The National News Logo
  • My Profile
  • Saved articles
  • Newsletters
  • Sign out
UserSign in
  • Register
  • Sign in

News
UAE
Gulf
MENA
US
UK
Europe
Asia
Business
Aviation
Economy
Energy
Money
Property
Banking
Markets
Opinion
Comment
Editorial
Obituaries
Cartoon
Feedback
Future
Science
Space
Technology
Climate
Environment
Road to Net Zero
Health
Culture
Art & Design
Books
Film & TV
Music & On-stage
Pop Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Fashion & Beauty
Food
Motoring
Luxury
Home & Garden
Wellbeing
Things to do
Sport
Football
Cricket
F1
Tennis
Combat Sports
Cycling
TN Magazine
Special reports
Weekend
Ramadan

Podcasts Newsletters Follow us App Video
TN MagazineSpecial reportsWeekendRamadan
News
UAE
Gulf
MENA
US
UK
Europe
Asia
Business
Aviation
Economy
Energy
Money
Property
Banking
Markets
Opinion
Comment
Editorial
Obituaries
Cartoon
Feedback
Future
Science
Space
Technology
Climate
Environment
Road to Net Zero
Health
Culture
Art & Design
Books
Film & TV
Music & On-stage
Pop Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Fashion & Beauty
Food
Motoring
Luxury
Home & Garden
Wellbeing
Things to do
Sport
Football
Cricket
F1
Tennis
Combat Sports
Cycling
News
UAE
Gulf
MENA
US
UK
Europe
Asia
Business
Aviation
Economy
Energy
Money
Property
Banking
Markets
Opinion
Comment
Editorial
Obituaries
Cartoon
Feedback
Future
Science
Space
Technology
Climate
Environment
Road to Net Zero
Health
Culture
Art & Design
Books
Film & TV
Music & On-stage
Pop Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Fashion & Beauty
Food
Motoring
Luxury
Home & Garden
Wellbeing
Things to do
Sport
Football
Cricket
F1
Tennis
Combat Sports
Cycling
Culture
Books
Turbulence is Hafsa Lodi's debut novel. Photo: Hafsa Lodi

How a plane journey inspired me to write the modern Muslim woman

In Dunya, the protagonist in Turbulence, I transplanted many of the inner dilemmas, doubts and insecurities that women of my generation grapple with

Books

Sharjah Ruler launches translation of Portuguese-Gulf history in Lisbon

Cairo's Diwan Publishing brings Nobel winner Naguib Mahfouz to new readers

Author Tim Mackintosh-Smith on how to travel like Ibn Battuta

13 inspiring sessions you can still get tickets for at Emirates LitFest

Memorable moments from 17 years of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

Novelist Scott Turow on why legal thrillers are really about family damage



Culture Bites

  • What makes Ramadan TV culture so special in the Arab world?
    Headphones

    Culture BitesWhat makes Ramadan TV culture so special in the Arab world?

  • Who was the target audience for Bad Bunny’s half-time show?
    Headphones

    Culture BitesWho was the target audience for Bad Bunny’s half-time show?

  • So you want to be a serious art collector? Abu Dhabi is calling
    Headphones

    Culture BitesSo you want to be a serious art collector? Abu Dhabi is calling

  • Culture Bites
    Headphones

    Culture BitesAsma Khan on the impact of cooking with seasonal ingredients

  • Culture Bites Al Hosn
    Headphones

    Culture BitesCelebrating Emirati culture at Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi

  • Sitting down with viral artist Werner Bronkhorst
    Headphones

    Culture BitesSitting down with viral artist Werner Bronkhorst

  • The band reviving Kuwaiti pearl-diving music through jazz
    Headphones

    Culture BitesThe band reviving Kuwaiti pearl-diving music through jazz

  • The year in culture: top reads, movies and moments of 2025
    Headphones

    Culture BitesThe year in culture: top reads, movies and moments of 2025


More from this section
Australian-Palestinian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah has been invited to be a part of Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027. EPA

Palestinian author accepts Adelaide festival apology

Randa Abdel-Fattah is still considering festival organisers' invitation to 2027 Adelaide Writers' Week after this year's cancellation

Books

Adelaide Writers’ Week cancelled after board disinvites Palestinian author

Books
Randa Abdel-Fattah was removed from the writers' week of the festival in Australia. Photo: UNSW Press

