Festival Programme

Discover how picture-book characters come to life in this workshop with award-winning illustrator Petr Horáček. Learn sketching, expression, and storytelling techniques, then create your own charming storybook character.

The Rising Pens Corner celebrates bold new voices in fiction, poetry, and personal writing. Join Fahad Al Falasi (Chasing Corona), Khalid Al Khour (Tabasco), Moza Al Mazrouie (Leaving Hands), Mohamed Rabee Hamad (The Last Tree), and Mohammad Fouad Al Refaie (Surrounded by Wrong Roses) for a session that honors first words and the courage to dream.

Join us to celebrate some of Dubai’s youngest and brightest writers as they discuss their creative journeys, read excerpts from their books, and share the inspirations behind their stories.

Join us for a vibrant session celebrating some of Dubai’s youngest and most brilliant writers as they open the doors to their creative worlds. In this inspiring gathering, they will share the story of their journey into writing, read excerpts from their works that carry their unique voice, and reveal the sparks of inspiration behind their stories and ideas.

Join artists and creatives Nora Zeid, Jane Pica, Manar Laham, and Mohammad Yousuf AlShaibani for a look at the UAE’s growing comics scene.

Desert Stanzas is the Festival’s crowning jewel, celebrating poetry, music, and performance under the stars.

You're invited to the LitFest’s first ever Game Night! Join Superheated Neurons for board games, friendly tournaments, and unforgettable memories.No experience needed! But bring your best game face.

UAE muralist Captain Barboza showcases his murals, demonstrates spray-paint techniques, and invites you to try them yourself in a high-energy intro to street art, colour, and creative expression. Curated by Art in the Middle Magazine. 

Hafsa Lodi’s new book and debut novel Turbulence delves into the silent struggles, societal challenges, cultural conflicts and internal insecurities that shape many women's lives.

Winner at Fantastic Fest, Hoba (The Vile) is a chilling Emirati horror film. Amani’s peaceful life shatters when a second wife, and something far darker enters her home. The screening is followed by a Q&A with the director, moderated by artist and film curator Hind Mezaina.

Join Amal Al Marri, Asma Khan, and Isobel Abulhoul for a business breakfast exploring how female leaders drive innovation, shape culture, and prove that purpose creates lasting impact.

Discover botanical drawing with acclaimed illustrator Sue Wickison. This beginner-friendly masterclass teaches essential techniques to capture plants’ beauty, sharpen observation, and develop your own artistic style.

Bestselling author Alwyn Hamilton reveals how to build immersive worlds, craft mythology and culture, and weave vivid details into stories. Leave with the tools to create settings readers can truly inhabit.

Learn traditional embroidery techniques while creating your own unique bookmark, as author Joanna Barakat shares her journey preserving this timeless craft in contemporary art.

Marking the centenary of his birth, the Emirates Literature Foundation celebrates the legacy of the Emirati poet and prominent civic figure Sultan bin Ali Al Owais. The session revisits key chapters of his life and cultural and humanitarian journey, and highlights his pioneering role in supporting Arab creativity through his leading cultural foundation. A special session that recalls his profound impact on the literary and national landscapes. Speakers: H.E. Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, and writer Yousef Alhassan.

Emirati writers who took their first steps before the age of technology. With Ali Abu Al Reesh, Dr Shihab Ghanem, and Hessah Lootah, we discover how they reached the top through the difficult path—before self-promotion platforms became available.

When Ground Shifts tells the story of ambition, vision, and building a global legacy. Join UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, HE Reem Al Hashimy, as she shares the triumphs, challenges, and strategies behind Expo 2020 Dubai.

Silicon Valley isn’t the only engine of ideas anymore. Arman Khederlarian and Mehran Gul explore how technology and ambition are reshaping innovation — and whether the MENA region could be next.

Between the profession of writing and earning a living lies a wide gap that many Arab writers face—so how do they keep going? Writers Fatima Al-Mazrouei, Jalal Barjas, and Shahla Ujayli answer this question in a candid conversation.

The workshop offers a practical perspective on the standards of translating children’s literature from a publisher’s viewpoint, focusing on language quality, cultural integrity, and ways to preserve the original spirit while ensuring suitability for young Arab readers.