Hay Festival to welcome 100 writers in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - Hay Festival in Abu Dhabi highlights the global experience of tolerance and coexistence: Minister.

Nearly 100 writers, artists, musicians, Booker Prize winners and Nobel Laureates are set to take part in the Hay Festival in Abu Dhabi next week to exchange new ideas on culture and the arts.

Taking place from February 25-28 at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island - among other festival venues - the Hay Festival will see artists and writers from 20 countries converge under one umbrella.

Launched for the first time in the region, the festival will serve as an intellectual bridge between various cultures, creators and the general public via 112 diverse events for the UAE community, as well as special programmes for school and university students.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, said that the hosting of the Hay Festival in Abu Dhabi highlights the "global experience of tolerance and coexistence".

He continued: "The Hay Festival is one of the most important cultural events in the world, as it adopts pluralism of thought and opinion. It is a wonderful platform for dialogue on various ideas and visions based on tolerance and respect for differences."

Spread across four days, Hay Festival Abu Dhabi will see 112 events being carried out in cooperation with 22 local and international institutions, Sheikh Nahyan explained.

The festival will also see the carrying out of a special "Programme for Schools", where over 5,000 students from across 75 public and private schools will participate. The programme seeks to bring literature to life, encouraging students of all ages to enjoy reading, and explore new ideas via live performances, workshops and storytelling in Arabic and English. - Wam

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi