• Alexander McCall Smith

  

  The British author has more than 100 books, including the award-winning “The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series, which has sold in excess of 20 million copies in the English language alone.

• Jeffrey Archer

  

  The author has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of more than 275 million copies in 97 countries. His latest novel “Next in Line” was published in September.

• Lisa Ray

  

  The Bengali-Polish actress and writer was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer in 2009, and publicly shared her experiences in her debut memoir, “Close to the Bone.”

• Mohsin Hamid

  

  Mohsin Hamid is the author of the international bestsellers “Exit West” and “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” both finalists for the Man Booker Prize.

• Hala Kazim

  

  The Emirati author and founder of Journey Through Change published her first book “Hala and Change” in early 2015, and her second “Hala and Life” in 2017.

• Rawda Al-Haj 

  

  Rawda Al-Haj is the first Sudanese poet whose poems were included as part of the Arabic Language Education curriculum in Sudan and other Arab countries.