Saturday, 14 February:  Packed programme offers high stakes fashion, murder and global leadership

Saturday marked the penultimate day of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which featured a robust selection of sessions for fans (young AND old) of fiction and non-fiction! 

House of Gucci author Sara Gay Forden discussed the infamous family behind her bestselling non-fiction biography of the brand, covering generations of the Guccio family and the evolution of the Italian fashion industry. She also and shared her feelings on the recent film starring Lady Gaga. 

TV hosts and cooking experts Dr Rupy Aujla and Zahra Abdalla discussed how they each approach cooking traditional dishes without swapping ingredients and the power of communal eating.

Acclaimed bestselling crime author Mark Billingham regaled his audience with stories of where his inspiration comes from for his plots, characters and novels, and in particular his latest locked room murder mystery, Rabbit Hole.  

In a sold-out session Pragya Agarwal discussed the science in her latest book Sway, and how biases can affect our lives and the technology we use daily. 

Former diplomat and expert on Saudi Arabia David Rundell shared his thoughts on the country’s trajectory; its history as well as what the future might hold. 

Comedian, writer, rapper and actor Ben Bailey Smith dazzled his young audience with flair, sharing an excerpt from his book, Something I Said. 

This evening sees former PepsiCo CEO and chairman Indra Nooyi take to the stage to discuss her career in another sold out session in the stunning Habtoor Ballroom.  

Adding chills to the thrills, acclaimed horror author Stephen Graham Jones brings all the ingredients of a good horror story to the LitFest.  

Coming Up Tomorrow...

Indra Nooyi will be in conversation with HE Reem Al Hashimy at EXPO 2020 as they talk about what role women can play in global leadership. 

Bridgerton creator Julia Quinn will be in the spotlight as she talks about her bestselling series of books which inspired the popular Netflix series. 

The Doctor's Kitchen opens its doors as Dr. Rupy Aujla talks about tackling health issues through nutrition and which ingredients might be most effective.

Astronauts Nicole Stott, Hazza Almansoori, and Sultan Alneyadi will come together to talk about their experiences in space in an out-of-this-world session! 

Bestselling author superstar David Baldacci will make his Emirates LitFest debut as he talks about his work to day – more than 40 bestselling novels - and the inspiration for his books and characters! 

Chernobyl 1986 author Serhii Plokhy will discuss nuclear power and its potential as a source of green energy, as well as what we can learn from history, particularly the Cuban missile crisis.