Float through any social event with M's fast facts. This week the avid reader Rick Arthur gets tangled up in the sticky web of literary genres, and vows to find himself a good book.
THE BASICS, PART ONE Let's back into this one, bibliophiles, shall we? A literary genre is not a category of the age of a book's intended audience (adult, young-adult or children). It is not a literary format, such as graphic novel or picture book. It is not a literary technique, such as parody or stream of consciousness.
THE BASICS, PART TWO "Genre" is French, from the Latin genus, generis, meaning "a kind". There are two genres of literature: fiction and non-fiction. Their sub-genres (some would call them genres also) could fill the Instant Expert's meagre space, but fiction includes drama, fantasy, folklore, humour, mystery, mythology, poetry, romance and science fiction; non-fiction includes autobiography, biography, the essay and the narrative. Oh, and we cannot overlook the non-fiction sub-genre in which we labour and that, we are certain, you so enjoy: journalism.
STILL... It's all subjective. As the Muse of Literature writes on the website of the Exploring the Arts Foundation, http://electricka.com: "Perhaps no other literary term or concept has been so misunderstood, so loosely defined or so often used and misused in so many varied ways by so many different people. Many of the ways in which genre is used are flat-out incorrect; and many of those who use the term incorrectly are critics, educators and writers, all of whom should know better." OK, Ms Muse, we're being careful.
THE CROSSOVER What to make, then, of the non-fiction novel? Never mind that the term is an oxymoron; is it a genre? Yes, we submit. There's simply no other good way to categorise this hybrid in which the storytelling techniques of fiction are used on historical figures and events. Truman Capote pioneered the genre with In Cold Blood (1965); those who followed include Hunter S Thompson, Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe.
WHODUNITS Consider the mystery as a popular example of a sub-genre of fiction, and one that spawns sub-sub-genres. It is, as you might suspect, a narrative about the solution of a crime. Prominent mystery authors include Agatha Christie (see right), Edgar Allen Poe and Ellery Queen. The mystery's sub-subs include the detective story, the police procedural, the legal thriller, the medical thriller and the spy story.
BODICE-RIPPERS Romance novels, while hardly the Instant Expert's mug of Earl Grey, form a robust sub-genre (see right). Sub-sub-genres are gothic (Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë), Regency (The Rake and the Reformer by Mary Jo Putney) and woman-in-danger (I'll Be Seeing You by Mary Higgins Clark).
MORE, MORE, MORE... Look at speculative fiction as another sub-genre that has many sub-sub-genres (and sub-sub-sub, and sub-sub-sub-sub, and beyond). Broadly speaking (we know you're watching, Ms Muse), speculative fiction could be broken down into science fiction, horror and fantasy. Science fiction could be broken down into hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, space opera, punk, alternative universe and sci-fi romance. Punk could be broken down into cyberpunk, steampunk and biopunk. Cyberpunk could be broken down into dieselpunk, atompunk, nanopunk and postcyberpunk. It's like those Russian nesting dolls, isn't it?
... AND EVEN MORE If you can't find something to read here, there's no hope for you: absurdist fiction, adventure novels, comic novels, experimental fiction, historical fiction, philosophical fiction, pulp fiction, sagas, Westerns, women's fiction.
THE END A book is like a garden carried in the pocket, according to a Chinese proverb. We don't care what genre it fits into.
The top five best-selling fiction writers
Who are the best-selling fiction authors of all time? The question can be answered only with educated guesses based on estimates, given that we don't have records that cover all of history, even relatively modern history. Thus, authors including Jane Austen, Miguel de Cervantes and Charles Dickens cannot be reliably listed. That said, here's a probable top five:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE The British playwright and poet has sold between 2 billion and 4 billion books.
AGATHA CHRISTIE The pioneering British writer of detective fiction also has sold from 2 billion to 4 billion books.
BARBARA CARTLAND The British romance novelist produced an astonishing 721 titles and has sold from 500 million to 1 billion books.
DANIELLE STEEL The American romance novelist has sold about 800 million books and is probably the best-selling living author.
HAROLD ROBBINS The New York/Hollywood/adventure novelist has sold about 750 million books.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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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
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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.”
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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The view from The National
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam