Dubai: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature was the setting for a book launch with a difference today, as it welcomed more than 20 young child authors who had won their place in the third Young Voices of Arabia anthology. In the presence of the Voices of Future Generations Goodwill Ambassador, HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 2022 winners of the competition saw for the first time their stories illustrated by local artists and celebrated at the largest celebration of literature in the Middle East.

HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Each year, the children who enter this competition inspire me and fill me with hope for the future. I ask you to hear their voices. Read their stories. These children are going to achieve great things, and it has already started. By connecting with Voices of Future Generations they have become a part of a movement, spreading their own message of sustainability. Let their passion, creativity and vision guide you, and join the movement.”

The event was hosted by previous competition winners, Ethan Dsouza and Hazza Ali Salem Mohamed Ali Yaleili. As part of the lively event, lyrical masters and keen supporters of the initiative, slam poets Dr Afra Atiq and Harry Baker, performed their compelling 17 Sustainable Development Goals poem with the help of the child authors and the audience. The two first place winners of the competition, Nourah Ahmed Yousif Almushtaghil Alnaqbi and Inayah Fathima Faeez, also treated the audience to a short reading from their stories in Arabic and English.

The anthology features the winning stories from the Voices of Future Generations for the Middle East competition in 2022, professionally edited and translated so all the stories can be read in Arabic and English. The stories were inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and share the author’s vision for a better future. Capturing the spirit of the nation, the collection is perfectly aligned with the UAE’s commitment to the environment, as 2023 is named the Year of Sustainability, culminating in Cop28 being held in Dubai in November.

Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, commented: “This is a very special collection, and I implore everyone to read it and be inspired. Here we have some of the most inventive and enjoyable adventure tales I have read in a long time. Each one makes a powerful case for one of the UN’s sustainable development goals, showing how passionate these young authors are about our planet and its preservation, as well as story-telling. There is nothing quite like a great story to win over hearts and minds, and that is exactly what this anthology does.”

2. Jennifer Malton, Director of VoFG and Sustainability, Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “It is heart-warming to see how the entire community come out to support these young authors and sustainability champions. It is clear that their passion for sustainability is contagious, and we love to see how their enthusiasm spreads to their schools, their social clubs, family gatherings and everywhere they go. This initiative is proof that we can all make a difference.”

Voices of Future Generations is a unique writing initiative launched under the patronage of UNESCO and supported by HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East. It was created to promote Sustainability and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through a creative writing competition for young children. The competition was first launched in the Middle East in 2019, with support from Emirates Literature Foundation.

The 2023 competition is now open to all children aged between 8 and 12 residing in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. Entries can be in either Arabic or English. They should be between 600 and 1,500 words long, and feature the writer’s hopes, dreams and aspirations for a sustainable future, including at least one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. More information can be found on the Voices of Future Generations website, vofg.vofgarabia.org.

The anthology is available to download from the website, vofg.vofgarabia.org/books. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the biggest celebration of stories in the Arab region and one of the top literary festivals in the world, concludes 6 February 2023, after bringing together more than 250 of the world’s greatest writers and thinkers across its two venues at the Intercontinental Festival City, and across the Creek at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library.

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 United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation can be found online and year-round newsof Emirates Lit Fest on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram YouTube and TikTok @emirateslitfest

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Notes to editors: About the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature:

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the Arab World’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring international and regional writers, poets, thinkers and speakers from around the world. Over the last 14 years more than 1,800 authors from over one hundred countries have spoken at the Festival. In 2022 the Festival reached more than 105,000 people, in person and via live streaming. Sessions included multi-talented top childrens author David Walliams, entreprenuer Gary Vaynerchuck, Indra Nooyi ranked amongst the worlds 100 most powerful women executives, and Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, and the Education Programme featured children’s favourites Ali Sparkes, Rob Biddulph, Sanaa Chabbani, Gulnar Hajou and Ken Arto.

3. The aim of the Festival is to develop a culture of reading as an enjoyable habit in the UAE, and its efforts have been recognised through many awards over the years. By providing an equal platform for international and locally based talents, the Festival continues to build the literary landscape in the UAE and further afield. Alongside the main programme, the Festival organises an Education programme, reaching students across the seven emirates of the UAE.

There are also student competitions, held in Arabic and English, which allow young people to showcase their skills through poetry, short stories and reading. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Festival is a key part of the Emirates Literature Foundation, which was established in 2013 by Royal Decree. In partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will be back in 2023. For information and updates about the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature visit the website: www.emirateslitfest.com

About the Emirates Literature Foundation:

The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures a love of literature in the United Arab Emirates and the region, through a programme of varied cultural initiatives. Established in 2013 by Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Foundation aims to foster a love for literature, with a focus on the Arabic language.

In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, the Foundation has implemented several long-term projects including the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub, and From the Inside Out, as well as conducting year-round student education programmes, book clubs and mentorship programmes. The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference and the 2016 Dubai Translation Conference.

The Foundation is also the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the UAE’s premier literary festival.

About Emirates

Emirates is an award-winning international airline with a global footprint across six continents, connecting passengers and facilitating global trade to and through its modern hub, Dubai to over 120 destinations. The airline operates one of the most modern and efficient aircraft fleet comprised of spacious and comfortable Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. With a culturally diverse workforce from over 130 nationalities, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and world-class products. The airline also supports local communities worldwide and brings people together through its vast portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships.

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

As part of its journey to position Dubai as the global capital of the creative economy, Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirates historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2026.

The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers that seek to support talents and stimulate active participation from society members by investing in the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of six heritage sites, six museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and eight Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that stimulates the cultural and creative industries.

For more information, please visit the Authoritys website www.dubaiculture.gov.ae