Emirati writer Nadia Najar’s The Touch of Light has made the shortlist for this year's International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
The novel delves into various aspects of the region’s past, including the history of Dubai before the discovery of oil. It features a blind narrator who uses special technology to examine the content of photographs.
Najar is an acclaimed writer, having won several local prizes, including the Sharjah Book Fair Award for Best Emirati Book, the Emirates Novel Award and Al Owais Award. Her previous works include The Exile of Memory (2014), Cities of Passion (2015) and The D Trilogy (2017). She also published a short story collection in 2022 titled Puzzle Game.
Najar is in the running for the Ipaf award alongside authors from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and, for the first time, Mauritania. The shortlisted works were revealed on Wednesday during a press conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt. The winner of the $50,000 prize will be announced on April 24 in Abu Dhabi.
“This year’s six shortlisted novels are notable for their focus on the humanity of their protagonists,” Mona Baker, chair of the 2025 judges, says.
In Danshmand, Mauritanian novelist Ahmed Fal Al Din reimagines the life of Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali. The novel portrays the famous 12th-century imam and scholar in an unprecedented relatable light, showing him tackling anxieties and conspiracies in the face of the looming threat of Frankish Crusaders.
With The Valley of the Butterflies, Iraqi writer Azher Jirjees examines developments in Baghdad over the past two decades with a novel that straddles the divide between fantasy and reality, tragedy and comedy.
The Andalusian Messiah by Syrian-Palestinian author Taissier Khalaf highlights one of the most brutal moments in Andalusian history, when Muslims were forcibly converted and interrogated by the Inquisition.
The Prayer of Anxiety by Egyptian writer Mohamed Samir Nada, meanwhile, is set in 1977 in an isolated Egyptian village where residents believe they are surrounded by a minefield. The residents don’t know much about the wider world except that a war with Israel has been raging for a decade and that their village may be the first line of defence keeping the enemy from entering Egypt.
Finally, The Women’s Charter by Lebanese writer Haneen Al-Sayegh explores the rural life in her Druze village in Mount Lebanon. It tells the story of a woman who, while trying to overcome the religious beliefs of her family, agrees to marry a wealthy Druze man so that she will be able to study at the American University in Beirut.
While the subject matter played a part in the judges’ selections, it was not the only concern, Baker says. “The novel is first and foremost an artistic construction, and narrative representation and its forms are the novelist’s means of creating worlds that can only be achieved through imagination.”
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- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
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Four stars
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