The singer, songwriter and philanthropist Yusuf Islam, who lives in Dubai and was previously known as Cat Stevens, will publish his memoir, Why I Still Carry a Guitar, on September 16. In it, he reveals the gripping and often moving story of his journey as a teenager experiencing the dizzying heights of music superstardom, selling more than 60 million albums, to a man defined by his faith, who gave up music for more than a quarter of a century but is back delivering his message of peace through music and art. In 1977, Islam founded the first government-sponsored Muslim school in the United Kingdom. His pioneering work in education and humanitarian relief is recognised worldwide and has earned him numerous awards. Why I Still Carry a Guitar costs Dh95 from bookshops and on www.booksarabia.com from September 16.
Actors under orders to keep quiet about Star Wars
The eagerly anticipated Star Wars Episode VII may well be the most talked-about movie of all time – except among members of the cast at the Venice Film Festival, who were under strict orders not to reveal any details. Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, joked that Star Wars producers had gone to extraordinary lengths to maintain secrecy. "There are snipers trained on us right now," she said. Adam Driver, who is in Venice with the festival entry Hungry Hearts, was also tight-lipped when asked what it was like to walk onto a Star Wars set for the first time. "I will say this – it's surreal," he said.
Girls creator has advice for women in showbiz
Lena Dunham's advice for young women hoping to get a foot in the showbiz door: do it yourself. "The biggest question that I get from young women is: 'How do I get into the position that you are in?'" said the creator and star of the HBO comedy-drama Girls, who got her start by posting short films on YouTube. "Making a movie doesn't have to be something that you do on location with actors. It can be something that exists in your everyday life. So that whenever I talk to young women I encourage them to take that road and make their own work and not to wait for permission to have their stories get told." Dunham was speaking at a Venice Film Festival event sponsored by Miu Miu Women's Tales.
Indian actor honoured with US stamp
The United States Postal Service is issuing a postage stamp of the Indian actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao on September 20, marking what would have been his 91st birthday. "I'm deeply touched and so are other members of the Akkineni family by the issuance of this postage stamp and I am deeply grateful for conferring one of America's highest honours to my father," said the late actor's son, Nagarjuna. "While my father has been cited many times as being among the most adored artists of all time, the recognition in his being portrayed on a US postage stamp will rank as a great honour. It is certainly a big tribute to Indian cinema and our culture." Nageswara Rao starred in more than 250 films in a career that spanned more than three decades. He died on January 22.
New Kids on the Block singer gets hitched
The actor and singer Donnie Wahlberg and television presenter Jenny McCarthy got married on Sunday in a ceremony on the outskirts of Chicago. It is the second marriage for both of them. Wahlberg, 45, still performs with New Kids on the Block. He also stars in the police drama Blue Bloods and appears on the reality show Wahlburgers about the family restaurant. He has two sons from his first marriage. McCarthy, 41, recently left her job as a host of the talk show The View and now presents a radio show on SiriusXM. She has a son from her first marriage. The couple began dating last year.