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DUBAI, 21 May, 2014: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has been voted the region’s Best Festival at the Middle East Event 2014 Awards. The Festival, repeating its success in winning the same category last year, won against strong competition from the Dubai Food Carnival, Qasr Al Hosn Festival and the UAE 42nd National Day Celebrations. The announcement was made last night at a dinner gala held at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai. Festival Director Isobel Abulhoul OBE, who was recently named one of the most influential Brits in the UAE, was thrilled at the announcement, saying, “We would like to thank our peers in the event industry for voting for the Festival in this category and recognising the hard work and dedication of our small core team and volunteers. It is a delight to have won this award for the second year running. It stands as proof of the Festival’s ability to consistently entertain and educate the people of this region. “However, we cannot yet rest on our laurels; our aim to foster a reading culture in this region continues and with the support of our many sponsors, particularly our title sponsor Emirates Airline and partners Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, we will reach even greater highs in the coming year.” The Festival now enters its seventh year and is widely considered to be the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word as well as one of the world’s foremost international literary events. This year’s event took place from 4-8 March at the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, with more than 30,000 people enjoying 200+ events from 170 authors, writers and thinkers from 35 countries including Jeremy Bowen, who delivered the prestigious Orwell Lecture, Mohammed Achaari, Saud Alsanousi, Paddy Ashdown, Pam Ayres, Judy Finnigan, Joanne Harris, Richard Madeley, Jojo Moyes, Jeremy Paxman, Mariam Al Saedi, Zep and many more. One of the key elements of the Festival has always been a strong education and children’s programme for promoting a love of reading and writing among younger generations. The children’s programme this year included a variety of stimulating and inspiring sessions and workshops by top international authors John Boyne, Darcey Bussell, Eoin Colfer, Vivian French, Sally Gardner, Charlie Higson, Maitha Al Khayat, Sahar Naja Mahfouz, Sarah McIntyre, Nadine Touma and others. In partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the sixth Festival saw the return of the landmark cultural event, Desert Stanzas, a magical evening of poetry under the stars. Other special evening events included a Murder Mystery Dinner where authors and guests used their sleuthing skills to solve a ‘murder’, and LitFest Art, an exhibition of calligraphy, sculpture, live art and storytelling that was staged throughout the Festival. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which is part of the Emirates Literature Foundation, will take place in Dubai from 3 to 7 March 2015 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 Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage. For more details of the Festival please see www.emirateslitfest.com
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