This is one invitation you do not want to miss! My dear friend Isabelle Avenarius, a lovely person and great artist and photographer with an eye for detail is launching her first exhibition here in Abu Dhabi. Be there tomorrow for a fantastic visual experience.
The other day, trawling the internet, looking for inspiration for an article, I happened to come across a post on the importance of re-dating your spouse. According to Lisa-Jo Baker, author of 'Surprised by Motherhood' which will be released April 2014, the reasoning behind her idea is because 'between the dishes and the piles of unfolded laundry stacked across the bed and the kids who come in demanding attention, cookies, help with their homework there’s no room for conversation'. Sounds familiar? Well, it did to me and in a spur-of-the-moment enthusiasm, I decided that Mr. Fabulous and I were going on a date!
The stars must have been aligned and the heaven doors wide open to receive my shouts of where oh where could I go on a date that did not involve eating or drinking. This drama queen is on a diet (again) and rule number one is to stick to it because if I don't (yet again), the slump in my self esteem will make sure that the only date that will be happening is with my nutritionist crying my eyes out. But as I said, this date was destined to happen because Mrs C. called up with two tickets to spare to the Cavalia Show. It was official: Mr. Fabulous and I were definitely going on this date.
Euphoria over, sobriety settled in. So, what was this 'date' supposed to be like and how was it different to Mr. Fabulous and I nipping down together to the local store for some bread and milk? Back to the articles on the internet. Here was what I gathered: I had to dress up for this date (dress and heels preferable), wash my hair and apply make-up. In a nutshell, I had to put in the effort to re-create that 'first date' scenario of long ago. I had to forget being 'mother' and 'wife' and concentrate on being 'femme fatale' for the night. It also meant Mr. Fabulous's son was getting a pizza delivery so this mum could smell of roses and not the usual chicken nuggets.
FINALLY, after a resounding cry of 'I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR' aimed at self in the mirror, with note to same self to schedule an emergency shopping spree with the girls, I settled, in typical me fashion, on the first outfit I'd initially planned to wear anyway. And off we went to what would prove a breathtaking memorable performance.
And was the date a success? Suffice to say that good girls never kiss and tell, or do they? ;)
The beautifully designed programme for the Emirates Festival of Literature 2014
So, I stayed up late last night happily listing all the books that I wanted to read before attending the Emirates Festival of Literature in March. My plan: read the books, finish the books, get books signed, if possible, by their authors at the festival. An easy, straight-forward quite boring plan really.
The Emirates Festival of Literature has many sponsors. One of which is WHSmith where one can purchase the tickets (I got mine online) and where supposedly one would assume the books authored by the festival's speakers would be housed. Well, think again!
In all fairness I did find two of the 15 books on my list and those were written in English. Bar one, the rest of my list consisted of Arabic titles and this is where it all went pear shape. The bookseller could not in any shape or form check if the Arabic titles on my list were anywhere in the store or even on the system because not one member of staff knew how to read Arabic. When I offered to check their system for them, I was refused on the grounds that it is not company policy to allow customers to access the store's computer. When I asked whether anyone in all the shop floors or in management elsewhere read Arabic, the response was a complete blank stare.
Me: 'So, what do you do if someone comes in and asks for an Arabic title?"
Staff: shoulder shrug and polite smile.
Me: 'So there are no Arabic speaking employees?'
Staff: 'No ma'am sorry. I don't know Araaabic'.
Me: 'Umm, how do I find my books then?'
Staff: All the Arabic books are over there
Me turns around to where I see three bookcases of Arabic titles stacked top to bottom. Will need at least two hours to go through them one by one. I am looking for 13 books. Exasperated I give it one last shot: 'Is there any way someone can help?'
The Blank Stare makes an appearance.
I leave.
And so the scenario repeats itself at Virgin Megastore and Magrudy's where in the case of the latter the staff were perplexed at the sight of a list in the first place. They were able to find one more title for me (the last remaining English title on the list) and nothing on the Arabic front. Again, the staff spoke no Arabic.
