A collection of 2,000-plus books from some of the world’s most celebrated authors has been sent to the University of Mosul as part of an international effort to rebuild its library.
British artist and author Edmund de Waal’s library of exile was displayed at the British Museum until January and remained there during the height of the pandemic until transportation to Iraq could be arranged earlier this month.
The acclaimed installation featured the works of almost 1,500 writers from 58 countries forced to leave their countries of origin for political reasons.
Readers at the Iraqi institution’s famous College of Arts will be able to browse through the pages of literary greats – from the ancients Ovid, Voltaire and Dante to the more contemporary, including the Chinese poet Ai Quing, Hannah Al-Shaykh from Lebanon and Samar Yazbek from Syria.
Iraq is a birthplace of civilisation, at the core of our collection, a major part of our research and at the centre of our hearts.
St John Simpson,
British Museum
“This library celebrates the idea that all languages are diasporic, that we need other people’s words, self-definitions and re-definitions in translation,” said Edmund de Waal. A book by his grandmother Elizabeth de Waal is also in the collection.
Exploring the themes of loss, displacement and destruction within its pages, the library of exile is a poignant addition to Iraq’s world-renowned library that was nearly entirely destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Once one of the largest libraries in the Middle East, with more than one million titles, including journals dating back to the second century, it was reduced to rubble during the occupation.
A senior curator at the British Museum's Middle East department told The National the donation was part of long-standing efforts to help restore Iraq’s rich heritage.
“Iraq is a birthplace of civilisation, at the core of our collection, a major part of our research and at the centre of our hearts. We work very closely with colleagues from the whole of Iraq and is a huge privilege and pleasure for us to play a small part in the reconstruction of Mosul as a great city once again,” said St John Simpson, a curator at the British Museum.
Working with the assistance of the Iraqi embassy, Book Aid International transported the collection to the University of Mosul where it will be permanently housed.
“Edmund de Waal’s library of exile harnesses the power of books to express the limits of human emotion and the role of libraries in preserving both our cultural heritage and the sum of human understanding,” said Alison Tweed, chief executive of Book Aid International.
Mr Simpson, who is also deputy director of the British Museum’s Iraq Scheme, told The National that the donation is part of several initiatives between the British Museum and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage in Baghdad that include training, research, archaeological excavations, publication, repatriation of looted objects and other private donations.
In response to the devastation of heritage sites in Iraq and Syria by ISIS, the British Museum developed the UK government-funded Iraq Scheme aimed at reconstructing some of the cultural losses. A new programme of excavation, training and site conservation work is currently under way at the site of Tello, the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
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SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
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3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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