Tahira Yaqoob

The cult hero, who died on Monday, penned more than 500 books

The poet speaks about the scars, healing and words that have allowed him to survive

Academy president announces in Dubai that global votes will be cast, writes Tahira Yaqoob

Moving to a new country opens up a rare opportunity to communicate in the local language. Tahira Yaqoob talks to UAE expats who have learned Arabic who say everyone else is missing out

Charging for plastic bags would put the UAE on a par with countries like the UK and Ireland, where plastic bag use plummeted by up to 90 per cent after charges the equivalent of between 25 fils and 50 fils per bag were introduced.

Could you have imagined Sherlock Holmes delving into mysteries anywhere other than Victorian London?

Whether it's Dubai, Kyrgyzstan or Hogwarts, a carefully chosen location does not merely give context to the action of a novel, it builds worlds real or imaginary and can even dictate a character’s path and choices.

Crime writer Sophie Hannah gave her top tips to budding detective fiction writers at a workshop held at the Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach hotel.

The artist spent the five months travelling, mostly by motorbike, to lost libraries along the ancient Silk Road trade routes, from China to Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Egypt and Italy.

With more Asian collectors on the scene in Dubai showing interest in work from Middle Eastern artists, it was time to check out a new market, where the interest of buyers was less quantifiable

Pakistani artists have been working furiously for decades, and while they are regularly featured in the UAE’s art fairs, only a select few, such as Rashid Rana, have won recognition on a global scale – until now

Nadiya Hussain applied to be a school dinner lady but did not get the job. She was the first Muslim contestant on BBC TV's The Great British Bake Off and a winner, who then went on to bake the cake for Queen Elizabeth II's 90 birthday.

Pakistani-American comic book editor Sana Amanat tells us what inspired her to create the Muslim superhero, Ms Marvel.

Noted screenwriter Andrew Davies, who was in Dubai for the Emirates Festival of Literature, talks to Tahira Yaqoob about his ability to turn classic books into successful television shows