The longest Abu Dhabi International Book Fair yet will soon be under way, as it returns to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The annual event has been extended and will run from April 26 to May 5.
Booksellers, publishers and authors from around the world will be attending, participating in seminars and presenting the latest titles across several genres. However, classic literature from the Gulf will also be showcased. The event offers a good opportunity to discover gems written by regional authors in the 20th century, as books often reflect the profound social changes that swept the countries in the Gulf around the time of the oil boom.
For example, there's Shajan Bint Al Qadar Al Hazeen, considered to be the first published novel by an Emirati woman. Sara Al Jarwan's 1992 novel follows its eponymous protagonist as she strives for a modern life within a community that respects traditional values. It revolves around themes of identity and cultural belonging, while delving into the evolving role of women in Emirati society.
Another book to note from the UAE is The Diesel by Thani Al Suwaidi. Published in 1994, the novel was ahead of its time in terms of subject matter and style. It tells the story of a teenager who, again, is vying to break from societal expectations. It is written with a stream-of-consciousness grace and leaps into the surreal, with a panoply of thought-provoking characters alongside mystical figures.
Several key novels from Kuwait reflect upon the changes the region went through in the 20th century, often focusing on issues that have been marginalised.
Taleb Al Refai’s seminal 1998 novel Shadow of the Sun, for instance, sheds light on the hardships of migrant workers. It features Helmy, an Egyptian teacher who travels to Kuwait after borrowing a significant amount of money for a visa. His dreams of a better life soon buckle as he becomes embroiled in a series of Kafkaesque catastrophes. Laila Al-Othman's Wasmiyah Leaves The Sea, meanwhile, is a 1986 novel that tackles social and gender conventions with a coming-of-age love story between a girl from a well-to-do Kuwaiti family and her sweetheart Abdullah.
From Bahrain, Abdulla Khalifa’s Song of Water and Fire is a 1988 novel revered for its capering poetic prose. The work brings together several stories that examine the human spirit. Fawziya Rashid’s The Siege, published in 1993, is another work that unravels the tension between traditional values and the quest for modernity.
Saudi Arabia also has several works that are important in the canon of Gulf literature. Abd AlQuddus Al Ansari’s The Twins is a work that precedes the founding of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Published in 1930, the novel explores the effects of western influences. Its protagonists, twins Rasheed and Fareed, attend different schools, one with a traditional curriculum and the other incorporating foreign education. The book juxtaposes their fate as one grows to become a luminary in Saudi society while the other wastes away in exile.
Phantoms of the Deserted Alleys, Turki Al Hamad’s trilogy, meanwhile tracks the transformation of Saudi Arabia in the 1970s and '80s. Four Zero by Raja Alam, published in 1987, tells the story of a young woman yearning for social connection within a patriarchal community.
These novels all provide sharp insight into the history of the Gulf and the rapid change it underwent in the 20th century. Several of the issues tackled may not be as prevalent today, yet the works still provide an intimate perspective on the development of the region.
In the 50 most important Arabic novels of the 20th century, The National delves into these works, while also exploring titles from the wider Arab world. It is a rewarding resource to go through ahead of Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, and will perhaps inspire a new direction for your reading list.
Also be sure to look out for The National’s round-up of contemporary classics from the Arab world, which we will release during the book fair.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
info-box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
