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For centuries, the written word has undergone an inexplicable process of evolution, leaving great works such as the metaphysical poetry of John Donne, the innumerable sonnets of William Shakespeare, the frequently quoted work of Dante Alighieri ‘The Divine Comedy’, Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Iliad by Homer, the historic novels of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens and the literary classics of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

For the longest time, world literature remained extremely euro-centric but the 21st century has made abundant progress in this regard and recognised works by authors such as Salman Rushdie and Shyam Selvadurai, writers from the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and South East Asia.

Given this rise to prominence, many programs have been instituted to promote and celebrate local literature. Such instances include the Galle Literary Festival organised every January in Sri Lanka and the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature which is organised with the primary goal of celebrating the rich literary traditions of the Middle East. The event is scheduled to be held from the 4th – 8th of March 2014 at the Dubai City Festival and will include discussions regarding literature, discussions with renowned authors, readings, launching of new books, a series of workshops on various literary topics and so on, thereby making it a must-visit for any fan of literature.

The event is ideal for both locals as well as tourists and if you are worried about not being able to understand Arabic: don’t be. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will be conducted in Arabic with simultaneous translations to English, thereby ensuring that both locals and foreigners alike can enjoy the event thoroughly without any linguistic issues.

The Festival has already made its call for authors to be showcased during the event, and if you are one of them, accommodation in UAE hotels must be a priority. However, if you wish to do some travelling whilst in the region, youll find that Middle East hotels are easy to book and offer customers a great degree of flexibility. One of the most reliable options is undoubtedly Millennium and Copthorne Hotels Middle East: a reputed chain of hotels that will make your stay in the region truly comfortable and luxurious.

Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday.

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