World history to be in spotlight at lit fest
dubai — Heads up, history buffs: This year’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will feature a strong history strand, with top experts, researchers, journalists and authors set to share insights about lessons learnt from the past, organisers announced on Wednesday.
Topics ranging from early civilisations and Islamic empires to how the UAE rose to global prominence will be in the spotlight at the fest, which will be held in Dubai from February 4 to 9.
Best-selling author Bettany Hughes — who has written books and TV series on the history of Greece, Egypt, Rome and Istanbul — will examine what the world can learn from ancient civilisations with professor Jonathan Phillips, an expert on the legacy of the crusades in East and West.
There will be talks on the significant roles women have played through the ages, too — from leading the charge in battles to negotiating a truce. Joining Hughes will be Moroccan writer and researcher Abdelillah Benarafa, Emirati writer and journalist Reem Al Kamali, and Dr Rafia Ghubash, the founder of Dubai’s Women’s Museum and publisher of books documenting UAE heritage and history.
Historian and journalist Justin Marozzi — who wrote the highly acclaimed Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood — will also take part in discussions with Phillips and distinguished Emirati author Mohammed Al Murr, a collector of fascinating historical artefacts and manuscripts relating to the region’s history. They will tackle the role artefacts play in forming stories around cultural identity.
Authors of new books about the history of the UAE will be at the festival to explore the convergence of factors that led to the UAE’s sudden rise to global prominence.
Focusing on the Capital in the period since the discovery of oil in the 1960s, they will discuss the intertwined arts of city- and nation-building and the journey from desert tribal kingdoms to the thriving metropolis of today.
More recent world history will also be examined by a number of festival authors.