There was one quiet but noticeable silver lining in 2016 – a development at odds with war, terror and division and at a remove from insularity, and that was the unprecedented diversity in new books.
Writers from different ethnic backgrounds came to the forefront, some taking away top prizes. Genre and gender were fairly represented. The little-heard voices of outliers and underdogs were welcomed, amplified and acclaimed. Fiction took risks and pushed boundaries. Refreshingly – amazingly – for the first time in a while, there seemed to be something for everyone. Even a Nobel Prize in Literature for a songwriter.
The National Book Award for fiction was won by Colson Whitehead for The Underground Railroad, a novel that was as spellbinding as it was gut-wrenching. Blending far-out inventiveness with harsh historical fact, Whitehead's tale of Cora, a runaway slave in pursuit of freedom, "the greatest currency of all", virtually frazzled the competition and showcased an audacious talent.
One runner-up remained unscorched. Karan Mahajan's quietly explosive The Association of Small Bombs charted the tense build-up to a terrorist attack in Delhi and its devastating aftermath. Paul Beatty became the first American author to win the Man Booker Prize with The Sellout, a wickedly scabrous satire on US race relations.
Deborah Levy's intoxicating Hot Milk, the Booker's second best, dealt with a young woman "stung into desire" while searching for a miracle cure for her mother in Spain. Two other shortlisted titles, neither of which stood a chance, still deserve mention. David Szalay's All That Man Is read more like a collection of short stories, a kind of nine ages of man, but each one delved deep and unearthed a host of beautiful revelations and ugly truths. And Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project was an ingenious and gripping account of madness, memoir and "sanguinary deeds" in the Scottish Highlands.
Just as compulsive but even more of a visceral read was Ian McGuire's The North Water, an astonishing novel that laid bare the machinations and "vile urgings" of several crew members onboard an Arctic whaler. Both a nautical whodunit and a thrilling yarn examining levels of endurance and treachery, this book also puts a previously unknown author on the literary map.
Three fascinating biographies celebrated the life and work of three remarkable women of letters. Brendan King's Love by All Sorts of Means explored the inspiration for Beryl Bainbridge's bleakly comic novels, while Ruth Franklin's A Rather Haunted Life got to grips with Shirley Jackson's domestic horror, and Edmund Gordon's The Invention of Angela Carter illuminated an inimitable sorcerer's black magic.
A biography of the elusive Elena Ferrante did not appear, and nor is it likely to. Nonetheless, we got the next best thing with Frantumaglia: A Writer's Journey, a valuable trove of letters, interviews and essays on her craft. Let's just hope that the exposure of her identity this year has not forced her to put down her pen.
Two exemplary authors produced powerful, multi-stranded novels built around separate Asian political upheavals. Han Kang's Human Acts, her follow-up to the bestselling The Vegetarian, focused unsparingly on the fallout from the brutal insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980. Madeleine Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing tracked three musicians destabilised by China's 20th century convulsions.
Hisham Matar also confronted real-life events in The Return. This, however, was all hard fact, devoid of any fictional trappings. Complex, harrowing, yet utterly rewarding, Matar's memoir described his search for his "disappeared" father, last heard of in Gaddafi's notorious Abu Salim prison in 1990. This magisterial book was fuelled by righteous anger but infused with intelligence, warmth and humanity.
Finally, 2016 saw some of the old guard performing new tricks. Ian McEwan was in a playful mode with Nutshell, his Hamlet-flavoured novel narrated by an erudite foetus. Sebastian Barry's Days Without End dexterously flitted between love and war, violence and beauty, and marked a career-high. Edna O'Brien's chilling study of evil, The Little Red Chairs, was proof that a class act isn't withered by age, it just gets classier. And in Ninety-Nine Stories of God, a fantastical assortment of flash fiction ranging from zesty short stories to pithy aphorisms, Joy Williams revealed she is still sitting atop her own cloud in her own universe.
A year dominated by lows, not highs, of leaps into the unknown and backward steps. How reassuring then, in this post-truth world, in uncertain times, that we can find solace, stability and enlightenment from books of many colours.
Malcolm Forbes is a freelance reviewer based in Edinburgh.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The%20Specs
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The years Ramadan fell in May
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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Company%20Profile
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Griselda
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SPECS
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3%20Body%20Problem
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