The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature hosts a range of special events. Below are a few of our top picks.
• For more details and tickets, visit www.emirateslitfest.com
Murder Mystery Dinner: The Fatal Festival
At this year’s murder mystery, an annual audience favourite, diners will work their way, course-by-course, through the details of the murder of a literary agent at a literature festival. The script was written by visiting author Martin Edwards and wandering crime writers will act as consulting detectives to help diners solve the crime.
• Friday, March 3, 7.30pm, InterContinental Dubai Festival City. Dh475
Cook for Syria
This fund-raising dinner features recipes from the #CookForSYRIA book – a compilation of dishes from celebrity chefs and traditional Syrian meals. Speakers include Syrian-German food author Dalia Dogmoch, of Dalia's Kitchen fame, Syrian poet Adnan Alaoda and Noura Al Khoori, Emirati author of Tender Hands, a children's book about the refugee crisis. Syrian composer and qanun player Khalil Ghadri will play music. Proceeds go to Emirates Red Crescent to aid children of Syria.
• Saturday, March 4, 8pm, Zaytoun, Crowne Plaza, Festival City. Dh250.
The Eagle Huntress
A collaboration with the Dubai International Film Festival offers a chance to catch The Eagles Huntress, a life-affirming documentary about Aisholpan Nurgaiv, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl who hunts foxes with her golden eagle. The screening will be introduced with a live talk by Abi Elphinstone, who spent time with Aisholpan and her family in 2015 as part of research for a forthcoming book. The film will also screen twice on Friday as part of the Imagine Science film festival at New York University Abu Dhabi.
• Wednesday (March 8) 7pm at Novo Cinemas, Dubai Festival City. Dh45. For the Abu Dhabi screenings, visit www.nyuad-artscenter.org to register for free tickets
Desert Stanzas 2017
Live recitations of verse amid desert dunes under a starlit sky at Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa is a firm favourite. Recitals by celebrated Arab poets Adnan Alaoda, Zainab Al Blooshi and Zeina Hashem Beck, and award-winning Jamaican poet Kei Miller, as well as traditional Emirati food and music.
• Thursday, March 9, transfer from InterContinental at 5.45pm. Dh375.
