The ‘Spotlight on Emirati talent’ day, Thursday, includes a discussion between Hala Badri and Major General Mohammed Ahmad Al Marri on the UAE’s ‘Cultural Visa’ for creatives. Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi will speak as part of a session about the future of the Arabic language.

The invitation-only official ceremony will feature festival favourite Afra Atiq performing a poem about the wonder of storytelling.

Booker Prize shortlisted Avni Doshi will be in conversation with award-winning Derek Owusu, comparing notes on debuts, making the awards lists, their writing journeys and more.

Other highlights include Oyinkan Braithwaite with her smash-hit novel My Sister the Serial Killer, self-confessed ‘romcomisseur” Bolu Babalola breathing new life into mythical love stories, and Immanuel Kim, the translator of Friend by Paek Nam-nyong, with insights into North Korean literature and cinema. There’s also Satyarth Nayak celebrating the phenomenon of Bollywood star Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess, Edward Brooke-Hitching taking us on a tour of The Madman’s Library, and Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai, the Co-founder and Chairman of the Malala Fund that champions girls’ rights to education all over the world.

Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon Jay Jayamohan, star of the BBC’s fly-on-the-wall series, Brain Doctors and Children’s Craniofacial Surgery will join medical expert Nafea Alyasi and Dr Rupy Aujla, author of Eat to Beat Illness on a panel debunking the misinformation surrounding topics from fad diets to the coronavirus outbreak. The route to wellness and good mental health will be examined by Heather Grace.

The conservation of the UAE’s wildlife is on the agenda in a fascinating panel discussing the plants and animals that make the mangroves, reefs and deserts of the UAE their home. Join Major Ali Al Suwaidi, president of the Emirates Marine Environmental Group and ‘the UAE’s last pearl diver’ and marine heritage expert Johannes Els, who will tell us about the steps being taken to conserve our natural world.

Victoria Montgomery Brown will discuss the lessons from her book, the Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur with Afra Atiq, while Andy Fieldhouse will explain how to build more effective teams in his workshop and join a panel with Mimi Nicklin on empathetic cooperative workplaces.

Hisham El Kheshen and Mounir Al Hayek take part in an absorbing examination of the connection between the self and place, while Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin and Huda Hamed discuss how to find the balance between strength and weakness in their novels.

Other international names in the packed programme are Kuwaiti author Taleb Alrefai, and Egyptian writer Walaa Kamal who shares the story of his time on the road with a famous Egyptian band in My Days with Cairokee. There will also be poetry performances from Amal Al Sahlawi, Shamma Al Bastaki, Kareem Maatouq and Alia Al Shamsi.

The children’s programme features interactive sessions and workshops including lots of science questions asked – and answered – by award-winning scientist Isabel Thomas. There are also festival favourite Julia Johnson, Maitha Al Khayat and Ameera BuKadra with a modern twist on traditional Emirati folktales, and storybook fun for younger ones with Ebtisam Al-Beiti.

The festival is introducing a new feature, the LitFest Launchpad, giving UAE-based authors a chance to launch their latest book to festival audiences.

The winner of the Emirates LitFest Writing Prize will be revealed, and as always there will be creative writing workshops and chats and advice from industry professionals such as publisher Allison K Williams, author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book.

The festival’s big weekend follows last week’s opening at Jameel Arts Centre. The festival draws to a close with more events at Alserkal Avenue (February 12 to 13).

Due to social distancing, there are fewer tickets available. Tickets will be required for each event, including free sessions, to ensure visitor numbers are restricted.

Ticket prices start at Dh60 for adult sessions, Dh40 for children’s sessions, and Dh100 for a digital pass to watch live-streamed sessions from home. A minimum of 10 top sessions will be streamed live from the big Festival weekend at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City.

The Festival will be “fully compliant” with all COVID-19 prevention regulations and guidelines from the Dubai Health Authorities, including social distancing measures across all three venues and mandatory masks.