On Sunday, September 29, Kinokuniya in The Dubai Mall will host the launch of four new books from the Pakistani publishing house FK Squared. Two of these titles, The Hajj Journey of Lailamah Giselle Khan and The Euro Journey of Lailamah Giselle Khan, are by the country’s youngest writer — the 8-year-old Lailamah Giselle Khan. Encouraged by her parents to keep a diary during the two trips featured in the books, the young girl presents what may well be some of the first travelogues of their kind: for a child, by a child.
How do you feel about coming to Dubai to launch your books?
I am happy because Dubai is such a fun place. I am excited because my books will be in the biggest bookstore in the world.
How did the idea of writing these books come to you?
Before I started off for my trip to Europe, my mama and baba [mother and father] suggested that I keep a diary of everything I do so that later on I can read and remember the good times. So that is how it started and even if some days I didn’t feel like writing, mama and baba would not let me sleep before I finished. Before we started off for Haj, I knew I would have to write.
Why was it that you chose these two experiences to write about?
I didn’t choose them. They just happened like that. I went to Europe and then I went for Haj.
Was it difficult?
When I started writing it was just in a diary. I didn’t think my diaries would turn into my books. Baba said they would, but I thought it was to tempt me to write when I got lazy or tired. During Haj, there were days when we were on the move all the time or when we slept in camps and although I had my diary with me, it was nearly impossible to write.
What do you think makes a good writer?
A writer must have an awesome imagination, a sense of humour and, if they are writing for children, they should try to think like a child. It would be a great thing if the author has travelled a bit.
What made you feel that you wanted to be a writer?
I love reading. I want to make sure there are enough books in the world to be enjoyed and I want to be a part of that.
Who were the people who helped you the most along this journey, and how?
I couldn’t have written my Europe diary without the help of mama, and recording what happened at Haj would have been impossible without baba. They would sit down with me every night and we would talk about what happened that day, it would then become easier to write about it. There were so many places we went to and so many things that we saw that I would forget something. But they would remember.
Are you working on new books? What will they be about?
This summer we went to Greece and Turkey; I also went to the US. I’ve written a diary about each of these places, so, yes, I have been working on new books. This experience was different from my Haj and Europe trips. I think it’s because I’ve grown up a little and I look at things differently now.
Are there other writers in your family?
Yes, my dada [grandfather] and my father have each had two books published. My nano [grandmother] also writes, but she hasn’t been published yet. A lot of people in my family like writing.
artslife@thenational.aeNew arrivals
The Pakistani publishing house FK Squared will launch four new titles at Kinokuniya at The Dubai Mall today (SUBS Sept 29) from 5pm to 6.30pm
The Hajj Journey of Lailamah Giselle Khan and The Euro Journey of Lailamah Giselle Khan are travelogues, with colourful illustrations, written in the simple language and style expected from an 8-year-old.
Midlife and Naked by Shaista Ayesha is the biography of Faraz Khan and Khusro Ansari, two Pakistani entrepreneurs. The book combines the duo’s journey of self-discovery with the lessons that they have learnt about success in the business world on the way.
Pukh Theory, jointly written by FarazKhan and Farhad Karamally, is a parable on leadership management, featuring an unlikely protagonist: the uneducated owner of a donkey cart.
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
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The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
more from Janine di Giovanni
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
Company%20Profile
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Company%20Profile
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
