Best Emirates Literature Foundation Podcasts (2024)

1
The Books on Socials episode with Chloe Gong 31:38

2y ago31:38

31:38

In this episode, Annabelle and Andrea team up with Nivea Serrao to take on some of the buzziest books from social media. They are also joined by the YA superstar, social media sensation and one of the New York Times youngest bestselling authors, the one and only Chloe Gong. (TikTok: @thechloegong) To find out more about the impact social media is h…

1
The Myths, Legends & Fairytales episode with Ben Miller 34:02

2y ago34:02

34:02

Dipping into the cool pond of myths and magical make believe, Ahlam and Andrea share their top tips before speaking with actor, director, comedian and author of wonderful children's books, Ben Miller! Books and authors mentioned include: Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings, by Ferdowsi Part myth, part history, these epic tales contain magical …

1
The Debuts episode with Jo Browning Wroe 32:02

2y ago32:02

32:02

On this episode the team talk about some smashing debut novels, before they are joined by the critics' favourite debut writer of 2022, Jo Browning Wroe, author of A Terrible Kindness, who shares some of the background to her debut novel as well as some great writing tips. Books and authors: Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus Set in the 1960s, t…

1
The Modern Love episode with Ty Tashiro 31:21

2y ago31:21

31:21

In this episode Andrea and Annabelle investigate modern love with psychologist, relationship expert, and author, Ty Tashiro. As always, there are two fantastic novels to consider when you explore the evolution of love and relationships. Books and authors mentioned: Love Marriage, by Monica Ali Two families come together and unravel ahead of their c…

1
News from the Frontline of Literature - The Boundless Book Club 23:44

2y ago23:44

23:44

For many years, people have been talking about the decline of the book, with shorter attention spans and a general thirst for instant gratification. But we have seen reading and books make a major mainstream come-back since the start of the pandemic. So instead of interviewing an author or recommending books, today, we dive into the results of a st…

1
News from the Frontline of Literature 23:44

2y ago23:44

23:44

For many years, people have been talking about the decline of the book, with shorter attention spans and a general thirst for instant gratification. But we have seen reading and books make a major mainstream come-back since the start of the pandemic. So instead of interviewing an author or recommending books, today, we dive into the results of a st…

1
The Secrets and Lies episode with Sophie Hannah 33:14

2y ago33:14

33:14

It is a gorgeous sunny morning in Dubai, but readers know there is always darkness lurking beneath the surface. In this episode the Emirates Literature Foundation team talk about sneaky, manipulative, and secretive behaviours. Andrea and Annabelle are joined by Maham for a quick book recommendation, before internationally bestselling writer of crim…

1
The New for 2022 episode 18:43

2y ago18:43

18:43

Back for season four, Annabelle and Andrea talk about the new releases that tick all their boxes, as well as upcoming heavyweight books to which you need to be paying attention. Books and authors mentioned: Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel Moon colonies and a haunting violin. Annabelle recommends this epic Sci-Fi with a 270 page count t…

1
The Live Your Best Life episode 29:31

2+ y ago29:31

29:31

It's the end of January. We don't know how it came around so soon, but it did, and the pressure is on for that fresh slate feeling - and books are here to help. On this episode of The Boundless Book Club Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle are joined by the Emirates Literature Foundation's very own Maham Uzair to recommend four books to help you live your …

1
The Cheap Thrills episode 20:01

2+ y ago20:01

20:01

On this episode the LitFest team are talking about the books that might not get the full page erudite book reviews by venerated critics, but what they do get is a 5/5 for unputdownability. And luckily, these authors are all coming to the Emirates LItFest is February. Authors and books include: My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones Nivea S…

1
The Best Books of 2021 episode, with Annabel Kantaria, AKA Anna Kent 31:53

2+ y ago31:53

31:53

Toxic friendships, septuagenarian sleuths, solar powered robots, and talking religious cats are just a few of the topics addressed on this episode of the Boundless Book Club as Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle are joined by author Annabel Kantaria to discuss the best books published this year, before moving on to discuss Annabel's own 2021 publication u…

1
The Read the UAE episode, with Omar Ghobash 39:03

2+ y ago39:03

39:03

'My country is younger than my father' - Eman Al Yousuf In this UAE National Day special, Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle are joined by Eman Al Yousuf, author and Arabic Literature Events Executive at the Emirates Literature Foundation, and diplomat HE Omar Saif Ghobash, author of Letters to a Young Muslim. We talk about the UAE's literary scene - wher…

