Sponsors, Partners & Speakers

Special thanks goes out to all our partners and sponsors. We couldn’t achieve this event without the support of our funding institutions, the valuable contributions of our partners.

Our Sponsors

• Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
• Edinburgh University Press
• The Alwaleed Centre
• Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW)
• Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education
• John Murray Learning
• Maqbools
• Bloomsbury
• Year of Food and Drink Scotland 2015
• BEMIS

Our Partners

• Bloomsbury
• Edinburgh Global
• Pilton Community Health Project
• Comma Press
• Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education
• Centre for Middle Eastern Plants
• The University of Exeter
• Banipal magazine
• The Centre for Research Collections

Our Media Partners

• BBC Arabic Radio (Xtra)
• Al Jazeera Documentary Channel
• Al Jazeera Live

Our Speakers

Academics & Keynote Speakers

• Prof. Charlie Jeffery, Senior Vice Principal and Professor of Politics, University of Edinburgh

• Mr Leslie McLoughlin, Former HM The Queen Interpreter & Honorary Research Fellow

• Prof. Salim T S Al-Hassani , President, Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation

• Dr Christina Phillips, University of Exeter

• Dr Sophie Richter-Devroe, University of Exeter

• Dr. Emily Selove, University of Exeter

• Dr. Helen Blatherwick, SOAS, University of London

• Dr. Peter Phillips, SOAS, University of London

• Dr. Tareq al-Rubei, SOAS, University of London

• Dr Richard Todd, Lecturer, University of Edinburgh

• Mr. Sohaib Saeed, Academic & Director of Quranica

• Ms. Margaret Obank, Banipal Magazine

Poets & Authors

• Iyad Hayatleh, Palestinian Poet

• Christine De Luca, Scottish Poet and Novelist

• Ghazi Gheblawi, Libyan Author

• Mo Mesrati, Libyan Author

• Atef Abu Saif, Palestinian Author

Calligraphers & Artists

• Dr. Elaine M. Goodwin, Artist in Mosaic, Author and Traveller

• Mohamed Abaoubida, Moroccan Artist & Calligrapher

• Joe Spiller, Photographer

• Jawdat Kadhim, Master Iraqi Calligrapher

• Azim Rehmatdin, Calligrapher

• Asim Khogeer, Calligrapher

• Camille Nehme, Lebanese Musician

Language Teachers & Professionals

• Abla Oudeh, Teaching Fellow & Translator, University of Edinburgh

• Phil Hermina, Teaching Fellow, University of Edinburgh

• Safaa Radoan, Lecturer, Al-Maktoum College

• Zakaria Berrada, Teaching Fellow & Translator, University of Edinburgh