This time last year, excitable literary commentators suggested the Syrian poet Adonis was on the verge of becoming only the second writer in Arabic to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The stars did appear to be aligning in his favour; not only did the 81-year-old have a wonderful new collection of his work available in English, but the Arab Spring was refocusing interest in the literature of the Middle East.
And then the Swedish Academy awarded it to, er, a Swedish poet. The bestowal of the sought-after medal to Tomas Transtromer immediately confirmed the suspicion that when it comes to the Nobel Prize, it's wise not to pay too much attention to predictions. After all, there is no public shortlist and the nominations are kept secret for a staggering 50 years.
Still, there is a certain sport in trying to second guess who, this evening, will join the likes of Mario Vargas Llosa, JM Coetzee and VS Naipaul as Nobel Laureates.
This year, the early favourite is the hugely popular Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, whose latest fantasy novel IQ84 was described as "profoundly affecting" by The National.
He is, however, possibly an overly populist and indeed youthful (at only 63) choice for an Academy not adverse to overlooking regular calls for Bob Dylan to be recognised (nevertheless, he's still sixth favourite). By that rationale, the Irish short story writer William Trevor, 84, is a safer pick, not least because he's not hugely well known outside of the literary prize circle, unlike another virtuoso of the short story form also among the favourites, the Canadian Alice Munro.
Munro is also 81, and the sense that the Nobel Prize tends to recognise writing lives well lived is possibly why Adonis is still among the top dozen said to be vying for the award. Whoever wins, it's encouraging that only four of the 21st-century laureates write in English - secretive and baffling the prize may be, but it's not prone to favouring anglophone writing, as the backing of the Chinese writer Mo Yan, Hungarian Peter Nadas and Dutchman Cees Nooteboom this year also suggests.
All will be revealed today. For the real story, however, you might just have to wait 50 years.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Fixtures
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
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.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
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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
More coverage from the Future Forum
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.