ABU DHABI // Sales of an Arabic version of Heidi are going "extremely well", according to the team from Kalima, the translation arm of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.
The book, which was translated into Arabic from German last year, went on sale for the first time in the UAE at the opening Tuesday of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
It had sold far more than expected, said Dr Ali bin Tamim, Kalima's project manager.
"We won't release exact figures until the end of the fair but a huge amount of books have been sold so far - more than we thought. Heidi is now one of our bestsellers," he said.
"We chose this title because it is a story of hope and courage and is a simple story of a girl which is suitable for readers from every country. The illustrations are beautiful and we knew it would be popular."
Peter Stamm, the Swiss author who adapted the original version of Heidi into a children's picture-book in 2008, was at the fair signing copies of the book.
"It is a beautiful thought that children in such a faraway country from the Swiss Alps will now be able to read my book," he said.
"I was surprised by the amount of young people who were already familiar with it. It just shows that the story of Heidi is universal."
The new adaptation of Heidi, written by Stamm and illustrated by the Swiss painter Hannes Binder, takes the essence of Johanna Spyri's original story of an orphaned girl who is adopted by her grandfather, who lives in solitude in the Swiss Alps. She is sent away to Frankfurt, in Germany, and must struggle to return to her beloved mountains.
Stamm said he edited the tale to make it more universal."In the original there were many religious references, as Johanna Spyri was a strict Protestant," he said. "I decided to take them out and add more facts about the environment and the place she was growing up in.
"I think all children respond to the book because it works on one of the most basic fears - losing one's parents. No matter where they come from, I think all children relate to that."
Fatima Mohammed, 35, a mother of three, said her children had seen the animated version on television.
"They watched the cartoon and they loved the story," she said. "I am buying them the book in Arabic so that they can read it too."
Aleya al Nuami, 11, said she liked the illustrations. "The pictures are very nice," she said. "I like reading but I especially like it when you can see the people in the book."
Dr bin Tamim said he hoped the book would soon be available via the emirate's mobile library service - Kitab Bus - which was launched last year.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
The specs
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
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RACECARD
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
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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.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)