Crime writer Sophie Hannah, who has revived Agatha Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot. HarperCollins / AP Photo.
Crime writer Sophie Hannah, who has revived Agatha Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot. HarperCollins / AP Photo.

Sophie Hannah, Hercule Poirot’s new creator, leads crime writing workshop in Dubai



In a sterile boardroom in a Dubai hotel, there are dead bodies strewn all over the place.

There is the vicar nailed to his church’s cross, a socialite drowned in an infinity pool, a Pope being poisoned by one of his own devotees and a millionaire locked in his own panic room and left to die.

Behind such gruesome endings are an assortment of mothers, construction workers, marketing managers and even a 15-year-old schoolgirl, all hungry to learn how to dispose of the evidence while keeping everyone guessing.

For this gathering of 12 recruits with murder in mind, assembled in the Antibes conference room in the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach hotel, have signed up to a three-day course on how to write a great mystery story, led by Sophie Hannah. Her successful revival of Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot makes Hannah the perfect teacher to share top tips on how to keep readers riveted until the last page.

“The most successful books are the ones whose first pages do a whole range of useful things,” says Hannah. “[The writer] Ruth Rendell always said you have to hook your reader with the first line.

“There does not have to be a dead body in the first page but you do need to make it clear it is a crime novel with the sense of lots being at stake. If you get that feeling quickly and efficiently [as a reader], you are far more likely to read on.”

Hannah herself looks as if butter wouldn’t melt. Mumsy with wanton hair, floral-patterned tops and flip-flops, she barely raises an eyebrow wandering through the lobby of the hotel, which is hosting the Emirates Literature Foundation event.

In person too she is extraordinarily down to earth, peppering her teaching with humorous anecdotes and breaking down an art form cloaked in mystery for many of her students into easily surmountable challenges.

Hannah starts by telling our class of 12 (they are whittled down to nine by the end of the workshop, although that is more likely down to the early hour than a mystery for Miss Marple) to write a blurb for a mystery novel, one which we never have to write.

Afterwards she tells us reverse psychology can sometimes unlock a writer’s imagination.

“Saying you do not have to write it actually inspires you,” she says. “It is easier to improve a flawed thing that exists than to work on something that does not exist.

“Give yourself permission to write something flawed. The most important thing is [to] finish your first draft.”

The exercise inspires Belgian art historian and tour guide Renilde Vervoort, 56, who has a doctorate in Dutch witchcraft representations from 1450 to 1700, to come up with a fanciful idea about a plot to topple the Pope, centring on a 13th century magical manuscript. Hannah says the more outlandish the idea, the better – but adds it has to be matched by an equally unexpected ending while still being plausible.

“You have to plant clues and the reader has to see them,” she says. “You want the reader to think: ‘Of course, it was mentioned 15 times but I never noticed it.’”

She is an advocate of having a firm plan in place before starting to write so the only surprises are for the reader.

“I see it as an essential part of the process. I think of it like an architectural plan of a house.”

A strong believer in lists and constructing stories methodically, she shares her top-10 tips on crime writing essentials – what to include on a first page, how to structure a plot and how to fix a novel if it is not working.

She advises attendees to “mislead the reader. A fair novel will set up who the culprits are but you have failed if the reader can see what the pay-off will be.”

Hannah’s focus is on dispelling some of the myths surrounding writing, pointers which can apply to all kinds of novels, not simply murder mysteries. She arms her protégés with the skills to start telling engaging, suspense-filled stories and gives encouraging advice.

Praise is lavished on Swedish Ebba Skoog, whose opening for a sophisticated psychological thriller set in a maximum security hospital is described by Hannah as “almost 100 per cent perfect. Your writing is very precise. It’s like a Swiss watch – precision-engineered.”

Skoog, a pupil at the English College Dubai, then startles the class by revealing she is still only 15.

“I have always been a big reader so I wanted to write something of my own,” she says.

“Until now I have never shown what I have written to anyone else. I did not know how to write a mystery novel but this has given me a lot of pointers.”

Some of the class, like marketing executive Kate Lillie, 36, are beginners and simply looking for the encouragement to start pursuing their passion; others, like Dubai Eye presenter Brandy Scott, have been writing for years and are looking for techniques to hone their craft.

Hannah says she hopes they leave with a strong framework in which to begin.

“A lot of writers place their energy into worrying about the process of writing but because you can never be objective about your writing, there is no point in worrying,” she says.

“Treat it like a game and give yourself permission for it to be more fun.”

Tahira Yaqoob is a freelance journalist based in Dubai and a regular contributor to The National.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Engine: 3.7-litre V6

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German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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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
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England Test squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

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Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat