The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature which dates back to approximately 3 BCE is this week’s Arab World focus courtesy of journalist and vlogger Maán Jalal.

From Tudor scandal to aristocratic sleuths and an agoraphobe gone missing, writer, editor, and writing coach Alison K Williams chooses the three books she’d take to a desert island in this week’s episode of Castaway!

What’s in a myth? We’ve all read the Greek myths and studied them in school but what sets this particular retelling apart? We look at Stephen Fry’s latest book, Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece.

How far is a hero defined by the world they defend? How does the horror genre work in graphic novel form versus a traditional novel? In this episodewe are joined by arts journalist and book vlogger Maán Jalal and the Co-Founder of Comic Con Arafaat Ali Khan to answer these questions and talk about what we’re most looking forward to at the #DubaiLitFest Locke and Key session collaboration.

It’s all about film this week. The Beastmistress of the Seven Kingdoms AKA Animal Trainer for Game of Thrones and beyond, Julie Tottman, is in the spotlight alongside filmmakers Ali F Mostafa, Neel Kumar, and Muzna Al Musafir.

What do I get the bookworm in my life for Valentine’s Day? Stuck for ideas, we’ve got you covered. Got something but it wasn’t quite right? We can help. Could you not care less about Valentines Day? You can treat yourself to our ideas anyway.

This week during our Arab World segment we’re joined by Hani Yakan who gives us bitesize reviews of two bestselling Arab novels – La Scala by Nor Abdulmajeed and The Sultan’s Seal by Youssef Yakha.

Bestselling crime writer Peter James is with us during our castaway segment to discuss which three books he would take with him if he became stranded on a deserted island, and tells us about the real-life villains that have inspired the ones in his books.

We take a trip down memory lane and look at the enduring joy left by TV Children’s Classic Playschoolstarring Baroness Floella Benjamin, and The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. Louise Edensor who teaches Children’s Literature at Middlesex University Dubai shares her thoughts on these classics as well as two brand new picture books: The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse by Jon Klassenand Leafy the Pet Leaf by Philip Ardagh and Elissa Elwick.