We speak to former private secretary to Nelson Mandela and founding staff member of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Zelda La Grange. She is the author of Good Morning, MrMandela which became a bestseller in South Africa and has been translated into ten languages. The award-winning politician serves as the Patron for the First for Women Foundation, non-executive Director of the non-profit organisation Healing Hands and annually acts as a co-ordinator of Bikers for Mandela Day.

With the competition closing on the 18th January, Charles Nahhas, Montegrappa distributor for the Middle East talks about the exciting prize up for grabs for the winner of the Montegrappa Writing Prize this year, plus his top tips for choosing what to go and see at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2019.

With everyone making New Year's resolutions, we thought now would be the perfect time to talk about transformation and change on Talking of Books. We look at Festival books War Gardens by award-winning freelance photojournalist, writer and filmmaker Lalage Snow as well as Butterfly on a Pin by Australian fashion designer Alannah Hill, with Festival Director Ahlam Bolooki and bookworms Lisa Calvert and Samantha Bays.

What are the stories told by the food on our plates, and how can food bring people together? We spoke to Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales, a cookbook and anecdotal history of Abu Dhabi, and Mohammed and Peyman Parham Al Awadhi who are founders of Emirati born restaurant Wild Peeta and the presenters of the award-winning show Peeta Planet, about this idea ahead of the United by Food dinner event they’re collaborating on at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

Founder of Dubai Literary Salon and award-winning short story writer, Hananah Zaheer, talks about the impact that short fiction can have over longer pieces and recommended some of her favourite short story collections.

We spoke to Kate Young, London-based food writer and cook who is the author of The Little Library Cookbook which is a collection of 100 delicious recipes inspired by her favourite books and characters.

A song in honour of inspiring women everywhere, past, present and future, including those speaking and being spoken about at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature this year.

Costa Debate is still open so if you’re up for answering the question Fact or Fiction, write 300 words and you could be winning a years supply of coffee and 10,000AED with dnata to travel the world. If you’re feeling dramatic, take part in the nine weeks playwriting course with renowned playwright Alex Broun.

Co-host Eithne Treanor gives her book recommendations that you should be reading ahead of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in March as well as some sessions that you should plan on getting tickets for.

Former White House Director of Communications, Director of Communications for the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign, and 2019 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature author Jennifer Palmieri is the focus on the Bookshelf today. Her book Dear Madam President, is an open letter to the women who will one day rule the world (and not just presidents). Filled with forward-thinking advice for all women who are determined to seize control of their lives from boardroom to living room, former journalist and media & communications specialist Eithne Treanor tells us all about it.