R F Kuang, the bestselling author of bestsellers Babel , Yellowface and Katabasis , has withdrawn from the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which was scheduled to take place from 21 to 27 January 2026, after the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee urged writers and artists to boycott cultural events in the United Arab Emirates.

Announcing her decision, Kuang said she would “no longer be able to travel to Dubai,” citing UAE’s alleged implication with ongoing atrocities in Sudan. Her comments were made in a public Instagram statement.

Kuang said in a public statement that she “respects organised calls for cultural boycotts against genocide from communities directly affected,” and that she would no longer travel to Dubai in light of the “mass atrocities

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