Book Clubs

Festival Book Club (English)

Next Meeting: 18 September

In our next meeting, we are looking at…Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (shortlisted for the Man Booker 2018)

Washington Black is an eleven-year-old field slave who knows no other life than the Barbados sugar plantation where he was born.

When his master’s eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant, Wash is terrified of the cruelties he is certain await him. But Christopher Wilde, or “Titch,” is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor, and abolitionist.

He initiates Wash into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky; where two people, separated by an impossible divide, might begin to see each other as human; and where a boy born in chains can embrace a life of dignity and meaning. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash’s head, Titch abandons everything to save him.

What follows is their flight along the eastern coast of America, and, finally, to a remote outpost in the Arctic, where Wash, left on his own, must invent another new life, one which will propel him further across the globe.

From the sultry cane fields of the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, Washington Black tells a story of friendship and betrayal, love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again–and asks the question, what is true freedom?

Language: English; Age Group: 18+

The Guide

Can anyone join?

If you love books and talking about them with fellow bookworms, you’re in!

Do I need to pay anything?

There is no registration fee, the only requirements are a name, email address and contact number for our records. RSVP a week before via email or the Facebook group which you will be invited to once you officially register.

How do you choose titles?

The Festival Book Club largely focuses on works by authors attending the upcoming Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (4-9 February 2020).

This means that by the time the Festival arrives, when authors discuss their work in various events or ‘sessions’, you can really engage with the conversation and get a feel for what else in their backlist you’d like to add to your reading pile.

What is the format of discussions?

We discuss the book of the month for about an hour, looking at plot, character and language (it’s always useful to bring a few thoughts or a short passage that you’d like to read out and discuss) and at the end of the chat we have a quick recommendation round where we each recommend a book that isn’t on the book club list, because we can never have enough books.

Do you focus on one particular genre?

Nope. We cover literary fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, works in translation, sci/fi fantasy and short story collections. This means there’s a discussion accessible to everyone at some point and it encourages regular members to break out of their comfort zones every once in a while.

Do I need to read the book before I attend?

It’s important to read the book before the discussion but we all have busy lives and sometimes they get in the way. If you haven’t finished the book but still want to join in that’s fine, but remember that Book Club is FULL OF SPOILERS, and we will ruin the ending for you. (You have been warned).

Do you still meet during the Summer months?

We do; however, we branch out for the Summer into some different titles before we move onto the new Festival Book Club year which starts in September.

Festival Book Club (Arabic)

More information coming soon!

Language: Arabic; Age Group: 18+

Children’s Book Club (9-11 years)

Next Meeting: September 2019 – date TBC

The Children’s Book Club is aimed at children between 9-11 years of age to meet monthly during term time at Costa Coffee Al Wasl (Costa Drive thru after Spinneys Umm Sequim heading to Jebel Ali) to discuss books including those by authors who will attend the 2020 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Click here to learn more about the location.

Register for the new season of the Children’s Book Clubs via the form below. All participants interested in attending from September 2019 must sign up using the form.

Due to space constraints, please ensure that you have confirmed attendance before arriving for the Club.

Please encourage your children to read the book in advance, so that they can join in the conversation.

Language: English; Age Group: 9-11 years

Register Below

Young Adults’ Book Club (12+ years)

Next Meeting: September 2019 – date TBC

The Young Adults’ Book Club is aimed at students over the age of 12. The book club will meet monthly during term time at Costa Coffee Al Wasl (Costa Drive thru after Spinneys Umm Sequim heading to Jebel Ali) to discuss books including those authors who will attend the 2020 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Click here to learn more about the location.

Register for the new season of the Young Adults’ Book Club via the form below. All participants interested in attending from September 2019 must sign up using the form.

Due to space constraints, please ensure that you have confirmed attendance before arriving for the Club.

Please encourage your children to read the book in advance, so that they can join in the conversation.

Language: English; Age Group: 12+ years

Register Below

Readers’ Majlis (English)

Next Meeting: 9 September 2019

Emirates Literature Foundation is delighted to invite all book lovers to the monthly Readers’ Majlis. Every month we sit down to discuss books on a specific theme decided on by the members. It is the perfect opportunity for you to share your experiences and passion for literature with other like-minded enthusiasts.

Each group member will choose their own book or books to read and discuss at the Majlis. Discover new books of different genres and from a number of cultures at this unique reading group.

During the meeting, we’ll be discussing the theme of Cultural Crossroads.

Venue: TBC

Language: English; Age Group: 18+

Reading inspiration for book clubs

Looking for inspiration and reading lists for your book club?

Every book club is as unique as its members, but there are reading lists for all interests. Try looking at Goodreads or BookBub’s reading lists, or browse through our previous Festival programmes for inspiration.

Magrudy’s fresh new reads are also full of inspiration, with a range of the very latest fiction, non-fiction, children’s, YA and much more.