Dragons always fascinated Debi Evans. The mysterious world of the mythical creatures sparked her interest as a child and when as an adult she spotted one rocking gently on its own outside a sweet shop in the south of England her imagination soared.
"Oh look," she said to her three young children. "There's a dragon and it's about to fly away and have an adventure." Eight-year-old Olivia, Callum, aged six and even two-year-old Nathan begged her to tell them a story, but there were rock pools to explore and sandcastles to be built on the beach in the sleepy Devon town of Combe Martin where the family were on holiday and the story had to wait. To be precise, it had to wait 10 years.
"I promised my kids that I would write a story about it but we were on the way to the beach so we all just forgot about it," she says.
Fast-forward to a book fair in Dubai where Debi was representing the UK publisher Child's Play. Callum, now 16, was helping his mother and idly inquired why he never got to hear the dragon story she promised to write.
Debi takes up the story: "I was sitting at a book fair at the Emirates International Nursery School, which no longer exists, when Callum asked what happened to that story about the dragon. So I sat there and wrote a short story about it."
Little did she know that it would turn into what she describes as the "best-paid hobby I ever had".
Today, she and her writing partner John MacPherson have published four books and sold more than 17,000 copies, and there are still more in the pipeline. They have a devoted fan base of about 1,000 children who belong to The Secret Society of Dragon Protectors and who regularly key in to the society's website for news of dragons that might be hiding in dragon-shaped objects right here in the UAE.
"Once you start looking around you will see that they are all over the place. For example, over the building at Dragonmart, then there's an ice dragon at the ski slope - it breathes ice for obvious reasons - and there are about a thousand dragons in China Court at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai," she says.
Evans, 48, arrived in Dubai 18 years ago with a three-month-old baby to join her husband Graham, who works in the food industry. She worked part-time for the children's book publisher, going into schools to give presentations and attending book fairs. During this time she noticed that there seemed to be fewer books for children in the eight-to-13 age bracket.
"I thought there was a gap in the market. I wanted something that nobody else had and I knew it was going to be difficult to get a unique product," she says.
Four years ago she started work on the first dragon story and turned to Macpherson to illustrate it. "We were both Scout leaders and I knew John was brilliant at drawing. What I didn't know then was that he was into dragons and had a terrific imagination," she explains.
MacPherson, 41, from Glasgow, is the area planning manager for McDermott, the oil and gas fabrication company. He lives in Dubai with his wife Eleanor and their two children, Drew, 16, and Heather, 15. He says: "She sent me the short story and asked me to read it and draw a picture that would fit in. I also suggested a different ending. Then my mother-in-law, who used to be a children's book buyer for WH Smith, suggested a bigger book."
On a trip back to the UK, Evans tried to interest Child's Play in the concept. "It was all moving very slowly," she says. "So John and I decided to have a go at writing and expanding the story and producing a book between us. I hadn't done creative writing since I was at school," says Evans who spent a summer doing a creative writing course at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
So, what started off as a story to amuse the children began to take shape as an open-ended writing and publishing enterprise. MacPherson's work involves long hours and lots of travel, so the pair often communicate solely by e-mail and don't meet up for weeks on end.
"I told John I was going to write about this little boy called Angus who looked a bit like his own little boy and he was going to discover a dragon hiding in a dragon-shaped object. There's a Dubai-based dragon in the second book so the kids know there is a dragon in Dubai but where it actually lives will be revealed in book five," says Evans. "Angus is based on my son Nathan. I asked John to draw him but making him three years older. Amazingly, Nathan has grown into that boy."
The partnership is simple. First they agree on the synopsis, then Evans writes it and sends it to MacPherson. "He will cross bits out and rewrite and send it back to me. It takes four to six months to do a book. We have the same vision and we have agreed storylines for about five more books," she says.
They take considerable liberties with history, weaving past events into the adventures. Students might be surprised to learn that the Great Fire of London might have been started by a dragon and members of the society know that St George was really a dragon protector, rather than a dragon slayer.