Looking back at the time when Mr. Fabulous suggested moving to Abu Dhabi, one of the positives I wrote down on my list was the fact that I would finally be able to get my hands on Arab author's books without the hassle of having to order them from the Middle East and wait for them to arrive in the United Kingdom. No postage, no postman! Now quite obviously No Chance!
It also makes me think that no wonder authors are excited to be chosen for the IPAF, a truly golden ticket. Why? Because one: they get to be translated into English which automatically leads to number two: the fact that they will be read by the public. Can it be that only a handful of people read any book written in Arabic and so booksellers are not concerned about catering to a few, such as myself, who might on the odd chance seek to read an Arabic title? Perhaps only the author's editor, spouse, and best friend read an Arab author's work and they probably get it free anyway.
Frankly, I don't know how anyone is meant to find an Arabic title among a sea of Arabic books with no help from bookshop staff. No matter how much of an avid reader one is, I doubt one has the time to go over every single title in the store to find what he/she seeks. Is it now madness to assume that in a store that sells Arabic titles in an Arab country one might expect to find at least one member of staff who knows Arabic? How difficult can that be? Judging by my experience today: a mammoth ask!
I refuse to believe that I am the only one who finds this odd or unreasonable grounds for a moan. And yet I am nowhere closer to allocating those titles by authors I am dying to read. I need an end to my quest and I need it soon. All suggestions welcome!
UAE Flag
Hoisted for the first time on
November 2, 1971. It was designed by
Abdullah Mohammad Al Ma'enah
This week I have taken concrete steps to get to know more about the country I am calling home for a while. My reason is two-fold: firstly, I am genuinely interested to know about this place and secondly the timing for such a project seems rather appropriate. Why? Well, in just under a month's time, the UAE will be celebrating its 42nd National Day, on December 2nd (it was founded in 1971) and in preparation for the event, the UAE came together last week to celebrate Flag Day, an initiative to hoist the UAE flag simultaneously across the seven Emirates. This falls on the same day that His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan became the current president of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
Therefore, and based on various recommendations, I have started with the purchase of two UAE-related books that have now taken place by my bedside so I can dip in and out of each day. The most recent of these publications is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's book 'Flashes of Thought', which was inspired by a dialogue at the Government Summit 2013. Sheikh Mohammed is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and the constitutional monarch of Dubai. I have already started reading this one and have only a little to go towards finishing it. It is a positive, vibrant, optimistic read about the sheikh's thoughts on leadership and the development of the UAE. Et voila, a great start!
The second book is 'From Rags to Riches: A Story of Abu Dhabi' by Mohammed Al Fahim. The book is written by a business man and close friend of the royal family and tells the story of Abu Dhabi from the 50s to the 90s. This came highly recommended by one of the professors at a very prominent university here in Abu Dhabi that I met recently. 'A must' were his specific terms! So, how could I not?
A further search on amazon resulted in two memoirs that I have downloaded onto my kindle. A book called 'Staying Afloat: Three Years in Abu Dhabi' by Steve Burton. This is the true story of Burton's time in Abu Dhabi spent working on a project to transform a relatively untouched bird sanctuary in Abu Dhabi into a 'complex, global entertainment and premier yachting destination within 30 months'. The other download is 'Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights' by Jillian Schedneck, a former English teacher at a girls school in Abu Dhabi.
One name that kept popping up was that of British explorer Wilfred Thesiger. His book 'Arabian Sands' was published in 1959 and focuses on the author's time spent in the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula between 1945 and 1950. Living amongst the bedu for five years Thesiger has documented not only a way of life that is relatively extinct now but also the changes and developments that took place within the diverse tribes of the desert after World War II. The book has since been made into a movie by Emirati director and producer Majid Abdulrazak. To see the trailer, click HERE.
So here's my list (for now) and I am certain that there are many more to read on the subject out there. So, if any of you have read any good ones and think I have missed some really worthy ones, do not hesitate to get in touch and I will make sure to add them to the list.
