to have their synopsis assessed in a one-to-one session with literary agent Luigi Bonomi, is expected to be one of the first sessions to sell out.

The art of calligraphy will be a special feature of this year’s event, with world-renowned calligraphers Hassan Massoudy and Dave Wood displaying and explaining their skills.

Female Focus will be the principal feature of Thursday morning, with sessions which celebrate women’s achievements, and the opportunity to share experiences and debate the changing role of women. Sessions will be in Arabic and English and topics covered will include career, work-life balance, health, fulfilment, marriage, parenting and success.

The Wednesday Watani Debate is also back, and will examine the strength of family ties, with an ancillary debate on the influence of Arabic women on world matters.

Festival-goers will also be able to enjoy the fun and spectacle of The Fringe, while keeping the younger members of the family fully occupied in The Time Out Kids’ Zone.

Competitions

One of the key tenets of the Festival is a commitment to education, and the popularity of the competitions available for students is testament to the success of this mission.

Entries for the three competitions – the Chevron Readers’ Cup, the Taaleem Poetry Award, and the Oxford University Press Story Writing Competition - are all significantly up on last year. These are held in Arabic and English and the winners are honoured at the Festival at special prize ceremonies.

This year a new competition has been launched – Qasidah Par Coeur, a performance poetry competition for young people aged 14-18.

This will be the second year for the Montegrappa First Fiction competition, which gives unpublished novelists the chance to be heard by having their work evaluated by Luigi Bonomi, one of the UK’s top literary agents, and win a trip to London Book Fair, amongst other prizes. The LitFest is delighted that one of the runners-up to last year’s First Fiction, Rachel Hamilton, has won a book deal with Simon and Schuster as a result of the competition, and we are proud to invite Rachel to the 2014 Festival as a published author.

Tickets

Tickets will go on sale on 20 January 2014, with Festival Friends having exclusive access one week in advance on 13 January at the Friends discounted price. Tickets will be on sale on-line at emirateslitfest.com and will also be available from the Festival Bookseller WH Smith’s selected outlets.

Festival Friends

The LitFest’s loyalty programme, Festival Friends, is back for 2014 with a range of special benefits including exclusive access rights, a discount on ticket prices, and priority booking. The Festival Friends programme is a wonderful way of supporting the Festival and offers excellent value for money.

All information about the Emirates Festival of Literature is on-line. Check for updates at www.emirateslitfest.com. Join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/emirateslitfest), Twitter (www.twitter.com/emirateslitfest) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/EmiratesLitFest ) for competitions and more updates

