The International Literary Festival Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which is currently taking place at Festival City in Dubai, brings together a plethora of writers and literary figures from around the world to present their literary works and discuss various themes. The festival unites creativity and intellect, serving as an important platform for interaction between writers and the public, as well as an opportunity to highlight both Arabic and world literature simultaneously.
Author and novelist from Iraq Khuraira An-Nadavi expressed her joy in relation to her debut novel "Under the Sky of Copenhagen," which was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2012, making her one of the youngest writers to achieve this honor at that time. She noted that her experience in writing was significantly influenced by her multicultural upbringing and education in Denmark, where she studied the Arabic language at home, which allowed her to express herself uniquely in Arabic.
An-Nadavi also mentioned her other literary works, such as the novel "Podelennaia," translated from Danish, and her concurrent book about the tales of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. She emphasized her commitment to the continuation of themes of identity, including her new project "Chaos of Identities," which considers 12 perspectives on individuals transitioning between Iraq and Denmark, focusing on the development of identity and the formation of self in various contexts.
Answering a question about marketing books in the digital age, she noted that in today's time, it has become easier for every writer to promote their work personally through social media platforms, however, the main factor for literary success remains serious writing and regular reading. She strongly underscored the importance of young writers striving to develop their literary projects, rather than being solely preoccupied with marketing.