Lights, flashbulbs, and sequins galore. It was all there at Abu Dhabi's 7th Film Festival held at the Emirates Palace Hotel. In splendidly majestic surroundings saturated with Arabian perfumes, the creme de la creme of the local and international cinema industry descended on the festival's red carpet to be greeted by fans and a heavy media presence before heading to the hotel's Auditorium where the opening ceremony was held.
The majestic Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi
With 'bling' overshadowing the glare of the massive crystal chandeliers, it was a sight to behold on the red carpet. Not only were the celebrities dressed to impress but the invited guests matched their idols suit for suit, dress for dress, and botox for botox. There wasn't a wrinkle in the house, and one sensed that out beyond the Palace walls were plastic surgeons, beauticians, make-up artists, hairdressers, and dress-makers falling exhaustedly into their beds knowing their job, at least for this night, was done.
Egyptian actress Mervat Ameen at the ADFF 2013
And yet, in spite of all the glitz and the glamour, the ceremony was not flawless. The presenters of the show shouted into the microphone, stammered through the few lines of their presentations and struggled profoundly to pronounce foreign names of international directors, producers and judges called onto the stage for an impromptu photo shoot. Everyone else shifted impatiently in their seats waiting for the opening night's film to start.
But the people who most let down the festival were some of the invited guests. Dressed to the nines and singing the praises of the festival to the camera, they were the first to leave the auditorium as soon as the lights were switched off announcing the commencement of the film. Was it the film's content that they objected to with its sexual scenes and innuendos? Was it that some collective unforeseen emergency had arisen? or was it simply that away from the limelight, they simply did not care? Now, this writer is not naive and perfectly well understands that tickets to these events are handed to corporations that distribute them amongst their staff. So, I do understand that this means that not everyone is there to support the film industry per se, but one would expect that if one has taken the trouble to attend a film festival then one would at least stay to watch the film? My suggestion would be that perhaps festival organisers should probably work on compiling a more industry-worthy invitee list for next year.
Forest Whitaker takes home the Black Pearl Lifetime Achievement Award
However, in all fairness, flawed as the ceremony was, it wasn't a complete wash-out either. It was a beautiful night with a very worthy film screening of 'Life of Crime' by director Schechter and producer Ashok Amritraj. Mark Boone Junior, who plays sinister character Richard, also attended the night's screening. His performance was blood curdling and was deserving of every bit of the applause resonating around the majestic Auditorium at the end of the movie.
It was to deafening applause that super actor Forest Whitaker took to the stage to be awarded the Black Pearl Lifetime Achievement award. With his usual grace and charisma, he gave a beautiful speech thanking the festival organisers for the award and re-iterating how much it meant for him. He ended his speech with a few verses he'd learned from the Quran to the delight of the audience. The cheering and clapping took quite a while to abate.
The lavish outdoor party setting
The ceremony's after-party was a lavish affair and seemed to come straight out of a scene of 'The Great Gatsby' with live jazz music blaring away before switching to house music. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. However, by then it was midnight and my feet had had enough signalling it was time for me to go. Off I slipped away from the palace, with both slippers still on, to a land beyond the magical Palace walls, to a sweet little place that I've recently started to call 'home'.
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival opens tomorrow and I'm right there on the red carpet rubbing shoulders with the stars. It is such a big event here and many of the Arab and International cinema stars are convening on Abu Dhabi for a fantastic 9 days of all things cinema. The festival opening night will feature the Middle East premiere of 'Life of Crime' starring Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins, and Isla Fisher. Director Daniel Schechter and actor Mark Boone Junior will discuss the film at a live audience Q&A during the opening night. The movie is a comedy based on the novel 'The Switch' by Elmore Leonard. I'll have all the details of the night on Friday! so be sure to tune in!
Super actor Simon Whitaker is expected to attend and who, by the way, is going to receive the Career Achievement Award. I know you must all know who he is, but for those who've 'forgotten' he's the guy who played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 'The Last King of Scotland' (2006).
Also gliding down that red carpet will be actress Hiam Abbas who starred in the movie 'Miral' (2010), Egyptian actors Ahmad Ezz, Basel Khayyat, and many many others. Two actresses that I am personally hoping to catch a glimpse of are Mervat Ameen and Lebleba, two very well established actresses who have had a major influence on Arab cinema.
