The 2011 edition of the Emirates Lit Fest kicks off tomorrow with a programme of authors that includes some of the most prominent names in global media analysis.
Amongst the 130 attending authors are Nik Gowing and Edward De Bono. Gowing, the main presenter on the international news channel BBC World, will discuss the findings from his influential essay A Skyful of Lies and Black Swans. The acclaimed piece, written in 2009, analised the impact of social media on political structures in times of crisis and has been credited with predicting some of the tumultuous events currently unfurling across the Middle East. Gowing’s in-discussion session takes place on 12 March.
De Bono is regarded as the leading authority on creative thinking, having authored more than 80 books on the topic, including the seminal titles New Think: The Use of Lateral Thinking and Six Thinking Hats. His session, titled Think Before It’s Too Late: why the world’s thinking is so poor, examines the corrosive impact of the internet on world thinking and the ability to solve problems. De Bono will speak on 11 March.
The Lit Fest runs for five days from the 8-12 March. The opening gala events on the 8th and 9th take place at the Dubai Cutural and Scientific Association in Al Mamzar, while the author sessions will be at the Lit Fest’s usual location at the Intercontinental, Dubai Festival City.
Saatchi & Saatchi’s regional creative director for Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Sion Scott-Wilson, will discuss his novel The Sleepwalker’s Introduction to Flight on 10 March.