Here's why this year's Lit Fest is the most exciting one yet

Written by:
Laura Coughlin
22nd January 2020

February 4: Deserts Stanzas

The atmospheric signature event, Deserts Stanzas, opens the Festival with an enthralling line-up featuring poets from the USA, Ireland, Portugal, UK and UAE. These include Hassan Al Matrooshi, Harry Baker, Afra Atiq, Eleanor Hooker and Carlos Andrés Gómez, the sensational performance poet who has twice won the International Slam Poetry Championship. In a beautiful venue set at the edge of the city, Desert Stanzas is an unforgettable evening of enchanting poetry under the stars and moon-lit dunes, alongside music and traditional Emirati food. Tickets cost Dhs249 and takes place on Tuesday February 4 7pm to 9.30pm.

February 5: Murder Mystery Dinner

The Murder Mystery Dinner ‘Killing Villanelle with Luke Jennings’ will be an evening like no other, over a three-course meal and a staged performance of an enigmatic assassination, guests get the chance to solve a murder. The evening will kick off with a conversation with author and journalist Luke Jennings whose books were adapted for the TV smash hit series Killing Eve. The author will talk about the inspirations for his characters and actors following which the audience is plunged into a thrilling Dubai-based mystery scenario where they have to deduce who is ‘Killing Villanelle’ over a delectable three-course meal. Tickets cost Dhs249 and takes place on Wednesday February 5, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

February 7: Vegan Supper Club

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The Vegan Supper Club with BOSH! will be a night out that’s good for you and good for the planet. Henry Firth and Ian Theasby aka Internet sensation BOSH!, the world’s most viewed and most loved plant-based recipe channel, perform a live demonstration of some of their favourite dishes. Guests enjoy a delicious three-course vegan meal and hear BOSH! speak frankly about the ideas in their latest book How to Live Vegan. Tickets cost Dhs299 and takes place on Friday February 7, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

February 9: Festival Finale: Tomorrow

New for this year is the Festival Finale: Tomorrow, a charitable event which will feature music, poetry and readings in support of child refugees across the region. The Festival Finale will be an inspiring evening with the best of the LitFest and exceptional performances from renowned poets, writers and a children’s choir performing Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo – the extraordinary story of refugee Nujeen Mustafa. Joining Nujeen on stage will be Markus Zusak internationally acclaimed author of The Book Thief; Harry Baker and Chris Reed, the UK’s favourite comedy-rap-jazz duo; Malala’s parents, Ziauddin and Toor Pekai Yousafzai; Onjali Q. Raúf, author of the award winning children’s book The Boy at the Back of the Class about a young refugee; English author, poet and translator Kevin Crossley-Holland, and many more. All proceeds made will go to Dubai Cares’ programmes for child refugees across the region.

Ticket prices start from Dhs99 and go up to Dhs799, with guests encouraged to choose the price they can afford to help the Festival raise more funds for those most in need.