Of course there are many distinguished actors and directors from all over the world who will be present and in fear of forgetting to mention any of them I have pasted the full press release of the ADFFat the end of this post.
So, as I'm too excited to review any books and this gal has a lot of 'getting pretty' to do in preparation for the RED CARPET, I leave you with this fantastic band that is taking the Arab world by storm. 'Mashrou' Leila' (literally means Leila's Project) are a six-member band from Lebanon who have performed their alternative Arabic music live to sold-out venues in Lebanon, Cairo, Amman, Istanbul, Dubai, Tunisia, Paris, Amsterdam, Montreal, Geneva and Serbia. Their third album is to be released this year.
This track 'Fasateen' is brilliant.
Visit theirFacebook page/their website HERE & to listen to the music/buy their albums click HERE
The full press release of ADFF:
Abu Dhabi, UAE – October 23, 2013: Abu Dhabi will play host to film stars and other leading lights of the international film world when the seventh Abu Dhabi Film Festival opens tomorrow. Household names will walk the red carpet alongside new talents that the audience will discover during the nine day celebration. Festival Guests will attend screenings of their films, giving film fans a chance to hear insider stories first hand.
The seventh ADFF opens with the Middle East Premiere of LIFE OF CRIME. The director Daniel Schechter and actor Mark Boone Junior will discuss the film at a live audience Q&A during the Opening Night.
Also attending Opening Night is acclaimed US actor Forest Whitaker, who won 23 major acting awards, including the Academy, Screen Actor’s Guild and BAFTA awards, for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006). Whitaker, who has starred in iconic films like THE CRYING GAME (1992) as well as turning his hand to producing (Fruitvale Station) and directing films such as HOPE FLOATS, 1998 and WAITING TO EXHALE. In partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre, Whitaker will receive a Black Pearl Career Achievement award.
Actress Hiam Abbass (Munich, 2005; THE VISITOR, 2007; MIRAL, 2010; and PEACE AFTER MARRIAGE which world premieres at ADFF 2013) will also be presented with a Black Pearl Career Achievement Award in recognition for her admirable contributions to cinema as an artist, actress and professional.
Mervat Amin will lead the Arab stars down the carpet, including Hend Sabri, Ahmad Ezz, Basel Khayat, Eyad Nassar, Kinda Aloush, Abed Fahad, Manal Khader, and Nesrine Tafesh. Egyptian stars Lebleba and Khaled Abol Naga, whose latest film VILLA 69 has its World Premiere at ADFF, will also join the Festival. Other Arab talents at ADFF this year include Saleh Bakri, one of the most internationally recognised Arab actors of our time. Bakri appears inGIRAFFADA and SALVO. Another rising star, Asser Yassin, will attend with his new film RAGS AND TATTERS. Abdel Monaam Chouaya will present BASTARDO and Samar Qahtan joins the delegation with IN THE SANDS OF BABYLON and UNDEREXPOSURE.
Stars from the Gulf region that attend this year’s Abu Dhabi Film Festival include Mohammed Al Mansour, Dawood Hussain, Huda Al Khatib, Khaled Ameen, Ahmed Iraj, Samera Ahmad, Ahmad Al Jasmi and Maisa Al Maghribi.
Merzak Allouache, attending ADFF with THE ROOFTOPS and OMAR GATLATO (1976), will receive the Variety Award for Middle East Filmmaker of the Year during the Festival. Other Arab directors with films in competition include Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, Director of IN THE SANDS OF BABYLON, Ahmad Abdallah, Director of RAGS AND TATTERS and Ayten Amin, Director of VILLA 69. Directors Férid Boughedir (HALFOUINE: BOY OF THE TERRACES),Moufida Tlatli (SILENCES OF THE PALACE), Mohamad Malas (DREAMS OF THE CITY) andOday Rasheed (UNDEREXPOSURE) films appear in the Special Programme “Debut Films by Arab Filmmakers”. Documentary filmmakers Mohammad Soueid (HANGING DATES UNDER ALEPPO’S CITADEL) and Kasaim Abid (WHISPERS OF THE CITIES) present their latest films as well.
