Proof that the Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature (EAIFL) has quickly established itself as a leading international literary event is underlined by the news that a further 17 top authors and poets have signed up for next year’s festival. They join a list of 33 authors from across all major genres who were announced as participants in June.

The 17 authors and poets who have just signed up are fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie, Ghanaian playwright, poet and author John Agard, British poet Simon Armitage, leading UAE poet Khalid al-Budoor, Indian author and singer Amit Chaudhuri, British poet, Gillian Clarke, India’s so-called ‘Jackie Collins’ Shobha De, leading U.S author Jeffery Deaver (‘The Bone Collector’), poet Imtiaz Dharker, recently appointed UK poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, British authors RJ Ellory and Rachel Hore, Dubai-based children’s author Julia Johnson, Palestinian author Dr Ghada Karmi, children’s authors Taghreed Najjar and Fatima Sharafeddine as well as leading UK author and journalist Francis Wheen.