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The Festival Plaza Book Club meetup is a place where so much happens. Not only do bibliophiles from the UAE get to interact with each other, but there is a great host and guest speakers to help fuel the conversations that come about. 

Held at Jamaica Blue, guests can enjoy a 30 per cent discount on all menu items and 20 per cent any other day. The event takes place on Saturday, October 30 at 10.30am.

Here’s what you can expect from this month’s event

festival plaza book club

The book of the month as selected by you is White Teeth by Zadie Smith.

Sarah Hedley Hymers will be back to host the book club where she will be joined by not one, but two guest speakers with a wealth of knowledge they can’t wait to share.

Meet the speakers

For animal lovers in the crowd, you’ll simply adore Brendon Whittington Jones (pictured above on the left) as all he wants to do is save animals – no matter where they are. 

He is the author of two books about animals and wildlife: African Wild Dogs: On the Front Line and The Accidental Invasion of Baghdad Zoo.

Brendan grew up in suburban Cape Town, South Africa and currently works at the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority in the UAE.

The second guest speaker is equally important. As October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness, Dubai Festival Plaza Book Club is helping to shine a light on this very important topic by inviting Ingrid Valles (pictured above on the right), a breast cancer survivor to speak about her firsthand experience.

Want to be a part of this unmissable book club event? 

All you need to do is register here following which you will receive an invite email from Festival Plaza. The best news? It’s free to attend. 

If are joining for the first time, you will be welcomed with a tote bag packed with goodies from Festival Plaza and Booktopia. Additionally, you can avail of exclusive book club offers on the Festival Rewards app such as 20 per cent off on all books from our Book store partner, Booktopia.

If you want to connect with more readers in Dubai, join the Festival Plaza Book Club Facebook group where you can have further discussions outside of the events.

Festival Plaza Book Club, Jamaica Blue, first floor of Festival Plaza, Jebel Ali, Dubai, Oct 30 at 10.30am, free to enter but registration is a must. @dubaifestivalplaza

Images: Festival Plaza Book Club