A recent guest at of this year’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai, Best-selling British author Adele Parks describes her regular visits to the UAE during the early 90s, pre-boom period, as memorable.
“My parents used to live here in Dubai way back when,” says Parks, who was a guest at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature that was held in Dubai in March. “My father, who is now retired, was in the construction business here and I would come over to see him. The last time I visited here was two years ago and that was after 18 years, and the transformation that I saw was amazing.
“What I like about the country is that not everything is done for the sake of it. I am a big fan of modern architecture and you can definitely see that lots of thought goes into some of the wonderful building designs.”
Parks's reflections on the past have played a role in her creative process. Her new novel, If You Go Away, marks her second consecutive work of historical fiction, after last year's well- received Spare Brides.
Set in 1914 in an England that was at the brink of the First World War, the novel follows young Vivian who marries a traditionalist. Using the war as an excuse to escape their unhappy marital life, Vivian’s husband enlists in the army and travels abroad. Meanwhile, Vivian is left to take over the managing of the estate and strikes a relationship with the photographer and conscientious objector Howard.
While Parks can't say whether Spare Brides and If You Go Away mark a permanent shift to historical fiction, she credits the genre for challenging people's perceptions of her work.
“I was in this rather comfortable position where I wrote 13 contemporary novels, and I have been lucky in they were all well received,” she says.
“But it can also be a double-edged sword, because people began to think that contemporary fiction is what I do and so I should continue doing that. Meanwhile, I wanted to move on to a bigger canvas.”
Parks says there are plenty of her signature elements in her new work to satisfy long-term fans.
“There are still stories about women and women’s issues,” she says. “Whether it is now or 100 years ago, I believe that many of these issues are the same. The ambitions, hopes and dreams are surprisingly similar and are shared across different cultures. So I knew I could write these books, but they just needed a lot of research.”
From a father who abandons his family in 2001's Game Over, to a woman yearning for a child in 2009's Tell Me Something, Parks's characters often have to make heart-wrenching decisions.
“I think I do have a strong moral compass,” she says. “So while my characters are often flawed and experience some trauma, I always try to make them go on a journey where they discover their weaknesses, work on themselves and put things right.”
With such universal themes running through her work, it is understandable that Parks bristles when her work is defined as chick-lit.
A proud feminist, she says the label often targets women authors as opposed to topics discussed in the novel.
She cites fellow British author David Nicholls as an example: “Nobody calls his books that, although it is absolutely in my category,” she says.
"When David wrote One Day, he sent his book to me and others like Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes for an endorsement quote – which I happily did because it is a great book – because he knew that was his market. I think now people are getting more sensitive to it and asking perhaps to call such books contemporary women's fiction or, simply, contemporary fiction."
As for Parks’s books, perhaps it best to ditch reading physical copies. It is through Kindle, says the author, that her work has been able to cross the gender divide.
"With Kindle I have so many more readers because they are not embarrassed by the cover," she says. "I think men would struggle with some titles and the covers of my books – such as Men I've Loved Before – to sit on the train and read it. With Kindle they have no problem at all because there is no cover and it is discreet."
sasaeed@thenational.ae
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How much of your income do you need to save?
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Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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Company%20Profile
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Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
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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
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
SPECS
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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