Dozens of authors boycott Adelaide Festival after it drops Palestinian writer

Books

Sharjah Festival of African Literature returns with continent's leading voices

Books
Marilyn Booth is the award-winning English translator of Omani author Zahran Alqasmi's Honey Hunger. Getty Images

American translator of Omani novel wins Dh20,000 Saif Ghobash Banipal prize

Books

Book of testimony from Gaza set to grow into digital archive in 2026

Books

Arabic novels being published in English examine angst in various settings

Books

Lebanese writer named Great Arab Minds winner for literature and arts

UAE

Six novels that tell Sudan’s story across generations

Books



Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi at the launch of her book Let Them Know She is Here: Searching for the Queen of Mleiha at the Sharjah International Book Fair. Photo: SIBF

ReviewSheikha Bodour's book is self-portrait of one of Gulf’s key cultural thinkers

Book's archaeological journeys and personal reflections show how curiosity, resilience and purpose can redefine our understanding of heritage

Books

Ruth Ware, Asma Khan and Scott Turrow lead Emirates LitFest 2026 line-up

Books

Five Emirati novels that reflect the UAE’s modern transformation

Books

Egyptian and Lebanese writers win big at ‘Oscars of publishing' in US

Books

The Running Man director explains why he changed Stephen King's original ending

Film & TV

Hungarian-British author David Szalay wins Booker Prize

Books

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie opens new chapter with the Arab world

Books



The Arab Archive for Heritage Foundation is one of the oldest intergenerational book sellers in the Arab world. Antonie Robertson/The National

Sharjah Book Fair stall allows you to 'live a thousand years in one lifetime'

Egyptian family-run booth traces its history back 125 years

Books

Five things to do at Sharjah International Book Fair

Culture

Emirati author Reem Alkamali shortlisted for Brics Literature Award

Books

Sheikha Bodour lands global ambassador role to promote reading

Books

InterviewHoda Barakat on how a new generation is reviving Arab literature

Books

New research rewrites the story of Arabic literature’s ‘lost century’

Books

Emirati stories are finding global readers at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Books



Hoda Barakat won the 2025 Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature for her novel Hind or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World. Photo: Zoran Mircetic / Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

InterviewHoda Barakat on how a new generation is reviving Arab literature

Lebanese author tells The National writers should be guardians of the language

Books

New research rewrites the story of Arabic literature’s ‘lost century’

Books

Emirati stories are finding global readers at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Books

Digital Arabic Library launching in 2026 to expand global reach for publishers

Books

Podcasts
Beyond the Headlines

Beyond the HeadlinesArrow

Delve deeper into the biggest stories from the Middle East and around the world


Culture Bites

Culture BitesArrow

Your guide to the arts and culture scene in the UAE


Business Extra

Business ExtraArrow

The stories, companies, trends, tech, Innovation and leaders shaping your world


Tarab

TarabArrow

Explore the creative worlds of the Middle East’s most compelling musicians


More podcasts

Most popular today

1

UK introduces 11th-hour passport rule change in ETA visa scheme

2

Cartoon for February 23, 2026

3

UAE reveals Eid Al Fitr 2026 holiday dates for public and private sector

4

America is paying for its own tariffs and the real cost is yet to come

5

Bracing for impact: Gulf airlines could face costly reroutes as US-Iran tension threatens airspace


Newsletter

The Arts Edit

The Arts Edit

The insider’s guide to arts and culture in the Middle East

PreviewSign up
More Newsletters

The National News Logo
IPSO regulated

News
UAE
Gulf
MENA
US
UK
Europe
Asia
Business
Aviation
Economy
Energy
Money
Property
Banking
Markets
Opinion
Comment
Editorial
Obituaries
Cartoon
Feedback
Future
Science
Space
Technology
Climate
Environment
Road to Net Zero
Health
Culture
Art & Design
Books
Film & TV
Music & On-stage
Pop Culture
Lifestyle
Travel
Fashion & Beauty
Food
Motoring
Luxury
Home & Garden
Wellbeing
Things to do
Sport
Football
Cricket
Olympics
F1
Tennis
Combat Sports
Cycling
Weekend
Living in the UAE
TN Magazine
Podcasts Newsletters Read E-Paper Print Subscriptions Video App
About UsContact UsWork With UsAdvertise With UsTerms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicySitemapArchiveRegistration FAQsRosalynn Carter Fellowship
IPSO regulated
Follow us
Get news alerts from
The National logo
You can manage notifications at any time by clicking the notifications icon.