The series of contemporary talks is as eclectic as its affordable — win-win.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature kicks off at InterContinental Dubai Festival City this week, running from 29 January to 3 February and bringing with it the return of LitFest After Hours. Eclectic and pocket-friendly, the second edition will pair contemporary talks priced at AED 50 with live music, folk performances, and more. Here’s what to expect.
Friday, 31 January
Science meets society as historian and comedian Subhadra Das takes audiences on an irreverent tour through the idea of Western civilisation and all the lies, exaggerations, and misdirection that underpin it in her session, Ten Lies That Made the West. The universal experience of heartbreak, meanwhile, takes centre stage in Unloved as Harshita Gupta delves into how to reclaim your power, rebuild yourself, and embrace self-love.
For Arabic-speaking audiences, three prominent writers – Ahmed AlSadek, Hessa Abdullah, and Rasha Samir – will come together for Fantasy or History, highlighting the power of narrative in evoking history and mythology. Elsewhere, Diwan Al-Qahwa writer Majed Alahdal will offer insights into coffee’s journey and identity and host an immersive coffee tasting experience at A Sip Through Time.
Sunset promises a serotonin boost, courtesy of a bubble show outside the ELF Reading Caravan. Here, you’ll be able to unwind with staggered performances by the likes of Adam Mezi, Alhadi Gebreel, Zarooni & Friends and RIRI from 6pm onwards. Indian folk troupe Shrimant Dhol Tasha Pathak will meander across the waterfront to get audiences up on their feet.
Saturday, 1 February
Tap the power of games to live a better life as neuroscientist Kelly Clancy reveals the hidden influence that games have had on human history – from playful past time to the waging of wars and the rise of AI – at the Playing with Reality session. Alternatively, you can wander along the hall for a night of criminal fun with screenwriter MJ Arlidge and special guests Clare Mackintosh and Fiona Lindsay as they pen a new crime novel live on stage at Murder, We Wrote.
Disobedient Bodies brings author and cultural critic Emma Dabiri to the stage for a radical, empowering, and deeply personal perspective on body image, exploring what it means to reclaim beauty on your own terms. The concept of morality and how it has evolved over time will take the spotlight at The Invention of Good and Evil, with philosopher Hanno Sauer taking an incisive look at the historical moments that have transformed our modern understanding of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.
Scriptwriter Mamdouh Hamada, the creator behind a number of famous Arabic TV series such as Dayaa Dayaa/The Lost Village and Baqa’a Daw/Spotlight, will be joined by writer Ahmed AlSadek, will enlighten audiences on what happens when comedy meets reality at Tickling the Dark Side. Laughter is guaranteed at Saturday’s closing session as an all-star line-up of LitFest guests joins host Danabelle Gutierrez to give completely unqualified advice on your trickiest conundrums around love and life at the aptly titled Unqualified But Here For It.
Dance and comedy will then enter the conversation with a dabke folk performance at 5:40pm that promises to get everyone participating followed by a stand-up comedy show featuring Shaddy Gaad, Miqdaad Dohawala, Salman Qureshi, and Liz Gonzales at 9pm.
DSCVR: LitFest After Hours. Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai. @emirateslitfest
