Author George R R Martin. Lucas Jackson / Reuters
Author George R R Martin. Lucas Jackson / Reuters

No sign of publication date for The Winds of Winter



Game of Swords

Still eagerly awaiting news of The Winds of Winter, the long-delayed next book in George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series? Well, you will have to hold on a little longer, as there is still no sign of a publication date. But there will definitely be new work in print from the 68-year-old fantasy author this year, after he revealed on his blog that he has written a new short story set in Westeros. The Sons of the Dragon is set 250 years before the start of the main Game of Thrones saga, and explores the rule of the second and third Targaryen kings, Aenys I and Maegor the Cruel. The story will be published on October 10 in an anthology called The Book of Swords, also featuring writing by Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, Garth Nix and Scott Lynch to "celebrate fantasy's golden age of sword and sorcery", according to its Amazon description.

House and home

One of the novels publishers Penguin Random House are most excited about this year is the debut from Palestinian-American Hala Alyan. In Salt Houses, the young Brooklyn resident, an award-winning poet, focuses on a family that moves from Palestine to Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and finally the United States. It looks like it could be an intriguing insight into the Palestinian diaspora, beginning in the period immediately preceding the Six-Day War in 1967, and continuing to the present day. You would expect Alyan, as a clinical psychologist, to be well placed to get inside the heads of her characters as they grapple with the notion of "home". The book is due out in May.

Potter… more

Here is something to make you feel just a little bit more ancient: come June, it will be 20 years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, author J K Rowing's book that kicked off the Harry Potter phenomenon. Unsurprisingly, Bloomsbury are planning to celebrate the birth of the all-conquering seven-book series – which is estimated to have sold more than 450million copies worldwide – with four new editions of the book with fresh covers themed to match each of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They will also contain new illustrations and facts about the famous school of wizardry. There will also be an anniversary exhibition at the British Library, and plenty of additional celebratory events are said to be in the planning stage

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes. 
Where to stay 
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.

A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Top financial tips for graduates

Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:

1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.

2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.

3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.

4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.

BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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