The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2025

“The exchange has been open, inspiring, and full of urgent discussions that matter. It’s a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our network, share resources—and maybe even borrow a few brilliant ideas!”

Lavinia Frey, Berlin International Literature Festival, Germany.

“Creating space for genuine international knowledge exchange and sharing is incredibly valuable and appreciated enormously by everyone in the extended family of GAOLF festivals. The discussions have been enriching, informative and inspiring and the community the platform engenders will sustain us and spark many a collaboration in the years to come.”

Jenny Niven, Edinburgh International Book Festival

“It has been a wonderful opportunity to share experiences, challenges and ideas with festivals from around the world. Connecting with so many people with a similar love and passion for books has been invigorating and inspiring and I hope the beginning of many collaborations.”

Julianne Mooney Siron, Dublin Book Festival, Ireland.

"The spirit of collaboration, the generosity of knowledge and experience, and the shared learnings have been truly inspiring. Although in quite different contexts, and with different considerations and constraints — we are navigating many of the same challenges. It has been invaluable to come together and discuss these insights, solutions, and aspirations for the future of our literary festivals. I feel deeply energised by the connections made and the wealth of ideas shared."

Jennifer Ball, Franschhoek Literary Festival, South Africa

“Attending GAOLF in Dubai this year has been an extraordinary and transformative experience. From sharing common challenges and unique opportunities, to building new friendships with fellow festival directors from around the world, I am leaving Dubai more deeply and authentically connected to the global literary festival community and enthused about the partnerships and collaborations that will flow from my conference attendance.”

Veronica Sullivan, Festival Director, Melbourne Writers Festival.

“The conference brought literary festivals directors from all over the world together for two highly focussed / concentrated and inspiring days among likeminded professionals. It was a rare opportunity to be among fellow passionate people who are committed to celebrate literature and at the same time this gathering gave an insight into the local and global challenges that we are all facing while working behind the scenes. This all in a generous and hospitable environment of mutual respect: if the whole world be an ongoing permanent literary festival, it would be a much better and nicer place.”

Willemijn Lamp Read My World, Amsterdam

“These days, it often seems like an increasingly dark and difficult world for the arts, but here in Dubai I am filled with hope about what we can accomplish not only in our specific communities but as a collective committed to uplifting and centering literature and storytelling as essential to a civic society — anywhere and everywhere.”

Amanda Bullock, Portland Book Festival, Oregon, USA

“To meet and share with such a wonderful range of global colleagues was an incredible experience.”

Fiona Razvi, Wimbledon Book Fest, UK

“The GAOLF conference this year was such an inspiring and valuable chance to problem solve, share experiences and challenges and meet an incredible group of Festival directors from all over the world – I have made new friends and lasting connections and will return home with renewed energy!”

Nicola Tuxworth, Cheltenham Literature Festival, UK

The 2025 GAoLF conference was enriching and stimulating. The hosts from Emirates Lit Fest created the perfect space for literature festival directors from all over the world to share ideas, best practices, and challenges with honesty and openness. This space and community is vital to have those important conversations. Literature festivals constitute a place for book lovers to reunite, to dialogue and to engage with ideas, and I think GAoLF is a way to ensure the continuity of these wonderful gatherings, strengthening the literary community overall.”

Daniela Ini, Filba Internacional, Buenos Aires, Argentina

“Huge thanks again for having me recently for such a wonderful and productive trip to Dubai. It was all so beautifully organised and energising.”

Ted Hodkinson, London Literature Festival (Southbank), UK

“This is my second time at the Global Association of Literary Festivals Conference in Dubai. As it is held at “festival city” it is very apt to bring all the curators of the international festivals to this venue, to share the knowledge and demonstrate how to curate a conference well.”

Nermin Mollaglu, ITEF, Istanbul, Turkey.