The India pavilion at this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair packs quite a literary punch, offering a rare chance to meet some of India’s leading writers and performers and talk to them about their work.
Discuss the deep philosophies behind the best-selling Shiva trilogy of novels with its author Amish Tripathi (see our interview on the facing page), be a part of the international launch of the blockbuster writer Chetan Bhagat's seventh book, meet the popular Malayalam actress Manju Warrier, and listen to the management guru Shiv Khera and the much-awarded littérateur Amitav Ghosh.
Warrier, who recently made a big-screen comeback with the hit film How Old Are You?, will meet fans on Thursday at 9pm. Known for portraying strong female protagonists, she released a Malayalam book called Sallapam last year, sharing her experiences on and off screen.
“An Evening with Authors Across India” on Friday, November 7 at 6pm will feature writers from diverse regions of India. They include Dr Aziz Hajini, Alankode Leelakrishnan, Vinod Joshi and K Sreenivasarao.
Ghosh is an anthropologist as well as an author. His books are popular worldwide and have been translated into many languages. The Calcutta Chromosome won him the prestigious Arthur C Clarke Award, and his Sea of Poppies was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. You can meet the author on November 13 at 8.30pm.
Bhagat needs no introduction, at least not to younger Indians. The author of six best-sellers, four of which have been made into Bollywood films, Bhagat was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. His seventh book, Half Girlfriend, will have its international launch at the book fair on November 14 at 8.30pm. Watch out for our exclusive interview with him, coming soon.
You can get some life coaching from the management guru and motivational speaker Khera on November 11 at 8.30pm. Khera has written 16 books, including the international bestseller You Can Win, which has sold more than 2.8 million copies in 16 languages.
Prolific writer and politician Shashi Tharoor returns to the fair next Sunday at 8.30pm to talk about his forthcoming book. An award-winning author of 14 books, he has also written hundreds of articles for publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Time and Newsweek.
Another interesting author to look out for is Rashmi Bansal, an Indian Institute of Management graduate and youth expert. She has written six best-selling books on entrepreneurs in India, including I Have a Dream on social entrepreneurs who use business principles to try to make the world a better place; Poor Little Rich Slum, on the economy of Mumbai's huge slum Dharavi; and Follow your Rainbow, about women entrepreneurs. You can meet her on November 14 at 5.30pm.
With an eye on the large Keralite expatriate community in the UAE, the India Pavilion will also host an evening of Malayalam poetry on Friday. It features the eminent poets K G Sankara Pillai, Kureepuzha Srekumar, V Madhusoodanan Nair, Prabha Varma and P P Ramachandran.
DC Books, which is coordinating the Indian pavilion, says leading Indian publishers will also be offering their best-selling titles at discounted prices. And DC promises there will be a book for everyone, no matter what language they speak or where their interests lie.
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
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MANDOOB
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