Two Kurdish directors will be at the screenings of their films in this year’s edition of ADFF: Hiner Saleem (MY SWEET PEPPER LAND) and Hisham Zaman (BEFORE SNOWFALL).
Many leading lights of Indian Cinema will be at the Festival for its celebration of the centenary of Indian Cinema. Cross-over star Irrfan Khan, who has taken Bollywood and Hollywood by storm, attends with his new film QISSA, along with the film’s director Anup Singh. Director Richie Mehta presents SIDDARTH, and director Aparna Sen presents THE JEWELLERY BOX at a Premiere attended by a star of Hindi and Bengali cinema, Moushumi Chatterjee. In the Special Programme “Celebrating Indian Cinema” Jahnu Barua, director of THE CATASTROPHE, andM.S. Sathyu, director of SCORCHING WINDS, will attend screenings in person. Producer Ashok Amritraj, whose extensive credits include the Opening Night film LIFE OF CRIME, will also attend the festival and deliver a workshop as part of ADFF TALKS FILM.
International stars attending ADFF include, among others, Chinese actress Tao Zhao (A TOUCH OF SIN), Philippine Superstar Eugene Domingo (BARBER'S TALES), Golshifteh Farahani andKorkmaz Arslan (MY SWEET PEPPER LAND), and rising stars Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre(GIRAFFADA), Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Reid (BELLE), as well as Louis Garrel(JEALOUSY).
As for international directing talents, expect to see Academy Award winner Danis Tanovic (AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER), Amma Asante, (BELLE) and from China Jia Zhangke, (A TOUCH OF SIN). Baroness Beeban Kidron, appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire and life peer in 2012, is attending with her new film, INREALLIFE. The director ofHARMONY LESSONS, Silver Bear winner at this year’s Berlinale, will be presented by the director, Emir Baigazin from Kazakhstan as will SACRO GRA, which won the Golden Lion in Venice this year for Italy’s Gianfranco Rosy. French Fashion Designer Agnès Troublé, akaAgnès B., who has produced a number of films including Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, makes her directorial debut with MY NAME IS HMMM...
ADFF also welcomes renowned producers Cedomir Kolar (AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER), Uberto Pasolini (STILL LIFE, Oscar nominated for THE FULL MONTY in 1997),Mohamed Hefzy (VILLA 69 and RAGS AND TATTERS) and Catherine Dussart (THE MISSING PICTURE) to the Festival.
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival runs from October 24 until November 2. The Ceremony for the winners of the Black Pearl Awards will take place on October 31.
After an exact 5-month absence BOOKFABULOUS is now officially back to business as usual. The reason for the absence is, as some of you are well aware, is my recent relocation from London to Abu Dhabi. A relocation which has had its fair share of ups and downs. I will not bore any of you with the details suffice to say that things are normal enough for me to sit down and write. I have run out of excuses not to really especially that my writing desk, a really cool piece bought me by my darling better half on one of his recent travels, has finally arrived.
So although too busy to report in, I'm never too busy to read; something I can do standing on my head if challenged. And so in the next few weeks I will be bringing you loads of book reviews and book news in an attempt to get through the backlog and make up for lost time.
This is usually the time when I start recommending books to curl up with in front of a burning fire or to take to a warm bed on a wintery night. So, this is where it all feels weird for me now for although the UAE is officially in its Autumn season, temperatures remain relatively high (in the 30s) and humidity although should be dropping this time of year, still hovers around 62%. But I will try my best to review a wide variety of fantastic titles to suit a wider audience.