1
The Everyone's a Comedian episode, with Naji Bakhti 25:15

2+ y ago25:15

25:15

On this episode, Annabelle and Andrea talk about three books that have made them laugh, and then they are joined by the fabulous Woodhouse Prize 2021 nominee Naji Bakhti, author of Between Beirut And The Moon. Books and authors mentioned: Something I Said, by Ben Bailey Smith Hilarious middle grade caper following 13 year old Carmichael Taylor as h…

1
The DiwaLit episode, with Alka Joshi 30:57

2+ y ago30:57

30:57

In this episode, the Boundless Book Club celebrates Diwali with Tamreez Inam, the Emirates LitFest's head of programming, joining Andrea to talk about a few books by Indian authors. Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist, joins the conversation to talk about her book coming to Netflix, the importance of representation in the writer's room, and how …

1
The Spooky Special episode, with Silvia Moreno-Garcia 33:43

2+ y ago33:43

33:43

In this episode, Annabelle tells us all about her love of the creepy dark spooky stories and goes on a recommendation spree, before speaking with the prolific, uber cool and phenomenally gifted Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Books and authors mentioned: The Gashlycrumb Tinies, by Edward Gorey The ABC of horror, this beautiful illustrated little work of nons…

1
The Booker Prize Snub episode 15:11

2+ y ago15:11

15:11

In this episode, Andrea and Annabelle are joined by Mazen Nahawi, enthusiastic reader and Founder and CEO of media intelligence firm CARMA, here to add some intelligence to the conversation about one of the highest profile snubs this year. Sir Kazuo Ishiguro is no stranger to the Booker Prize, having won the award in 1989 for The Remains of the Day…

1
Lemn Sissay: My Name is Why 1:08:44

2+ y ago1:08:44

1:08:44

Lemn Sissay knows more than most what it takes to change the story. Until he was seventeen he didn’t even know his real name, having been brought up in a succession of foster families and care homes against his mother’s wishes. In his memoir My Name is Why, the award-winning writer and poet tells the story of his fight for justice and finding hope …

1
The Books About Books episode 37:11

3y ago37:11

37:11

In this episode, Andrea and Annabelle are joined by author Nadia Wassef who talks about her fabulous memoir Shelf Life, Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller, and the foundation’s own Dania Droubi joins the conversation about the Russian Dolls (or piñata cakes) of literature: books about books. Books and authors mentioned in this episode: The Storied Li…

1
The Short Books for a Busy Life episode 21:29

3y ago21:29

21:29

Welcome back to Season 3! In this SHORT episode, Andrea and Annabelle go on a quick pit-stop tour of five books you can read in one sitting, or in fits and starts as you go about your daily business in what feels like the busiest month of the year. Expect weird intrigue, an uncomfortable honeymoon, a look at a world without chocolate or cats, and s…

1
Fashion, Football and Feminism: Hafsa Lodi & Houriya Altaheri 56:42

3y ago56:42

56:42

For all of women’s advances in recent years, feminism remains a fraught topic and women still have to find creative ways to assert themselves in different areas. Hafsa Lodi and Houriya Altaheri, trailblazers in fashion and football respectively, discuss their careers and the recent events and ongoing trends that have affected women’s prospects. Ame…

1
Why is Everyone an Idiot?: Sherif Arafa & Thomas Erikson 1:03:23

3y ago1:03:23

1:03:23

Do you feel like you are surrounded by idiots? What is going on in the head of that one colleague you just can’t work with? How do meetings always end up over-length and off-topic? Our panel brings together two authors who have tackled these questions and more in their books on business, cross-cultural communication and the always-challenging art o…

1
Fighting the Anti-Facts Movement: Jay Jayamohan, Nafea Alyasi & Rupy Aujla 57:02

3y ago57:02

57:02

Fearmongering and disinformation are serious problems today, and the medical world, in particular, is plagued by junk science, outdated theories and highly contested data presented as fact – not to mention dangerous conspiracy theories such as the one driving the anti-vaccine movement. Our panel of medical experts takes a scalpel to the mass of con…

1
The Kids of America episode 43:37

3y ago43:37

43:37

In this episode we say happy 244th birthday to the ever youthful and dynamic United States of America. Ahlam and Andrea recommend two very different books that say something about growing up in the US, and then they are joined by American author Avni Doshi who shares her top tip for what to read this 4th July. Books and authors mentioned in this ep…

1
The Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist episode 26:17

3y ago26:17

26:17

In this episode, Andrea and Annabelle go on a quick pit-stop tour of the six novels on the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist - you can expect everything from a mystery story in an ocean-filled mansion to cautionary tales in Barbados, with a side helping of fun facts about authors, and a weird story about what watching The Exorcist 72 times does t…

