The timing is staggering. Only a few paragraphs into Naji Bakhti's debut novel, Between Beirut and the Moon, his teenage narrator talks of a man being knocked through a window from the weight of an explosion – as people in this tense, beautiful city "occasionally are".
“Yeah, I’ve got mixed emotions about that line,” Bakhti, 29, says ruefully. Mercifully, after the devastating explosions that rocked the city on August 4, he had only shattered glass to clear up. “It was so powerful – every person in Beirut must have felt like the blast was on their street.”
And yet, the whole point of that first chapter is to set the scene for a city and a people in “a perpetual cycle of upheaval and instability”, which constantly drags Lebanon back to the precipice. “It feels like we are on another one now,” Bakhti says.
Clearly, the writer did not envisage a massive ammonium nitrate explosion in Between Beirut and the Moon, in which Adam – with his Christian mother and Muslim father – attempts to navigate adolescence, religion, culture and conflict in a confusing post-civil-war Lebanese capital. But there is something telling in the way the book lays bare the flaws and dysfunction of Lebanon in the same way the explosion has.
"This is a moment of reckoning," says Bakhti. "What I wanted to do with the book was look at growing up with tensions and conflicts just around the corner, and the explosion feels like a culmination of the negligence, mismanagement, corruption and incompetence that has dominated the particular way power in Lebanon works."
In the book Adam's father, who is a journalist, writes an article in which he says to be Lebanese today is to "miss your country when you are in your country", and Bakhti is tired of what he sees as a "manipulated" narrative that celebrates Lebanese people's resilience.
“Maybe we don’t need to bounce back immediately, but stop, put all the pieces back together that have been shattered by this explosion and seek the right tools to rise again on solid ground, before we move on,” he says.
"We have been constantly told since the civil war that Lebanon is a phoenix rising from the ashes, but in reality, we have just soared above the flames that are still there. And sometimes that means you get burnt."
All of which makes the tone of Between Beirut and the Moon really interesting. It’s not didactic or even particularly angry. Adam is baffled, amused and sometimes exasperated by the way his school, network of friends and family operate in a traumatic and turbulent city that seems to undermine him at every turn.
There is black comedy to many of the set pieces. When the family seek shelter and tell civil war stories in their small bathroom during an Israeli air strike, Adam becomes desperate to go the toilet – but cannot do so in such a confined space with so many people. It does not end well.
“The generational distance between myself and people who lived through the civil war did allow me some more freedom and space to be funny,” says Bakhti.
We have been told since the civil war that Lebanon is a phoenix rising from the ashes, but in reality, we have just soared above the flames that are still there
“I’m not denying the experience of that time, but humour can make the trauma more effable, a coping mechanism, perhaps. I don’t think we have a clear historical account of what happened or national reconciliation – we were very eager to move past the civil war and that led to what we have now. So perhaps humour can make these stories more relatable. And, actually, the bathroom scene did happen to us.”
One of the major successes of Bakhti's debut is that he adeptly navigates the delicate balancing act between comedy and trauma, youth and experience, fiction and exposition. Because there is not a linear plot other than Adam growing up and trying to cope with his highly charged surroundings – the episodic structure reflects the fragmented nature of the city – in the end you have to believe in the world he is trying to navigate.
And when Adam finally admits that he will not be able to achieve his dreams if he spends his whole life in Beirut, it feels like a hard-won, poignant moment in a classic coming-of-age drama.
“That is such a familiar sentiment for many young people growing up in Lebanon,” says Bakhti. “There is always this implicit understanding that if you get the chance to leave, you probably will have to take it. It would be almost reckless not to. But then, they also struggle with wanting to stay and change things for the better.
“Every character in the book at some point wants to believe in a better Lebanon, this place somewhere just beyond the horizon that they can one day reach. The harsh reality of day-to-day life is the constant reminder that there is an obstacle in the way, and that is the very fabric of the country itself.”
In the book, Adam’s father calls that painful situation “reinventing hope, when you know you will have to reinvent it again tomorrow”. Perhaps, finally, the reinvention can stick in the coming weeks and months.
Between Beirut and the Moon certainly offers some kind of dream that Lebanon’s future would thrive in the hands of its citizens rather than its sects. Timely, indeed.
'Between Beirut and the Moon' is published on Thursday, August 27 by Influx Press
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
The%20specs
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Company%20profile
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
More coverage from the Future Forum
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Wonka
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