With relocation comes change and this will undoubtedly manifest itself in this blog as well. I am taking this opportunity of living in the Middle East to explore famous Arab authors who enjoy an International platform as well as lesser known Arab authors who have yet to be translated into any other language. I will try to do that through as many interviews and possible author contributions on this blog as possible (fingers crossed!). I feel this is a great opportunity to widen the readership of this blog while reaching out to readers in the region offering those who are interested a platform to discuss books and book matters. Of course I am not alone in this and there are pretty well established blogs who do the same thing that I do but we all have different perspectives and different ways of doing things and I am hoping that BOOKFABULOUS will bring that bit extra to the table. I also appeal to book bloggers, authors , book lovers and readers to connect with this blog and hopefully we can all work together to create something magnificent and worthwhile.
Another change is that BOOKFABULOUS will be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (which is the first day of the weekend in the Middle East). Of course, you can continue to connect with BOOKFABULOUS on a daily basis through the Twitter account @RanaAsfour or email me at bookfabulous@hotmail.co.uk
Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to stress that this is an independent blog written by myself in a manner and style that I see fit and appropriate (my blog, my rules!). The views are my own and in no way affiliated with any organisation/s or individual/s other than myself. This is mainly a book blog but there are times when I'd like to write about other things (hence the 'and more' in the blog's title). So, for anyone who has a problem with what I write or takes offence then you have three options:
1. Re-read the above paragraph.
2. Get in touch (twitter, email, comments) and tell me nicely what your problem is and I will happily take your comment/s into consideration. BOOKFABULOUS encourages all points of view and is very liberal and open-minded. However, be warned: abusive or inappropriate language will not be tolerated. Ever! Keep it clean!
3. Simply leave and never visit again. I'll be sad to see you go but I'll live.
Once upon a time before children I worked in the publishing industry in a land far away from where this blog was conceived. I had been good at my job enjoying it tremendously. In the midst of it all, love came a knocking and I unhesitatingly followed to where my better half said 'Let's go'. A few countries down the line, one child, still very much in love, I felt I was ready for a new challenge. Blogs were all the rage back then and naturally that's where I headed. Before 'BookFabulous' I had written an anonymous blog that has seen its humble share of success (interviewed by the BBC) and looking back now I do believe that had circumstances been different the blog would have flourished (but hey I would say that wouldn't I?). However, the love of my life cried "Let's Move!" yet again and the blog met with its early end at odds with my husband's blossoming media career.
So, we moved. But I had been bitten by the 'blogging bug' and was hooked. I craved it, pined for it and desperately wanted to get back to it. However, this time round I had no intention of 'tying myself down' to a place or time. I wanted a blog I could carry with me like a favourite teddy wherever I went and have it be relevant and unconstricted. Since I was a child I have been a voracious reader. I had read 'War and Peace' by the time I was 9 and 'Anna Karenina' and 'Brothers Karamazov' by the age of 12. Books have always been a big part of my upbringing with a father who devoured books as if his life depended on them and his published pieces are a reminder of how much he valued 'his little hobby' as he would call it. My maternal grandfather, once a headmaster of a school, was rarely seen outside his study and the family's library is awash with his writings. And so without further ado, BookFabulous just had to be born.
The aim of 'BookFabulous' is to share my thoughts on books (and more) and to bring to light the reads that I have on my radar. The ultimate wish is to interact with like-minded readers that share my passion (maybe slight obsession) with all things books. If I had to coin what I do, I'd opt for 'professional reader', a term I unabashedly 'borrow' from NetGalley. This blog, along with Twitter, has provided me with a platform from which I have met and continue to meet the most amazing people from all over the world; Creative individuals who enjoy their craft and who make the world a better place for it. This blog has taught me that creativity transcends borders and is accessible to anyone, anywhere.
And my gut feeling was right: 'BookFabulous' had to be a versatile blog open to change because guess what? yup! the love of my life has blown the whistle signalling it's time to move again thanks to his now SKY- rocketing media career. So, 'BookFabulous' will divide its writing time between London and Abu Dhabi. The move -which I am very excited about- will take place in August.
The Middle East is undergoing various political changes that is having an impact on every aspect of people's lives particularly that of culture. The region is a hotpot for new and established writers that are producing relevant avant-garde work that I can't wait to tap into and ultimately document on this blog. As far as challenges go, I couldn't have asked for a bigger one.
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