Highlights of the upcoming Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2017

The ninth edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature begins in Dubai on March 3. Victor Besa for The National

Best-selling British author Jeffrey Archer and House of Cards screenwriter Andrew Davies are two of the top names heading to Dubai for next year's Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

From March 3 to 11, more than 140 guests, including authors, poets, publishers, agents, editors, screenwriters, photographers, filmmakers and journalists will take part in panel discussions revolving around the festival theme of Journeys, at the InterContinental hotel in Dubai Festival City.

International draws

As has become the norm, the festival is able to attract the elite of the literary world to the UAE, and that trend certainly holds true this year.

Internationally renowned author Archer – a former British MP and the Right Honourable Lord Archer of Weston-­Super-Mare – returns after taking part in the festival in 2013, when he also attended the Sharjah International Book Fair. Archer holds the distinction of being the only author to top the best-selling charts in three categories: fiction, non-fiction and short stories.

Lovers of the Netflix TV series House of Cards can rejoice in the inclusion of Davies, who will discuss the hit American drama and his original 1990 British TV adaptation. Davies will also shed light on his other successful projects, including reworking literary classics for television such as the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, 1998's Vanity Fair and 2008's Sense and Sensibility.

Fans of crime thrillers can look forward to hearing award-winning author Kathy Reichs. The American writer, also a forensic anthropologist, is responsible for 19 novels inspired by her work. Reichs is producer for Bones, the popular American television crime drama that will wrap up with a 12th and final season early next year.

Regional bigwigs

Renowned Palestinian writer Mourid Barghouti is no stranger to the festival. The 72-year-old, considered one of the Arab world's most celebrated authors, has attended twice before, as both novelist and poet. History buffs will be delighted to hear that Sudanese author Leila Aboulela is a guest of the festival. Choosing to write in English, Aboulela's five novels, which include Minaret, The Translator and The Kindness of Enemies, have been translated into 14 languages.

Algerian writer Mohammed Moulessehoul, better known by his pen name Yasmina Khadra, is also on his way. Previously an officer in the Algerian army, the author was forced to adopt his wife's name as a pseudonym to avoid censorship and did not reveal his identity until 2001, after publishing six novels. He has since written another 10, including award-winning works such as The Swallows of Kabul and The Sirens of Baghdad.

Local talent

Dr Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, better known as the “Green Sheikh” of Ajman for his work raising awareness of environmental issues, is another eminent guest of the festival. A member of Ajman’s royal family, Sheikh Abdulaziz is an environmental campaigner as well as author of four books and numerous articles on protecting natural resources.

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi returns to the festival. The UAE-based columnist, whose articles have been published in The National, is a prominent commentator on Arab affairs, an influential figure on social media and a patron of the arts as founder of Barjeel Art Foundation.

Emirati writer, columnist and winner of this year's Emirates Novel Award for Guard of the Sun, Eman Yousef will also be attending.

Special events

New initiatives mixed with old favourites also make their way into the festival. Gulf historian Frauke Heard-Bey will launch her book Abu Dhabi the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Region: Fifty Years of Transformation. Nadiya Hussain, winner of last year's BBC television show The Great British Bake Off, will also make an appearance. She'll talk about her trailblazing experience as a British Muslim on the culinary talent contest and discuss her new book, Nadiya's Kitchen.

The festival will also host a three-day intensive writing course, with lectures from literary agents, editors and authors such as Patrick Gale and Sue Moorcroft.

Poetry lovers are in for treat with the return of the popular Desert Stanzas. Held among the dunes of the Dubai desert, the event will feature celebrated poets, including Barghouti and Jamaica’s Kei Miller, who will join Emirati Zainab Al Blooshi to give readings of their work.

• The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is from March 3 to 11 at InterContinental, Dubai Festival City. Tickets will be available online at www.emirateslitfest.com Main programme tickets from Dh40