Emirates Festival of Literature Author List 2014

Forename	Last name	Nationality	Genre	One-Liner
Kamal	Abdel-Malek	Egyptian	Fiction	Academic and novelist with an interest in cultural encounters. Author of 'America in an Arab Mirror' and 'Come with Me from Jerusalem'
Dubai	Abulhoul	Emirati	Children	Young Emirati author of ‘Galagolia: The Hidden Divination’
Mohammed	Achaari	Moroccan	Literary fiction	Moroccan poet, joint winner of the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction
Kate	Adie	British	Journalism & History	Renowned British reporter and author of non-fiction including 'The Kindness of Strangers',  'Into Danger' and ‘Fighting on the Home Front’
Amal Al	Agroobi	Emirati	Film	Emirati filmmaker, whose documentaries include 'Half Emirati' and 'The Brain that Sings'
Khalid	Albudoor	Emirati	Poetry	Emirati modernist poet and co-founder of the Emirati Writers' Union
Jim	Al-Khalili	Iraqi	Science	Leading theoretical physicist and youngest ever recipient of the Michael Faraday prize for scientific communication
Ali	Alsaloom	Emirati	Culture	Emirati cultural spokesperson and environmental awareness ambassador, best known for his 'Ask Ali' column in The National
Saud	alSanousi	Kuwaiti	Literary fiction	Kuwaiti novelist and journalist, whose novel 'The Bamboo Stalk' won the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction
Abdullah	Al-Shwaikh	Emirati	Workshop	Journalist and director of media affairs for various UAE government entities, currently working on various government social media projects
	Amish	Indian	Fiction	Acclaimed as 'India's Tolkien'; author of the Shiva Trilogy, the fastest-selling book series in Indian history
Charles	Arthur	British	Journalism	Technology editor for the Guardian and author of 'Digital Wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft and the Battle for the Internet'
Paddy	Ashdown	British	History	British diplomat, former leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and author of 'A Brilliant Little Operation: The Cockleshell Heroes and the Most Courageous Raid of World War 2'
Tash	Aw	Malaysian	Literary fiction	Malaysian author whose novel 'The Harmony Silk Factory' won the Commonwealth Fiction Prize. His latest novel is 'Five Star Billionaire'
Pam	Ayres	British	Poetry	English poet, comedian, songwriter and presenter of radio and television programmes; her most recent collection is 'You Made Me Late Again'
Muna Al	Bahar	Emirati	Culture	Director of the social development programme of the Emirates Foundation
Jody	Ballard	American	Health	Artist, novelist and founder of women's wellness programmes, author of 'The Smell of Mud'
Samar	Mahfouz Barraj	Lebanese	Children	Lebanese author and translator, four of whose books for children have been shortlisted for the Etisalat Award
Amal	Belhoul	Emirati	Culture	Advisor to Watani and author of 'Al Muwatana El Salha'
Dherar	Belhoul	Emirati	Culture	Director General of Watani and author of 'Kharej El Nas'
Henry	Blofeld	British	Biography/ Sport	British sports journalist, cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match special and author of ‘Squeezing the Orange’
Luigi	Bonomi	British	Publishing	Leading literary agent whose clients include Terry Wogan, and also the judge of the Montegrappa First Fiction competition
Arlette	Boutros	Lebanese	Calligraphy	Distinguished typographer, interior designer and writer, who also has a passion for Lebanese food demonstrated in her acclaimed cookbook, ‘Enjoy’
Mourad	Boutros	Lebanese	Calligraphy	One of the world’s most outstanding Arabic calligraphers, designers and typographers, founder of Boutros International
Jeremy	Bowen	British	Journalism	BBC Middle East Editor and author of the books 'Six Days' and 'War Stories'
John	Boyne	Irish	Fiction	Author of the internationally bestselling 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' and most recently 'This House is Haunted' and 'Stay Where You Are And Then Leave'
Ahmed	Bukhatir	Emirati	Culture	Emirati Nasheed singer, businessman and senator in the Sharjah council
Oliver	Burkeman	American	Science	Award-winning journalist, author of 'The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking'
