The second day of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature hosted a wide range of inspirational talks from some of the most influential people of our time, from doctors to activists via some of the children’s favourites.

Highlights of the day included ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ children’s author and illustrator, Jeff Kinney, meeting some of his biggest fans as they discovered why wimpy hero Greg Heffley has become so popular and how Jeff creates the jokes in the stories.

Leadership expert Sally Helgeson discussed her book ‘How Women Rise’, which identified the 12 habits that hold women back as well as advising women on seeking advancement in their careers.

Finally, the winner of the Montegrappa Writing Prize, the prestigious competition to discover unpublished novelists was announced. This year’s first place went to Polly Phillips, a former journalist in the UK who is now a corporate communications consultant in Dubai. The novel, ‘Keep Your Friends Close’, is a domestic noir which looks at the nature of competition between women, focusing on a friendship that is inherently destructive, with a secret burning away at its core.

Finally, the day finished off with a screening of the 2014 biographical romantic drama ‘The Theory of Everything, accompanied by a Q&A from Dr. Jane Hawking, wife of the late Stephen Hawking, answering everyone’s burning questions.