How Emirates Literature Festival Engages Young Readers
A bookstore display Emirates Literature Festival at InterContinental Dubai Festival city
As social media reshapes reading habits in the younger generation, the Emirates Literature Festival brings online conversations to the physical stage, meeting young audiences where they are.
The 18th edition of the Emirates Literature Festival (LitFest) took place at Intercontinental Dubai Festival City on January 21-27. The festival will feature approximately 200 speakers from 40 nationalities in author conversations, interactive sessions, workshops, performances, and games.
Since its start in 2009, LitFest has grown into one of the largest literary festivals in the Arab region attracting a diverse and multicultural audience. 21-year old magazine intern working at the festival, Nia, observed how the experience challenges assumptions about young readers, a group sometimes assumed to be disengaged from reading and literary events. “Do people even read anymore? Are they interested?” She said, “but honestly, there are so many people interested. Like, working with the magazine, I’ve noticed that people actually do want to read, do want to see. So it’s just giving it a shot and, like, checking it out that I think is amazing.”
Nivea Serrao, English Programme Manager at the Emirates Literature Foundation, said in an interview, “We pay attention to who people are talking about on BookTok, on Instagram, all these places, who our book club is very excited about, and then when we invite them. That’s who we’re trying to invite to the festival.”
This approach in selecting guests reflects how literary festivals are responding to younger audiences, whose reading habits are increasingly shaped by social media and online reading communities. The festival guest line up blends established literary figures, with writers and creatives whose work extends to popular digital spaces. One of the guest speakers is author Curtis Jobling, whose series Wereworld was adapted into a Netflix series. Also on the programme is author Ruth Ware, whose Woman in Cabin 10 was recently adapted into a Netflix movie.
Serrao remarked, that while they consider social media trends, it’s not the main criteria for inviting guests, “I’ve suggested so many authors who don’t necessarily have huge social media followings for our festival, because their book is good. Like, at the end of the day, it’s also about the quality of the book and the book you’re producing.”
The festival engages a wider range of audience by catering to various interests in different fields including journalism, education, food, music, and social media. Among the guests is MC Grammar, a rapper and global ambassador for world book day invited for a family activities event. Exploring the intersection between food and storytelling, Asma Khan is a restaurateur and cookbook author hosting an event titled ‘Business Breakfast: Beyond Profit.’ Paralympic swimmer Jessica Smith is joining in a ‘Walk for Inclusion’ around the creek as part of the LitFest.
“What we’ve seen is when an author speaks to their own audience on social media, that audience shows up because there’s a reason they’re following them.” Serrao noted, highlighting the impact of digital trends on physical attendance, “They want to hear from them. They’re usually engaged about their book, or they want to know more.”
Beyond the stage, the festival’s entertainment encourages attendees to extend their visit, alongside talks and panels the festival features food trucks, live music, a bookstore, and evening events during LitFest after hours such as workshops, game nights, including Dungeon & Dragons sessions, positioning the festival into a social event rather than a single-purpose literary experience. Serrao said, “ it’s a whole cycle, right? Like they see [the festival], they think, oh, yeah, I want to be a part of that. That looks fun. And they come, they become readers.”
Working at the festival Nia noticed the interest first-hand from both guests and visitors, “There are authors here. You can get your book signed if you buy one. I was like, oh my god, okay, that is so cool.” She noted, “They’re like, oh, I’m just a beginner writer. I’m just trying this. I’m doing this. So there’s so many that show their passion here and all. And they’re so young, too. I’ve met, like, 18, 19 year olds.”
Further embracing the digital culture, Serrao said, “we actually have panels and talks at our festival, and other conferences and events we have that is geared towards specifically authors and creatives about how they can harness and leverage social media to grow their audiences, but also how they can be aware of that kind of in terms of managing their personal stuff out there…”
In an increasingly digital world, Emirates LitFest continues to adapt to changing reading habits in a social media oriented audience, showcasing how literary events remain relevant in sharing and discovering stories.
