Lebanese novelist Jabbour Douaihy says the coronavirus pandemic, like past epidemics and wars, will feed the imagination of novelists.
"Great authors wrote about previous pandemics and used them as symbols," he said.
Douaihy, who has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), spoke to AFP as part of the "World Redrawn" series.
He said the novel coronavirus "will become part of the general literary scene and the imagination of humanity, just like wars, the plague … and other pandemics in history".
While the virus will change human behaviour, he does not expect it to completely overturn our way of life.
The 71-year-old, with a doctorate in comparative literature from the Sorbonne, is waiting out Lebanon's coronavirus lockdown in the town of Ehden, in the hills above the northern city of Tripoli.
Douaihy compared the coronavirus to his experience of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
"I don't think the Lebanese war was written about until it was over and done with, meaning it could be used in literature," he said.
Speaking via the video conferencing app Zoom, he said he was avoiding writing about this period for the time being.
"Writing novels takes time – we can't write about events that are still taking place," he said.
But in time, he added, the coronavirus pandemic will begin to inspire literature.
Although the Arab world has not been hit as hard by the virus as Europe and the United States, the region still faces its own crises.
He cited French-Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco's play Rhinoceros, which uses the story of a fictional pandemic to criticise political regimes.
Albert Camus used his 1947 novel The Plague, set in the Algerian city of Oran, to summarise his philosophy on futility, Douaihy added.
The coronavirus pandemic "will leave scars and marks on the mind, on the way we think and particularly on the imagination," he said.
New environmental movement
Douaihy, whose novel June Rain was shortlisted in 2008 for the inaugural IPAF, often known as the Arab Booker Prize, made the list again four years later with The Vagrant.
He said he had not been "bothered" by Lebanon's strict coronavirus lockdown measures, despite finding it hard at first to adjust and to focus on reading and writing.
Douaihy said he did not expect fundamental changes in the worlds of politics, society and economics as the pandemic recedes.
"It's always said that things will be different after the current crisis, but I'm not sure that human behaviour will change drastically," he said.
"I tend towards the view that humanity will overcome this pandemic and carry on destroying the environment – although I expect to see some kind of ecological movement emerge," he said.
"Concern for the environment will grow," he added. "It will become clear that we need to return to correct, organic agriculture."
Douaihy expects a shift to self-sufficiency and a return to national economies.
Reliance on distance learning and remote education could also grow, affecting global communication and globalisation.
But "the trend of excessive consumption is here to stay (and) individualism may become stronger", he said.
The author compared the closure of national borders over the coronavirus to people retreating to their homes.
"We go back to our homes as if they are a refuge from the virus. States have done the same, trying to shut themselves in," he said.
"This foresees a retreat from principles the world had tried to promote, such as freedom of movement."
But while the coronavirus had put the brakes on transnational movement, it was "too early to draw conclusions from that."
And although the Arab world has not been hit as hard by the virus as Europe and the United States, the region still faces its own crises, he said.
Despite the pandemic, "we still face our normal conflicts, as if nothing had happened."
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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
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
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Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
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Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
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Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
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The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
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Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
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5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
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6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
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7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
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7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
