ELF Publishing LLC
Our Story
ELF Publishing LLC is an independent venture, launched under the umbrella of the Emirates Literature Foundation, the home of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.
ELF Publishing is an independent publishing house based in the United Arab Emirates. Our mission is to help grow the literary ecosystem of the region by showcasing undiscovered stories from Emiratis and UAE-based writers, both in English and Arabic. Storytelling and oral history are a vital part of the UAE’s culture, which is why we’re interested in preserving it in written form. We believe that books, and the ideas they hold, have the power to connect us, inspire us, and help guide us to a better future for generations to come.
Meet Our Authors
Ebtisam Al-Beiti
Ebtisam Al-Beiti is a published children’s author and early years professional who has had a passion for education since high school, where she used to volunteer to read stories to preschool children. Earning a Post-Graduate Certificate in education and working in managerial and teaching roles inspired her to write books with a strong educational message for our young readers.
Her first book, Can I Go Out Now? aims to teach young children about current environmental and health issues in a fun, playful, and interactive way. Her second book, Citrus the Smoothie Sloth, sheds light on positive well-being and healthy eating through a charming tale about a special little rainforest sloth.
Al-Beiti is a member of the Global Council, which works towards achieving selected Sustainable Development Goals. Being an advocate for education, she has strived to contribute to the education of young children and has also volunteered in special needs schools in her free time. Al-Beiti lives with her family in Dubai and is not to be confused with her identical twin sister!
Julia Johnson
Julia has read stories on radio and TV, narrated audiobooks, run drama workshops for young people and enjoys sharing her books through workshops and events for children.
A thirst for adventure brought Julia and her architect husband Brian to Dubai from the UK more than forty years ago, long before the skyscrapers and smart hotels and fancy shopping malls. She was inspired to write her first story by the fascinating past, ancient culture and traditions of the UAE and Oman. Published in 2003, The Pearl Driver is now read in primary schools – in English and Arabic – throughout the Gulf. Many more titles followed, including The Pearl Driver’s Son, which was included in the UAE Ministry of Education’s ‘Reading for Pleasure’ programme 2021.
Among other successes, Julia has won the Best International Children’s Book award at the Sharjah International Book Fair twice, with The Turtle Secret in 2014 and The Secret of The Cave in 2019. The Leopard Boy was awarded a Kirkus star in America, and Michael Morpurgo called it ‘A beautiful story, a wise and wonderfully told tale’.
Maitha Al Khayat
Maitha Al Khayat is an Emirati children’s author and illustrator with over 175 publications; some translated into English, Turkish and Italian. She delights children with her quirky yet cultural stories through interactive storytelling and workshops.
Her picture book My Own Special Way was awarded best children’s book at the Children’s Forum in Riyadh, in 2011, and was also translated into English and Turkish. It was shortlisted for best book in translation for Marsh Awards 2013. Her other book Turn Off The Lights was awarded best children’s book at the Publisher’s Association in Sharjah in 2016. Father’s Date Palm Trees which featured her illustrations was shortlisted for best picture book at the Zayed Book Award in 2020. Her recent picture book Grandma Moudy Fashionista is also translated into Italian. Maitha has written for children’s TV shows such as Iftah Ya Simsim, Sesame Street and Hamdoon, an Emirati animated show.
Maitha enjoys reading picture books to children and her three cats.
Zahra Abdalla
Zahra Abdalla, is a half-Iranian and half-Sudanese cookbook author, entrepreneur, and social media influencer.
In 2010, her culinary journey began with her online blog. This gave her the opportunity to present her own cooking shows on MBC 3 and host the fourth season of a food and travel documentary show called Maggi Diaries on MBC 1.
Working from her studio, Zahra develops and creates modern interpretations of Middle Eastern recipes, inspired by her childhood, travels, and flavours of the region. For her, food is her artistry as well as therapy, and a medium through which long-forgotten memories can be brought back to life or new ones can be made. She is a keen advocate of sustainability and the importance of being mindful of how we source, prepare, and eat our food.
In addition to her public roles, Zahra is the founder of Zahra’s Kitchen, a retail frozen food range available for sale in Kibsons and over 35 Spinney’s and Waitrose locations across the UAE.
Submissions
We are now open for submissions by published or unpublished authors, in Arabic and English.
Please include the following to as part of your submission:
- An elevator pitch for your project
- A project synopsis
- The project manuscript
- A project cover letter
Contact Us
If you have any further questions, please email us: info@elfpublishing.me.