1
Elif Shafak at Emirates LitFest 2021 1:03:28

3y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

Elif Shafak’s remarkable career has seen her use the power of story to bring people together. Perhaps most famous for her fiction, which includes bestsellers The Forty Rules of Love and 10 minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World, she is also the author of reflective and insightful non-fiction. Intellectual and entertaining, universal and personal,…

1
Malala Yousafzai at Emirates LitFest 2021 1:00:04

3y ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Youngest Nobel laureate and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai has never stopped advocating for girls’ right to education, despite the attempt on her life by the Taliban in 2012 in her home, Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Join the conversation with Malala, now a fresh graduate from Oxford in politics, philosophy, and economics, as she delves into her lif…

1
Amin Maalouf at Emirates LitFest 2021 55:46

3y ago55:46

55:46

Among today’s upheavals in the Middle East, a global pandemic and economic recessions, the timely release of Adrift by world-renowned scholar and bestselling author Amin Maalouf is his attempt at making sense of our world as it is today. Expertly weaving in his life story while mapping turning points in the Middle East’s geopolitics, Maalouf addres…

1
The I'm With the Band episode with Jessica Anya Blau 37:28

3y ago37:28

37:28

In this episode, Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle recommend books that have music at their heart before novelist Jessica Anya Blau stops by to chat about her latest book Mary Jane, the joy of 70s music, Keith Richards and more. You can expect a record store owner who uses music to navigate his breakups, hipster 'audio craftsmen' who are haunted by an ee…

1
The Unpopular Opinions episode 38:40

3y ago38:40

38:40

Want to win books signed by the authors? Of course you do, and all you need to do is complete this survey: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/ahCNu5 In this episode, we look at books and writers that put forward an unpopular opinion, including persuasive arguments for not becoming a mother, why you should be against empathy, and our author and editor…

1
The Access Denied episode 47:35

3y ago47:35

47:35

This episode was recorded 25 April. Since then, we have seen heart breaking parallels between one of the books we discuss in this episode and the reality facing families in Sheikh Jarrah. Our hearts go out to the families affected, and we pray for a cessation and reversal of the evictions. In this episode, Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle discuss books …

1
The And the Award for the Best Supporting Character Goes To.. episode 51:39

3y ago51:39

51:39

In this episode, as the Academy Awards have just announced their best supporting actors and actresses we found ourselves wondering who would win the Boundless Book Club trophy for best supporting character. Join Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle on a journey through some of their favourite supporting characters who definitely deserve more page time. Stay…

1
The Ramadan Reading episode with Gelong Thubten 50:26

3y ago50:26

50:26

In this episode, we look at books to read during the holy month of Ramadan. Ahlam gives us a whistle-stop tour of key facts, from fasting to the five pillars of Islam, before we speak to Buddhist Monk Gelong Thubten about all things mindfulness and meditation during Ramadan. Books and authors mentioned in this episode: Muslim Women Mystics: The Lif…

1
The This Place Will Kill You episode - with Yrsa Sigurdardóttir 35:09

3+ y ago35:09

35:09

Do you have opinions about the show? Tell us what you think, so we can do better: https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/ahCNu5 ---- In this episode, Andrea and Annabelle look at books that take their characters to some dangerous places, from the isolation of a cabin in the Arctic, to the simmering violence of an African jungle, before speaking to bestse…

1
The Fairies, Death, and the Books at the End of the Rainbow episode 35:41

3+ y ago35:41

35:41

Craic open a book with Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle as they take you on a journey through the best of Irish banter, murder, ghosts, fairies, criminal masterminds, 70s nostalgia and more, in honour of St. Patrick's Day (but worth reading every day). Sheila Maher also drops in from Dublin to recommend her top tip for a book by a fellow Irish author. B…

1
The Mad Skills episode 43:15

3+ y ago43:15

43:15

If you could magically be gifted some 'mad skills'- what would you choose? If you could talk to animals would you want to know what your tortoise is saying about you? These are just some of the intense questions that Andrea, Ahlam and Annabelle from the Emirates Literature Foundation consider with Flora Rees, Head of Programming at the Emirates Air…

1
The I'm kind of a Big Deal episode 27:21

3+ y ago27:21

27:21

No stranger to being pride of place in bookstores, there are some authors that move us as much as they move sales. Andrea, Ahlam and Annabelle from the Emirates Literature Foundation each review a book by an author who is considered 'kind of a big deal' and decide if and why they're worth the hype. Books and authors mentioned in this episode: 10 Mi…

1
The Perfect Pairing episode 32:46

3+ y ago32:46

32:46

An espresso and an early start, hot cocoa and cold weather – there are some things in life that are just a perfect match. In this episode, we discover that books are no exception, as Andrea, Ahlam and Annabelle from the Emirates Literature Foundation each select two books that are perfect companions. Side-by-side or one after the other, these are t…

