Copy: The National, Gulf Life, Vision,  The Observer This spring I’ve been busy with the International Prize For Arabic Fiction – colloquially known as the Arabic Booker - for a number of publications. First I spoke with one of the nominees, Ezzedine Choukri Fishere for Gulf...

Copy: The National 13/03/12 >> CNN published an interesting story today on Saudi women. Entitled Pampered or Oppressed, it highlights the case of Samar Badawi, who served seven months in jail simply for disobeying her father. Earlier this month, she was given the 2012 International...

Copy: The National 27/02/12, Metro 19/02/12 >> Having been to Mauritius recently, I was fascinated to see how the Booker-nominated Sri Lankan author Romesh Gunesekera would approach a novel set on the island. His lasting impression was similar to my own – it’s a fascinating...

Copy: The National 26/02/12 >> For a while last year it seemed like everyone was reading David Nicholls’ One Day, the wonderful tale of two star-crossed university lovers who we happen across every year, on the same day, for 20 years. I must admit I came to it late – one of...

Copy: The National 20/02/12 >> My very favourite book of 2012 so far is Ruth Padel’s The Mara Crossing. Even the cover is gorgeous. It’s a really lovely series of reflections on migration, be that animal, human or avian, in which Padel writes a short essay on a topic which...

Copy: Metro 16/02/12 >> Once again, I can’t post a link to Metro’s book reviews because for some reason they don’t publish them online. But here’s my review of Alex Preston’s second novel which, despite some reservations, I heartily recommend. The...

Copy: The National 09/02/12 >> Every time I see another report on the terrible events in Syria, I’m reminded of Syrian poet Adonis. He lives in self-imposed exile after being imprisoned in 1956 for his involvement in an opposition party, but, writing from his Paris and Beirut...