About

The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation that supports and nurtures a love of literature in the UAE and across the region through a programme of varied cultural initiatives.

Recognising the distinctive contribution that literature makes to children’s lives, the Foundation focuses on introducing and cultivating a spirit of reading while acting as a catalyst for writing and cultural exchange.

The Foundation governs the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the Middle East’s premier literary festival, which is held annually and as part of its initiatives, has implemented a School Librarian of the Year Award, a programme bringing authors to engage with inmates at Dubai Prisons, Voices of Future Generations, as well as year-round School Education Programmes, Book Clubs and Creative Writing Courses.

History of the Foundation

The Emirates Literature Foundation was established in 2013 following the life-long dream of Isobel Abulhoul OBE, the CEO of the Foundation. Inspired by the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which was launched earlier in 2009, the Foundation aims to break down barriers and encourage a culture of reading in the UAE.