Saudi novelist Abdo Khal, who will be speaking at the 2010 Festival, is one of six authors shortlisted for the 2010 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF). He was nominated for his book She Throws Sparks, which examines the seductive nature of power – and its destructive effects.

The other shortlisted authors are Mansoura Ez Eldin, who spoke at the 2009 Festival, Muhammad Al Mansi Qindeel, Rabee Jabir, Rabai’ Madhoun, and Jamal Naji. The Festival organisers congratulate all six authors on being shortlisted.

Popularly known as the “Arab Booker” due to its association with the Booker Prize Foundation, the prize is supported by the Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi in its efforts to support contemporary Arabic writing and promote translation. The prize will be awarded on 2 March 2010 at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair.

Previous IPAF winners Youssef Ziedan (2009) and Bahaa Taher (2008) will also be appearing at the 2010 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

More information about the authors and the prize can be found in these articles:

http://www.arabnewsblog.net/2009/12/16/the-international-prize-for-arabic-fiction-2010/
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091219/NATIONAL/912189989/1010/

The UK and Commonwealth rights to Leila Aboulela’s latest novel, Lyrics Alley, have been acquired by publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson for publication in 2011.

Leila Aboulela will be appearing at the 2010 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Her previous books include the Orange and IMPAC-longlisted The Translator, the Orange-longlisted Minaret and the short story collection Coloured Lights. Her short story "The Museum", from this collection, won her the first Caine Prize for African Writing in 2000. Three of Leila’s works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4: adaptations of The Translator and “The Museum” in 2002, and her play The Mystic Life in 2003.

Editor Arzu Tahsin says Lyrics Alley "is one of the most accomplished and thrilling portraits ever written of Sudanese society just around the time of independence in the 1950s. It is a breathtaking portrait of one family trying to reconcile the strong pull of tradition and the vital need to move forwards in rapidly changing times. It features an epic landscape and a powerful cast of characters and gives a stunning portrait of a land and a time never so evocatively portrayed before. By turns I wept and celebrated the highs and terrible lows the family endured."

The animated adaptation of Oliver Jeffers' Lost and Found has won the award for Best Animation at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Children’s Award Ceremony in London.

The film was first broadcast on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 2008 and will be repeated in the UK over the 2009 holiday season, on Channel 4 and Nick Jr. The film was produced by E1 Entertainment and Studio AKA. The BAFTA is the 20th Award to be won by the film.

Lost and Found was published in 2005 and won the Nestle Smarties Book Prize 2006 Gold Medal and the Blue Peter Book Award 2006, as well as being nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Oliver Jeffers will be attending the Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature in March 2010. His latest book is The Great Paper Caper (2008).

The Festival organisers extend their congratulations to Oliver, Studio AKA and E1 Entertainment.

Oliver Jeffers’ website can be seen here.

The award ceremony in full can be seen here.

For anyone interested in the politics and culture of Britain in the 1970s, EAIFL 2010 author Francis Wheen’s forthcoming book ‘‘Strange Days Indeed’’ will be essential reading. For a sneak preview of the stories and intrigues that will be investigated when ‘’Strange Days Indeed’’ is launched in September, watch our videos of the author on location around London reading extracts from the book.

Francis Wheen at the Old Bailey

Francis Wheen at the Old Bailey - Part 2

Francis Wheen at Lord North Street

Francis Wheen at the Carlton House Terrace

EAIFL 2010 author, Mark Billingham has won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award at the Harrogate crime writing festival. His London policeman DI Tom Thorne saw off Reginald Hill's Yorkshire duo Dalziel and Pascoe and Peter Robinson's much-loved Inspector Banks!

Mark Billingham’s novel Death Message beat strong competition to scoop this sought after prize on the opening night.

If you live in the UAE and you love Indian cooking or you are a fan of cookery shows, don't miss EAIFL 2010 participant Anjum Anand's BBC series which starts this Friday on BBC Lifestyle!