1
The Best Books of the Year episode 39:29

3+ y ago39:29

39:29

Episode Description From the best books of the year, to your own personal favourites and beyond, how do you decide what books to give as gifts? In this episode Andrea and Annabelle explore the world of literary gift giving with poet and author of The Rainbow Factory Mark Fiddes, from their own go-to gifting choices, to the risks and rewards of book…

1
The Business episode 52:22

3+ y ago52:22

52:22

Talking about books that are The Business, the Emirates Literature Foundation team delves into the books you can find on the shelves of the business section of a book shop. With not one but two special guests, this episode welcomes Mimi Nicklin, author of Softening the Edge, who shares her thoughts on harnessing the power of empathy in the corporat…

1
The Stereotypes episode 37:37

3+ y ago37:37

37:37

All Emiratis are rich, the Swedes are aloof and the English are all boring. Or are they? In this episode Andrea and Annabelle are joined by Khalid Al Ameri, Emirati YouTuber and vlogger who is known for his (often hilarious) daily videos about life with his Arab-American wife Salama Mohamed, which break down cultural perceptions and stereotypes. He…

1
Booker Prize 2020: The shortlist episode 45:08

3+ y ago45:08

45:08

Every year the Booker Prize is awarded to the best original novel written in English and published in the UK. The longlist of 13 is whittled down to a shortlist of six, with much debate and discussion over who should win, who will win, and which books we are most delighted to have discovered. Ahead of the winner announcement on 19 November, Andrea,…

1
The Scary books episode 37:30

3+ y ago37:30

37:30

What was the last book that really scared you? Get a cauldron-sized pumpkin latte ready for this special Halloween episode of the Boundless Book Club where you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle talking to Jessica Jarlvi, author of psychological thrillers When I Wake Up and What Did I Do? about what scares them in real life and fiction, and the bo…

1
Booker Prize special with Avni Doshi 37:03

3+ y ago37:03

37:03

Settle in for an extra special episode of the Boundless Book Club as Ahlam and Annabelle chat to one of the six incredible authors shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for Fiction…which is essentially the Oscars for literature! Dubai-based novelist Avni Doshi joins us for an in-depth conversation about her debut, Burnt Sugar, a captivating story o…

1
The Love episode 34:03

4y ago34:03

34:03

Episode Description – Love In this episode of the Boundless Book Club from the Emirates Literature Foundation, you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle talking to Miles Buckeridge, reporter from What’s On, and a sci-fi enthusiast, a banner carrier for geekdom, and a man who believes in love being a crucial part of living your best life. Which brings…

1
The Regional Voices episode 51:28

4y ago51:28

51:28

In this episode of the Boundless Book Club from the Emirates Literature Foundation, you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle talking to Saeed Saeed, Arts and Culture features writer for The National (thenational.ae), about the voices from the Middle East that we want everyone to know about. There are so many though and this is just a small selection…

1
Boundless Book Club: The Armchair Travel episode 39:42

4y ago39:42

39:42

Episode Description In this episode of the Boundless Book Club from the Emirates Literature Foundation, you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle talking to Editor of Think With Google MENA and travel blogger Sara Hamdan, aka @holidaysinheels, about the books that are as good as a plane, train or automobile at transporting us to incredible locations.…

1
Boundless Book Club: The Hope episode 19:40

4y ago19:40

19:40

In this episode of the Boundless Book Club from the Emirates Literature Foundation, you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle talking about fiction and non-fiction books that offer hope in dark times, and which might brighten up your own bookshelf. This topic was suggested by a listener, and we do our best to please. You might be surprised by the boo…

1
Boundless Book Club: The Classics episode 26:15

4y ago26:15

26:15

Classics - it’s a section in every bookshop and on every bookshelf - but what makes a book a classic? In this episode of the Boundless Book Club from the Emirates Literature Foundation you’ll find Ahlam, Andrea and Annabelle sharing their favourite classic novels and the ones they’ve been resisting or that didn’t live up to the hype. Books and auth…

1
Inside Out special 13:43

4y ago13:43

13:43

As firm believers in the redemption and enlightenment that can be found in a book, the Emirates Literature Foundation has been working for more than two years with Dubai Penal and Correctional Institutions and Dubai Police to organise visits from Dubai-based and international authors to help inmates engage with books and the writing process. After …

1
Boundless Book Club: The Black Lives Matter episode 23:56

4y ago23:56

23:56

In Episode 7 of the Boundless Book Club we look at representation in fiction, and the reading lists inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and share three of our personal favourite books by writers of colour that take us on a journey from memoir to crime, to magic realism and beyond. The problem with a 30-minute podcast is that we always end u…

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Emirates Literature Foundation Podcasts

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