To Draw a Mockingbird
New Harper Lee books certainly cause a stir, as we saw in 2015 when Go Set A Watchman, her To Kill a Mockingbird sequel, was published. Now we can look forward to the first graphic-novel adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Fred Fordham, who describes the project as "a great honour and responsibility, and, mercifully, also a great pleasure". Harper Lee's estate said: "Fred's work has a quality that surpasses time, just like the novel he will bring to life in a new way." It will be published on November 1 next year.
A powerful message
Dubbed "feminist science fiction", The Power by Naomi Alderman won the Baileys prize for women's fiction last week. Set in a future dystopia where women and girls can kill men simply by touching them, chair of judges Tessa Ross marvelled at Alderman's approach to greed and power, describing it as "bold, accessible and beautifully written". Topical comparisons with Margaret Atwood's The Handmade's Tale, and its acclaimed TV adaptation, will no doubt be made – not unreasonably given Atwood mentored Alderman.
www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk
Dubai author’s Good news
Karen Osman's brilliant year got even better with the news that the Dubai-based author, who won the Montegrappa Writing Prize at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature last year, will have her first novel published by Head of Zeus in November. Currently titled The Good Mother, the thriller – the first of a three-book deal – is set in a prison and the publishers describe it as "a fantastically tense novel, with twists and turns galore, and a shock at the end even the keenest of thriller readers won't see coming".
artslife@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The%20end%20of%20Summer
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
Company%20Profile
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