Emirates Airline Festival of Literature to host event to celebrate launch of Mohammed bin Rashid’s new collection of children’s stories

Event will feature a special message from His Highness and readings from the collection in Arabic and English

Bilingual event primarily aimed at children aged 6-9 and their families

Event open to the public; free tickets available from emirateslitfest.com

The launch of the new collection of children’s stories My Little World by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will be celebrated at an event at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature to be held from 29 January-13 February. The event will feature riveting readings from the collection in Arabic and English, a special message from His Highness, and a lucky dip giving 15 lucky children their own box set.

The bilingual event, which is primarily intended for children aged 6-9 and their families, is open to the public and tickets are available free of charge from emirateslitfest.com. It will take place at 16:30 on Friday 5 February during the big Festival weekend at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City in a beautiful purpose-built outdoor venue by the creek (Al Riwaq 2).

Launched by the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), My Little World is a collection of five stories by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum based on his childhood experiences. Blending absorbing storytelling with insightful observations on human relationships, learning and the natural world, His Highness recounts incidents and interactions in his early life that played a key role in shaping his outlook and character.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, the creative arm of GDMO said: “HH Sheikh Mohammed’s collection of children’s stories reflects His Highness’s keenness to engage with the younger generation and uplift, inspire and guide them with his remarkable life stories. The collection also highlights his vision to foster a culture of reading in the region, which continues to motivate youth across the Arab world and beyond to advance knowledge and learning. The event at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will be a fitting tribute to the power of stories while the readings will serve to revitalise the oral storytelling traditions that have been an integral part of the region’s culture.”

Ahlam Bolooki, Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature said: “We are honoured to host an event to release this wonderful book at our Festival. The themes of these stories will resonate with all children, and we have created an event that brings them to life. Vision, courage, dedication and hard work are values that we all want for the next generation, and we know there is no better way to inspire children than through stories. With such a special event, we expect exceptionally high demand for tickets so do book early.”

Isobel Abulhoul, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, will do a reading of the stories in English while Ahlam Bolooki will do a reading of the stories in Arabic.

There will be 15 box sets given away to lucky children at the event, as well as a fully stocked book shop where the both the box set and the individual books will be available to purchase in Arabic and English.

The annual award-winning festival always hosts book launches, special events and prestigious speakers, and the 2021 highlights will include Nobel prize winner Malala, Elif Shafak, Amin Maalouf and Lemn Sissay. The 2021 edition will feature live appearances and virtual sessions across three weekends and three venues with an array of topics appealing to all: Jameel Arts Centre (29-30 January), the big middle weekend at the Festival’s home, the InterContinental Dubai Festival City (4-6 February) and Alserkal Avenue (12-13 February).

The Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Many sessions will be inspired by the 2021 Festival theme, ‘Change the Story’, capturing the spirit of the current times through family fun, enlightening talks, fresh ideas and dynamic performances centred on books, art, science, sustainability, current affairs, film and food.

Due to social distancing, there will be fewer tickets available, so early booking is recommended. Tickets will be required for each event, including free sessions, to ensure visitor number restrictions are adhered to. Many sessions will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend or miss out on tickets.

Ticket prices start at AED 60 for adult sessions, AED 40 for children’s sessions, and AED 100 for a digital pass to watch live-streamed sessions from home. A minimum of 10 top sessions will be streamed live from the big Festival weekend at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City.

The Festival will be fully compliant with all COVID-19 prevention regulations and guidelines from Dubai authorities, including social distancing measures across all three venues and mandatory wearing of masks. See full details on the Emirates LitFest website.

For the full list of authors, visit emirateslitfest.com/authors. More information can be found online and year-round news of #EmiratesLitFest on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
You can also tune in to the Foundation’s two podcasts; the Best of the Emirates LitFest, and the Boundless Book Club.