Sharjah Art Foundation's Focal Point opens on Wednesday, December 16, with independent art books and magazines available just in time for holiday shopping (or literary stockpiling). This is the third edition of the popular fair, a place to pick up hard-to-find publications by artists, scholars, and writers from the Global South.
More than 80 artists and publishers have shipped books and magazines to Sharjah, where they will be at stalls organised by the foundation for the four-day event. This year, the fair takes place outside in the large courtyard of Bait Al Shamsi and is slightly scaled back due to safety concerns over the coronavirus, with no publishers present in person and less live programming. In the past, related events have include a lecture-performance with Berlin's Fehras Publishing Practices and a symposium put together with Asia Art Archive.
The focus for this year is on books, magazines and zines from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, with a number of small print-run Arab titles including the magazine Khaleejesque; publications from Sudan's Dabanga Gallery; and the Kayfa Ta book series from Amman and Cairo. Local galleries and institutions are also pitching up, with sellers including the Africa Institute, Art Jameel, the Emirates Fine Arts Society and Warehouse421.
Sharjah Art Foundation is selling some of its recent publications, such as Corniche, a Focal Point project that has grown into an annual anthology of work by UAE comic artists. There is also the catalogue Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist, including a new scholarship on the Emirati artist. Contributors to Corniche will be available for book signing at the fair.
Our top five picks
The indie comic magazine TokTok, which started up again after closing in 2016. The brainchild of five Egyptian artists, the publication takes its inspiration from the toktok, or small street taxi, that winds its way through Cairo, transporting passengers from all different backgrounds.
In the newly released LIFTA: Future Palestine, the Mexico City publisher LIFTA Volumes has put together what it calls a "book of exercises and experiments". Poems, blueprints, stories, essays, conversations, sketches and photographs discuss what it is to be Palestinian today, touching on notions of exile and return, science-fiction, memory, nationhood, and political rhetoric.
Regular publishers at Focal Point, Chimurenga from South Africa and Afterall from London have collaborated on the new book FESTAC '77: The 2nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture. Part of Afterall's highly regarded Exhibition Histories series, in which the publisher rethinks art history through the prism of exhibitions, the book looks at the 1977 Lagos festival that was the culmination of years of pan-Africanist culture and politics. It also forms part of the co-publisher's Chimurenga Library series.
The booth that sells Funambulist, a magazine devoted to anticolonial, antiracist, and feminist struggles, sold out on the first day last year, so get to their section early. The cult magazine comes out in print every two months, with articles looking at the Haitian revolution, performance in North Africa and the genealogy of jerk chicken. The stall will have the latest issue, focused on the pan-African political project, as well as back titles for sale.
Finally, Sharjah Art Foundation's monograph series pays tribute to Palestinian artist Abdul Hay Mosallam Zarara, who died in August, leaving behind a career devoted to Palestinian culture and struggle. Jordanian artist Ala Younis, who worked with him in Amman, has edited the book Abdul Hay Mosallam Zarara, devoted to his life and work; it also includes English translations of his memoirs and press clippings.
Focal Point runs from Wednesday, December 16 to Saturday, December 19, from 4pm to 10pm until Friday, and from 2pm to 10pm on Saturday. Tickets must be booked in advance
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More about Middle East geopolitics
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Political flags or banners
-
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
