Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2026 line-up includes RF Kuang, Asma Khan and Scott Turow

RF Kuang, Asma Khan and Ruth Ware are some of the leading authors taking part in next year’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

Running from January 21 to 27 at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, the annual event returns for its 18th staging with more than 200 speakers from 40 countries and a daily programme featuring literary and cultural discussions, workshops and masterclasses from authors spanning popular fiction, Arabic literature, poetry and non-fiction.

Among the key events this year is a panel on Life Taught Me, the recent book by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Other additions to the programme include Highrise Homicide, an interactive mystery event set across a fictional tower block, and Burns Night, which brings Scottish poets to the festival for an evening of readings and music.

Ahlam Bolooki, chief executive of the Emirates Literature Foundation, said the festival’s longevity and appeal come from the inclusive nature of its events and line-up. “The festival continues to inspire curiosity and foster connection, offering something for everyone,” she said. “In a world that can feel divided or distracted, I invite you to join us and to pause, read and rediscover what unites us as humans on a shared journey.”

International names

Rebecca F Kuang is the author of the bestselling 2023 novel Yellowface. Getty Images

This year’s international line-up brings together several of the most recognisable contemporary writers and public figures.

US author Kuang, whose novel Yellowface became one of the most discussed books of 2023, will make her festival debut. London restaurateur Khan, known for Netflix’s Chef’s Table and her Darjeeling Express restaurant, will speak about the lessons learnt across her career.

British crime writer Ware, whose best-selling novel The Woman in Cabin 10 was adapted into a film by Netflix, will be part of an