Once Evans and MacPherson had the first book written and illustrated, the pair set about trying to find a publisher. After receiving about a dozen rejections, they decided to do it themselves. "We wrote to a few publishers thinking we had done the hard work and that we were about to become rich and famous and got practically the same letter from all if them wishing us good luck but saying that they weren't going to pick it up. So we taught ourselves,"Evans says.
"We discovered that we could become the publishers by purchasing an ISBN number, so we bought a block of 10 for £100 (Dh6,000). You need an ISBN number in order to sell books in shops. Next we had to find a printer and we discovered Express Print in Dubai. But first we needed approval from the National Media Council. You have to take your manuscript into their offices at Al Qusais Dubai, then they read it and give you a print licence.
"Rather foolishly I said to John that if we get our books printed I would sell them. I undertook to go out into the schools. We had 20 or 30 boxes of them sitting in our spare room so there was a moment when I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew. But in three months I had sold the lot.
"For the past three years I've been visiting schools and doing presentations, telling the children how we got into writing. I always end by telling them, 'And now I'm going to tell you the biggest secret in the world. Dragons are real. They are still alive and hiding among us.'"
Both felt they needed to involve their young readers, so MacPherson set about designing and establishing the website at thesecretsocietyofdragonprotectors.com.
"I just made it up the way I would like a website to be. There are secret pages and it's designed for two purposes: one, to put all the information up there in case a publisher or agent decided to click onto it; the other to give information to and receive information from the kids."
Children get their own membership card and a listing on a world map located within the website. Visitors can also use the map to find where the dragon characters in the books are located.
As a marketing idea it was decided to give a lump of "dragonore" away with each copy of the books. They sell for Dh45 in book shops. Dragonore is the magical substance that allows people to see hidden dragons. "Only children with imagination can see them," says Evans says.
For Evans and MacPherson it has been an interesting hobby that is beginning to pay off. MacPherson says: "Seeing the first book coming out of the printers was an emotional moment. Debi actually cried. That excitement and passion hasn't dwindled. The feedback that we get from the kids is tremendous so we are very much in touch with our fans."
The first book, The Dragon's Tale, printed in December 2006 sold out of its first print run of 1,500 in just three months. The sequel, The Secret Society of Dragon Protectors - The Cor Stan, launched in April 2007 at Borders in Dubai was also well received, and the third, A Shadow in Time, followed in December 2007. Book four, The Secret Society of Dragon Protectors - The City Guardians came out in March last year, and Evans and McPherson have firm ideas for at least another five books in the series, not to mention a growing fan base in the 35 schools visited in the Dubai, plus some in England.
Evans says: "We are not trying to be JK Rowling, but we saw something together that we could produce and make happen. We are making a little money now. Considering we did it all by ourselves we're feeling quite pleased about that. The great thing is that we can make this work wherever we are.
"What we have discovered is that everybody of whatever age is fascinated by dragons."
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
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.
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
PRISCILLA
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FA CUP FINAL
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDesign%2C%20multimedia%20and%20creative%20work%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELogo%20design%2C%20website%20design%2C%20visualisations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20management%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELegal%20or%20management%20consulting%2C%20architecture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBusiness%20and%20professional%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EResearch%20support%2C%20proofreading%2C%20bookkeeping%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESales%20and%20marketing%20support%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESearch%20engine%20optimisation%2C%20social%20media%20marketing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EData%20entry%2C%20administrative%2C%20and%20clerical%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20entry%20tasks%2C%20virtual%20assistants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIT%2C%20software%20development%20and%20tech%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EData%20analyst%2C%20back-end%20or%20front-end%20developers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWriting%20and%20translation%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EContent%20writing%2C%20ghost%20writing%2C%20translation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOnline%20microtasks%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EImage%20tagging%2C%20surveys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20World%20Bank%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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