I was saddened to hear of Frank McCourt's death a few days ago. He was a hero of mine ever since first reading Angela's Ashes. Frank McCourt inspired a whole generation of writers and a new section in bookshops across the world. The misery memoir was born. I personally never felt that Angela's Ashes was miserable, but showed the indomitable spirit of the human soul. Frank captured his childhood and allowed us to share his early years and the grinding poverty that his family endured. This must have been a very difficult area for him to write about, and he waited until he was in his sixties before he returned to his earliest memories.

I had the honour of meeting him earlier this year when he came to the Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature as one of our founding authors. He was exactly as I imagined he would be; when I told him this, he replied 'Predictable am I?' and laughed.

As a reader, the fact that he matched my mind's eye view of him was wonderful and he lived up to my expectations. As his books are memoirs, this was very important to me as a reader. I have read and re read Angela's Ashes and each time I laugh and cry and share Frank's growing up years and every day happenings.

Frank was a born story teller (maybe something to do with his Irish genes!) And you could hear his voice and felt as if you were sat in the family sitting room, with a fire crackling in the grate and the lights down low; his voice soft and lilting taking you back to times gone by, and bringing the people to life.

I particularly loved the way he wrote about his father, whom he clearly adored, despite his human failings. Frank McCourt came to Dubai and wowed audiences at the first literary festival in the region. The venue was packed to the gunnels and laughter frequently interrupted the proceedings as he shared his stories with us all.

He also visited Dubai Women's College and spoke movingly to a large gathering of students and staff. The results of his visit have inspired more reading and writing and the realisation that your own life can be a rich source as a means to write your own story.

Frank was a gentle and modest man, who charmed all whom he met. He dedicated his working life to teaching and undoubtedly changed the lives of many of his students, allowing them to discover their potential.

Frank was an example to all would-be writers, that if you think you can write a book, just do it!

He won the Pulitzer prize and became a global best selling author with Angela's Ashes. It should have carried a warning on the cover 'If you start this book tonight, be prepared to stay up all night!'. My thoughts and prayers are with Frank's wife Elaine and all the family.

I will treasure my memories of meeting Frank in person, and can now hear his voice as I re-read my favorite book of his, 'Angela's Ashes' again.

"Margaret MacMillan won great distinction a few years ago with her book Peacemakers on one of the more misunderstood events in modern history, the Versailles conference of 1919. Inevitably this event is mentioned more than once in this book, which does precisely what it says on the cover: it examines how history is used and abused by contemporary historians, amateur and professional, and by what we might best term the “history industry”. Based on lectures given by the author, her chapters deal more with the misuse of history than its legitimate use. At a time when history is becoming highly marketable – not just programmes such as those presented by David Starkey, but also books that popularise the subject – these considerations are more important than ever."

Did you catch the review of EAIFL 2010 author Margaret MacMillan's latest book, 'The Uses and Abuses of History' in Gulf News on Friday 2^nd July? If not, here is a link to the original review by Simon Heffer, which was published by The Daily Telegraph on 13^th June.

Gillian Bourke

PR and Communications Manager

With the launch of EAIFL 2010 earlier this week, we are embarking on a totally new chapter of the Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature, so it feels very apt that I am writing my first EAIFL blog.

It is incredibly thrilling to think that in a little over 8 months, the magic of EAIFL will return to the InterContinental Hotel at Dubai Festival City. With 33 remarkable international authors already confirmed to take part in next year's Festival, EAIFL 2010 already promises to be another captivating bestseller. Next year's Festival will take place over 4 days from Wednesday 10^th to Saturday 13^th March and I urge you to mark the dates in your calendars as soon as possible!

The idea of starting this EAIFL blog really appealed to me as its a very direct and immediate way to communicate with a growing band of EAIFL supporters. In addition to providing regular updates on the Festival, I hope to be able to post press articles that interest me and which I hope you will be interested in too. Please click here to read some of the press coverage from this week's launch of EAIFL 2010 . I also plan to invite some of the many people involved in EAIFL 2010 to post here - everyone from authors to school children and teachers involved in the Festival Fringe and Education Day. So please keep returning to this blog on a regular basis.'