Readers are accustomed to waiting a year or so for follow-ups to their favourite books. An engaged audience and pushy publishers create demand for the latest story in a series to hit shelves as soon as possible. Wait too long and publishers may miss the boat.
Yet not all authors succumb to such pressure. Some wait years to update fans of their protagonists' stories, and even decades before deciding to revive their characters and fantasy worlds. And beloved British children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson is the latest writer to release a very long-awaited sequel. This week, Think Again hit shelves and download services, the novel updating fans on the grown-up lives of the characters from her Girls series.
The original series features Ellie, Nadine and Magda, teenage friends navigating school, family life and early love. Think Again follows Girls in Love (1997), Girls Under Pressure (1998), Girls Out Late (1999) and Girls in Tears (2002), making for a 22-year gap between the latest two books. Her new book will update fans on their lives in their forties.
Wilson isn't the only author to revive their books years and even decades after they first hit the scene. Here are seven more.
JRR Tolkien: 17 years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Published in 1937, Tolkien's first novel introduced readers to a fantasy world of mythical creatures and heroic quests. The story follows the tale of hobbit Bilbo Baggins's journey through Middle Earth, accompanied by dwarfs, elves and, of course, wizards in the form of Gandalf the Grey.
Originally intended for children, The Hobbit was – and still is – loved by all generations. The fantasy novel was met with critical acclaim by contemporaries and remains one of the bestselling books of all time. Yet arguably, it was his follow-up book that overtook The Hobbit's fame – even if it took the British author a further 17 years before The Lord of the Rings was ready. By 2021, the original book had sold 100 million copies, and the much-delayed follow-up had sold 150 million.
The Lord of the Rings was published in 1954, with the trilogy of the Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King being published as one book, and became one of the biggest book and film franchises of all time.
Philip Pullman: 17 years between The Amber Spyglass and La Belle Sauvage
Between 1995 and 2000, Philip Pullman had readers hooked with the trilogy His Dark Materials – Northern Lights (published as The Golden Compass in the US), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. In 2017, he revived the series with La Belle Sauvage. However, it is set 12 years before the original stories and Lyra Belacqua is only six months old.
It was expected to be the first of a new trilogy by the British novelist named The Book of Dust, and the first in the series follows the tale of Malcolm Polstead, 11, and Alice Parslow, 15, finding themselves in an alternative universe. The novel received positive reviews, with critics noting it was worth the wait.
John Updike: 24 years between The Witches of Eastwick and The Widows of Eastwick
A paranormal novel released in 1984, The Witches of Eastwick tells the story of three witches – Alexandra Spofford, Jane Smart and Sukie Rougemont – coming together after their marriages end, only for their coven to be disrupted as an out-of-towner buys a local neglected house.
The novel was later adapted into a film, TV series and even a musical. The idea came to the American author to follow up with his core characters later in life decades later, with The Widows of Eastwick released in 2008.
Marian Keyes: 25 years between Rachel’s Holiday and Again, Rachel
Irish novelist Marian Keyes has a way of walking readers through serious subject matters in a deceivingly approachable manner. Her characters simultaneously deal with life-changing events, from mental illness to divorce, and ponder on the everyday dramas of love, family life, careers, money and more.
And Rachel's Holiday is no exception, as the 1997 book walks readers through the twists and turns of Rachel Walsh's experience in rehab, as her family brings her from New York back to Ireland to clean up her act.
Like authors before her, Keyes likewise itched to revisit one of her most beloved characters – and family characters, as Rachel is just one of five Walsh sisters whose stories Keyes has told – with Again, Rachel in 2022. The book picks up 20 years later, updating fans on how she's fared in the decades after rehab.
Joseph Heller: 33 years between Catch-22 and Closing Time
The satirical war novel set in the 1940s is often cited as one of the greatest of the 20th century, dissected in schools and by literary scholars. Published in 1961, Joseph Heller – who served in the US Army Air Corps during the Second World War – tells the story of Captain John Yossarian. Non-linear and told from different perspectives, the novel centres on Yossarian as the story's antihero, as he tries to repeatedly find ways to escape the war.
Following on from its enormous success, Heller released Closing Time in 1994. The dual-narrative sequel revisits some of the first's characters including Yossarian, Milo Minderbinder and Chaplain Tappman in later life.
Margaret Atwood: 34 years between The Testaments and The Handmaid’s Tale
The Canadian author unleashed her dystopian novel on to the world in 1985, giving critics and readers plenty to talk about. The Handmaid's Tale explores social and political themes, and shines a light on extremist views on women's role in society.
A phenomenal success, the book was awarded numerous acclaims, including the 1985 Governor General's Award and the first Arthur C Clarke Award in 1987. In 2019, Margaret Atwood picked up where she left off, penning The Testaments. Set 15 years after the first, it is narrated by a character from the previous story, Aunt Lydia.
The Testaments became 2019's joint winner of the Booker Prize – an award the original book in the series was nominated for in 1986.
Harper Lee: 55 years between To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman
Published in 1960, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most famous and well-read modern classics, again being a classroom favourite in the western world. The novel deals with themes of racial inequality, abuse and criminal justice as readers follow a court case against a black man, Tom Robinson. He is accused of sexually assaulting a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The story is told through Jean Louise Finch's eyes, the young daughter of Robinson's lawyer, Atticus Finch.
The book won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and remains a bookshelf regular. More than 50 years later, Lee released Go Set a Watchman, which was written before Mockingbird. The book dives into the life of Jean as a twenty-something woman and deals with similar themes of race and disillusionment.
Promoted as a sequel by the publisher, and set in a timeline after Mockingbird, it was speculated by critics post-publication if the novel by then 89-year-old Lee was an early draft of her groundbreaking first book.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
The%20specs
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Company%20Profile
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
The%20specs
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Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
