The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which will mark its 15th anniversary in 2023, announced the line-up of 250 award-winning authors and experts, including Mohsin Hamid, Bonnie Garmus, and Cecilia Ahern.

The six-day festival, organized under the theme, Old Friends, aims to reflect upon its journey in influencing the literary scene in the UAE.

Mohsin Hamid, a British-Pakistani author of the widely regarded books The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Exit West, and Cecelia Ahern, an Irish author of the best-selling books PS, I Love You, will be in attendance.

Among the debut novelists present are Bonnie Garmus, the author of Lessons in Chemistry, Bolu Babalola, the author of Honey and Spice, Jo Browning Wroe, the author of A Terrible Kindness, and Greg Mosse, the author of The Coming Darkness.

Best-selling novelists Jeffrey Archer and Alexander McCall Smith, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, and comedian and children’s author David Walliams, are set to return.

Emmy-winning actor Brian Cox of the popular HBO series Succession will attend the festival. Also, Jurassic Park screenwriter and director David Koepp will virtually engage with viewers offering insight into writing blockbuster movies and best-selling books.

The event will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet and his 140th birth anniversary.

The InterContinental Dubai Festival City and Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf will host the six-day festival. 

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