Dubai Business Scion-Turned-Author to speak at Emirates Literature Festival

• Kiran Chhabria is the Director of Jumbo Group, and author of Kitty in the City - a fictional story about a billionaire heiress in Dubai, navigating through men, calories and Sheikh Zayed Road
• Speaking sessions: 6:30pm – 7:30pm on Thursday 10 March 2016 Kitty in the City,10:00am -11:00am on Friday 11 March, Beating Burnout: Taking Back Control of Your Working Life, at InterContinental Events Centre, Dubai Festival City

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 21 February 2016: Following the successful launch of her romance novel ‘Kitty in the City’ last year, Dubai-based fashion icon, popular columnist and director of the Jumbo Group Kiran Chhabria has been invited to speak at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature this March. Book lovers can look forward to an animated discussion about her first novel from 6:30pm – 7:30pm on Thursday, 10 March in her session ‘Kitty in the City’. In a separate session from 10:00am – 11:00am on Friday, 11 March, Kiran will also discuss leadership and productivity, being a business leader, and how she manages work and her passion for writing in ‘Beating Burnout: Taking Back Control of Your Working Life’. Both sessions will be followed by book signings.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word. The 2016 Festival will be held from 1-12 March 2016 at various locations including the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.”

“It is the goal of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature to welcome authors from far and near to the largest celebration of the written and spoken word in the Middle East. Kiran Chabbria, having grown up in Dubai, and been educated internationally, understands so much about life in this part of the world. It is a pleasure to welcome Kiran to our 2016 author line up with her debut novel in which fact and fiction seamlessly intertwine”, said Isobel Abulhoul, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Festival Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.

“I am honoured to be a part of the most prestigious literary festival in the region and look forward to exchanging ideas and engaging in some animated discussions with book lovers and authors from around the world,” said Kiran Chhabria.

Kiran’s book, ‘Kitty in the City’, is a fictional story about billionaire heiress Kiki Chawla, a 35-year-old single woman in Dubai, navigating through men, calories and Sheikh Zayed Road.

“This has been a realisation of my biggest dream, and its success, mostly through word of mouth, has been heartening. I have been getting fan mail from across the world and, to my delight, recently spotted Kitty in the bestsellers section of a Dubai bookstore,” added Kiran.

Her success extends to Instagram, where Kiran’s account @HowSheSpendsIt has become quite successful in a short span of time. She explains, “HowSheSpendsIt isn’t just about shopping. It embodies the belief – spend your time with those who matter, your energy on what builds your soul and your money on only the utterly fabulous! It is also a collection of things and places to enjoy, and a place to showcase some of my fashion choices. I find there are very few curvy girls who do this, and do it well.”

As the Director of Jumbo Electronics and a former Non-Executive Director at Shaw Wallace, Kiran Chhabria is well-known among business circles in the UAE and India. Despite her business background, her passion for writing was apparent from her early childhood. Kiran has also contributed extensively to leading publications in the UAE as a popular columnist. Her blog Kiran’s Corner, which ran for three years, had a strong fan base until Kiran retired it to work on her first novel.