No other form of journalism is possibly so underestimated as travel writing, and probably no other profession so glamourised. As both a travel writer and editor, I am constantly surprised at how poorly even accomplished journalists and authors write about travel, how lazily they pitch their stories and how difficult they find it to turn it in copy. Too many travel pieces, even published ones, are laced with clichés, devoid of any meaningful context, historical or otherwise. Criticism suddenly becomes a lost art form.
Probably the best achievement of a brilliantly practical new book by Lonely Planet, How to be a Travel Writer, is its swift debunking of this myth. "Ninety-five per cent of the job involves a lot of hard work," it states. "It's gathering minute details on hotels, bus timetables, restaurants and walking tours. It's researching which god did what, which ruler took over from whom when, and what is signified by the curious ceremony that's performed every third Friday in May. It's waiting for planes and trains, buses and ferries, tuk-tuks and trishaws. It's swatting mosquitoes and squatting over hole-in-the-floor toilets." And that's still the easy part.
After first looking at the qualities needed (they include stamina, tenacity, flexibility, curiosity and an ability to live modestly), it moves swiftly on to journalistic skills and exercises on the “how-tos” of writing a travel story – the importance of research, focus, interviews, structure and self-editing. One of the most crucial is “descriptive accuracy”, because it is only through this that your trip becomes interesting, relevant and useful to others. If everything is “awesome”, “breathtaking” and “stunning”, it is just a letter to your mum, and a bad one at that.
The realities of getting published – where, when and how, from newspapers and magazines to blogs – is looked at, along with pitching to editors.
While travel writing is extremely competitive and it is hard to make a living out of it, I say no to about 90 per cent of pitches because they are either irrelevant to our readers, a repetition of stories we have already run or pitched at completely the wrong time of year.
I am always looking for experienced writers who have researched angles that work with our location here in the UAE, offer an imaginative update on an already popular destination or a look at a completely new one, such as that offered by a new flight route.
Despite the difficulties involved, this is a wonderfully can-do book packed with tips that are useful even to seasoned travel writers. I wish every journalist who really wants to learn to write about travel, rather than just have a free holiday with a piece as the pay-off, would read this book.
How to be a Travel Writer by Don George with Janine Eberle is published by Lonely Planet and costs £12.99 (Dh63)
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: SmartCrowd
Started: 2018
Founder: Siddiq Farid and Musfique Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech / PropTech
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Current number of staff: 35
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Various institutional investors and notable angel investors (500 MENA, Shurooq, Mada, Seedstar, Tricap)
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS WITHIN THE THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES?
Advanced materials: specifically engineered to exhibit novel or enhanced properties, that confer superior performance relative to conventional materials
Advanced components: includes semiconductor components, such as microprocessors and other computer chips, and computer vision components such as lenses and image sensors
Advanced products: includes personal electronics, smart home devices and space technologies, along with industry-enabling products such as robots, 3D printing equipment and exoskeletons
Source: Strategy&
Sweet Tooth
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
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The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km