John	Burningham	British	Children	Acclaimed children's illustrator, two-time Greenaway Medal-winner for 'Borka' and 'Mr Gumpy's Outing', and 2014 UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
Darcey	Bussell	British	Arts	Widely considered to be one of the greatest English ballerinas of all time, awarded a CBE in 2006
Taghred	Chandab	American	Children/ Language	Lebanese-Australian children's author interested in promoting cultural awareness and tolerance
Rajiv	Chandrasekaran	Indian-American	History/ Journalism	National Editor of the Washington Post and author of the highly-acclaimed 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City' and ‘Little America: The War within the War for Afghanistan’
Ha-Joon	Chang	Korean	Business/ Economics	Award-winning economist, author of '23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism' and 'Economics: A User's Guide'
Amit	Chaudhuri	Indian	Poetry/ Travel	Author, critic and musician, winner of the Infosys Prize for Humanities - Literary Studies in 2012, his most recent book is 'Calcutta: Two Years in the City'
Eoin	Colfer	Irish	Children	Author of 'Airman', 'Half-Moon Investigations' and the award-winning 'Artemis Fowl' series
Justin	Cronin	American	Fantasy/ Sci-fi	Author of 'The Passage' and 'The Twelve'
Kyra	Dupont Troubetzkoy	Swiss	Fiction/ Culture	French-Swiss journalist and novelist, author of 'Le Hasard a tout prévu', currently working on a project on Emirati women
Nicholas	Evans	British	Fiction	Film producer, screenwriter and author of 'The Horse Whisperer' and 'The Brave'
Mohammed Al	Fahim	Emirati	Business	Emirati businessman, philanthropist and author of 'From Rags to Riches: A Story of Abu Dhabi'
Liz	Fenwick	British	Fiction	Dubai-based author of 'The Cornish House' and 'A Cornish Affair'
Orlando	Figes	British	History	Historian of Russia best known for 'A People's Tragedy', as well as 'The Whisperers' and ‘Just Send Me Word’
Mohammad Ahmed	Fikree	Emirati	Illustration
Judy	Finnigan	British	Fiction	One half of Richard & Judy, and co-founder of Richard & Judy's Book Club, as well as being an author in her own right with ‘Eloise’
Vivian	French	British	Children	Prolific children's author whose 250 books include the 'Tales from the Five Kingdoms', 'Draglins', 'Sparkle Street' and 'Tiara Club' series
Seumas	Gallacher	British	Thriller	Crime writer whose books include 'Vengeance Wears Black' and 'Savage Payback'
Sally	Gardner	British	Children	Author of the Nestle Gold Award-winning 'I, Coriander' and the Carnegie Medal-winning 'Maggot Moon'
Manal Al	Ghdani	Emirati	Fiction	Emirati author of 'Ubar, The Lost City'
Rafia	Ghubash	Emirati	Culture	Founder of Bait al Banaat, the Middle East’s first women’s museum, founder of the Arab Network of Women in Science and Technology, and trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation
Parween	Habib	Bahraini	Poetry	Poet and academic, 2011 winner of the George Washington University Dynamic Woman Award, working on developing methods of teaching the Arabic language
Rachel	Hamilton	British	Children	Runner-up in the first Montegrappa First Fiction competition, her children's book 'The Case of the Exploding Loo' won her representation by Luigi Bonomi and a book deal with Simon & Schuster
Joanne	Harris	British	Literary fiction/ Fantasy	Author of the bestselling 'Chocolat' and many more novels, most recently 'Peaches for Monsieur le Curé' and 'The Gospel of Loki'
Mohammad	Hassan	Emirati	Art
Charlie	Higson	British	Children	Author and comedy writer, best known for the book series 'Young Bond' and 'The Enemy' and TV shows including 'The Fast Show'
Kathy	Hoopmann	Australian	Special Needs	UAE-based author of 'All Cats have Asperger Syndrome' and the award-winning 'Inside Asperger's Looking Out'
Rachel	Hore	British	Fiction	Author of six novels, most recently 'The Silent Tide’, and Tutor in Creative Writing and Publishing at the University of East Anglia
Georgina	Howell	British	History/ Biography	Author of 'Daughter of the Desert', an acclaimed biography of Gertrude Bell
Peter	James	British	Thriller/ Crime	Author of the bestselling Roy Grace detective novels, most recently 'Dead Man's Time'
Buffi	Jashanmal	Bahraini	Arts	Author of 'Buffi's Dress Design' and former contestant on 'Project Runway'
Julia	Johnson	British	Children	UAE-based author of children's books, including 'One Humpy Grumpy Camel' and 'Leopard Boy'
Penny	Johnson	American	Culture	Co-editor of 'Seeking Palestine: New Palestinian Writing on Exile and Home' and associate editor of 'Jerusalem Quarterly'
Ali Ahmed	Kashwani	Emirati	Culture
Hala	Kazim	Emirati	Arts	Emirati artist and creator of 'Journey Through Change'
Simon	Kernick	British	Thriller/ Crime	Bestselling author of 'Relentless', 'Siege' and 'Ultimatum', among others. His novels are praised for their breakneck pace
Saniyasnain	Khan	Indian	Children	Indian television host and children's author with more than 100 children's books dealing with Islamic themes and issues  to his credit
Maitha Al	Khayat	Emirati	Children	Emirati children's author, whose book 'My Own Special Way' was named Best Children's Book at the 2011 Riyadh Children's Forum
Tessa	Kiros	Greek	Cookery	Cookbook author known for her evocation of place and taste in her books, which include 'Falling Cloudberries' and 'Recipes and Dreams from Italian Life'
Frank	Klötgen	German	Poetry	Slam poet, writer of hyperfictions and singer in the band Marilyn's Army, his most recent book is 'Büdchenzauber und Zechenverse', a mixture of novel, poetry and tourist guide
Andy	Lake	British	Business/ Economics	Specialist in Smart and Flexible Working, author of 'Smart Flexibility', 'Can Homeworking Save the Planet?' and the novel 'Shades of Green'
Christina	Lamb	British	Journalism	Sunday Times US Editor, five-time Foreign Correspondent of the Year and author of books including ‘Small Wars Permitting’ and co-author of ‘I Am Malala’
Prue	Leith	South African	Cooker	Restaurateur, cookery writer, businesswoman and novelist, whose most recent work is her memoir 'Relish'
Marc	Levy	French	Literary fiction	The most-read French author in the world, whose books include ‘If Only It Were True’ and ‘The Strange Journey of Mr Daldry’
Julie	Lewis	British	Adventure	Adventurer who led an expedition of UAE breast cancer survivors to Antarctica
	LiTTLe MACHiNe	British	Poetry	Trio of poets and musicians who set well-known poems to music and perform them
Tim	Mackintosh-Smith	British	History/ Journalism/ TV production	Author of a trilogy of books following in the footsteps of the great traveller Ibn Battuta
Richard	Madeley	British	Fiction	One half of Richard & Judy, and co-founder of Richard & Judy's Book Club; now an author in his own tight with ‘Some Day I’ll Find You’
Sahar Naja	Mahfouz	Lebanese	Children	UAE-based Lebanese children's author, whose books include 'Zarafa Melia', and founder of the writers' group HUNNA
Francesca	Main	British	Publishing	Editorial Director of Picador UK, chosen in 2011 by the British Council to participate in a UK editors' tour of China
Alia	Mamdouh	Iraqi	Literary fiction	Iraqi novelist, essayist, and journalist whose novel ‘The Loved Ones’ won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2004.
Hassan	Massoudy	Iraqi	Calligraphy	Calligrapher whose work is influenced by tradition, by his study of modern art and by his frequent collaboration in stage productions
John	McCarthy	British	Journalism/ Travel	British journalist, writer and broadcaster who was held hostage in Lebanon for five years
Sarah	McIntyre	British-American	Children	Writer & illustrator whose works include 'Morris the Mankiest Monster', 'You Can't Eat a Princess' and 'Oliver and the Seawigs’
Alexander	McNabb	British	Thriller	Digital communications expert, author of 'Olives - A Violent Romance' and 'Beirut - An Explosive Thriller'
Deon	Meyer	South African	Thriller/ Crime	Award-winning South African thriller author, whose books published in English include 'Seven Days' and 'Trackers'
Pankaj	Mishra	Indian	History/ Journalism	Journalist, novelist and travel writer, author of the Orwell Prize-nominated 'From the Ruins of Empire'
Moni	Mohsin	Pakistani	Journalism/ politics	Novelist and journalist, author of 'The Diary of a Social Butterfly', based on her column in Pakistan's 'Friday Times'
Andrew	Motion	British	Poetry	UK Poet Laureate from 1999-2009, co-founder of the Poetry Archive and Poetry by Heart, his most recent collection is 'The Customs House'
Jojo	Moyes	British	Fiction	Two-times winner of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award, author of 'Me Before You' and the forthcoming 'I'll Take You There'
Khulood Al	Mu'alla	Emirati	Poetry	Respected Emirati poet, the first poet from the Gulf to win the Buland Al Haidari Award for Young Arab Poets. Her most recent collection is 'I Hold the Edge of the Light'
Abdulaziz	Musallam	Emirati	Folklore	Director of heritage and cultural affairs at the Sharjah Department of Culture and an expert on the folk history of the UAE, renowned for his storytelling skills
Abdulaziz Al	Najjar	Emirati	Children	Author of more than 40 children's books and founder of Al Salwa publishing house
Ibrahim	Nasrallah	Jordanian	Poetry & Literary fiction	Much-awarded novelist and poet, whose works include the IPAF-shortlisted 'The Time of White Horses'
Noura Al	Noman	Emirati	Fantasy/ Sci-fi	Children's author whose first Young Adult novel, 'Ajwan', is one of the handful of science fiction novels published in Arabic
Helen	Oxenbury	British	Children	Celebrated children’s illustrator, having won the Kate Greenaway medal twice. Best known for 'Farmer Duck' and 'We’re going on a Bear Hunt'
Patty	Paine	American	Poetry	Poet, founding editor of 'diode poetry journal' and editor of 'The Donkey Lady and Other Tales from the Arabian Gulf'
Katherine	Pancol	French	Fiction	Moroccan-born French novelist known for the bestselling 'Les Yeux jaunes des crocodiles'
Anita	Papas	Lebanese	Self-development	Clinical psychologist who is passionate about positivity and personal growth, author of 'The Positive You!' and 'Go for It!'
Philip	Reeve	British	Children	Author of the bestelling 'Mortal Engines' series, as well as 'Larklight', 'Here Lies Arthur' and 'Oliver and the Seawigs'
Tim	Rice	British	Biography/ Sport/ Music	Lyricist and author whose stage musicals include 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Evita'
Tony	Ross	British	Children	Award-winning illustrator possibly best known for his work on the 'Horrid Henry' and 'Little Princess' series
Mariam Al	Saedi	Emirati	Fiction	Emirati writer of short stories
Wafaa Al	Saffar	Qatari	Children	Graphic designer, filmmaker and artist from Qatar; illustrator of 'The Donkey Lady and Other Tales from the Arabian Gulf'
Ali Al	Sayegh	Emirati	Poetry	Emirati Businessman and poet, whose poems have been published in the collection 'Awdat Al Nawras'
Raja	Shehadeh	Palestinian	Journalism/ Travel	Palestinian lawyer and writer, founder of human rights organisation Al-Haq and author of ‘Palestinian Walks’
Jamal Al	Shehhi	Emirati	Publishing	Emirati writer and publisher, founder of Kuttab publishing and host of ' Halaqat Wasel' on Dubai TV
Francesca	Simon	British-American	Children	Creator of the phenomenally popular 'Horrid Henry' series of children's books
William	Sitwell	British	Cookery	Author of 'The History of Food in 100 Recipes' and award-winning editor of 'Waitrose Kitchen' magazine
Ahdaf	Soueif	Egyptian	Literary fiction	Author, translator and political and cultural commentator known for her novel 'The Map of Love', the first recipient of the Mahmoud Darwish Award
Mona	Tayim	Jordanian	Language	Novelist, poet and journalist whose novels include the much talked-about 'Alarabizi Waljadeh Wardeh'
DJ	Taylor	British	Literary fiction/ Biography	Novelist, critic and biographer, author of the Whitbread-winning 'Orwell: The Life' and 'The Windsor Faction'
Nadine	Touma	Lebanese	Children	Lebanese artist, author and founder of publishing house Dar Onboz
Morgen	Witzel	British	Business/ Economics	Internationally-known writer, lecturer and thinker, whose books on management include 'Management Wisdom' and 'The Dragon and the Lotus'
Dave	Wood	Australian	Calligraphy	Australian calligrapher and designer
Rewa	Zeinati	Lebanese-American	Poetry	Author of 'Nietzsche's Camel Must Die' and founding editor of Sukoon Magazine