Writings On The Wall
Not just some random thoughts…
Interview: Robert Greene
Mar 11th
How did you find Dubai?
I haven’t really been around the city, but so far whatver I have seen, I love it. I am enjoying it, loving the atmosphere.
What are your thoughts on the economic crash around the world?
Economic crash is not really what you think it is. Its not aftermath, its evolution, its a change, the world has not caught up with it. Power is changing. Business and politics have not caught up with the times. Its creative destruction, destructions of cycles of capitalism.
The old world model is disappearing. Before, it was all about attracting large businesses, products and celebrities. Old business model was based on creating some sort of products and marketing it to hell, about domination and bullying.
But its evolving. For example look at the competition between Microsoft an Google. Its like the war between Napoleon and Russians. Napoleon introduced new organisational methods, new tactics. Google is like that.
Existing business models are not perfect and are showing faults. Hierarchy and bureaucracy have made businesses slow and inefficient.
Do you think any country has a edge on other in the current economic situation?
The concept of nation or state is dieing. Barriers and boundaries are disappearing.
There is no country that holds a definite edge.
For example China has a definite advantage over United States but China is ‘socially and politically backward’, so I don’t see China dominating.
India on the other side has a high number of educated and ambitious youth who are very concerned about future and technology. India is also socially vibrant. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
‘United States is in a state of decline.’ Instead of attracting talent from countries like China and India there is a reverse drain. But the Universities in United States are still the best and its socially forward, multi-cultural.
So there is pretty much a mixed picture in the world. Nation concept is dieing.
What do you think is the way ahead for Dubai?
Dubai can become a centre of attracting new technology firms, best of engineers. It can become the Silicon Valley of Middle East.
10 years ago, Dubai had a definite edge as compared to places in the Middle East. It was something different.
It could again be exciting and different. There is so much history and so much of Arabic learning here.
Do you think the recession or economic slowdown which keeps emerging every few decades can be avoided?
Recession which appeared in 2008 is like Tsunami. The changes around the world and the financial bubble sort of combined and an unusually large wave swept the world.
With capitalism, avoiding recession is not possible. There are cycles of capitalism and they are destroyed, both large and small. In fact I think we shouldn’t avoid this. There are constant dynamic forces and there should always be room for something new to emerge.
The worst is system is a stable system where there is no change.
I personally think recession is inevitable.
Business models are drastically changing. The information age started in 1990 but it took it a long time to be a success but it has finally arrived.
Speed and adaptability are the keywords. Existing businesses should add value chains, like Amazon and Apple (itunes). Businesses should be fast, fluid and adaptable, they should allow room for change.
For example, Google: Its light, un bureaucratic, no marketing or sales or editorial team, very few managers and business people. Its fast and fluid. Its about crushing the distance between your sales/marketing team and your customers. Its about getting closer to your audience. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are lessening the distance.
Another example is Zara. It sells its stuff online. Their speed of response is very fast, its a light company, no advertisements. They come up with 100s of new products very quickly, gets instant feedback and therefore, is very close to it’s customers. They rely on word to mouth publicity.
Strategy and structure are the soul of business.
What are your thoughts on Emirates Airline Festival of Literature?
Its very interesting and exciting. The audience is very nice and open. I talked for 50 minutes and usually I see people yawning and texting on their cellphones, but the audience last night was very responsive. I am massively impressed, the festival is very well run.
About the author:
Bestselling author and public speaker, Robert Greene was born in Los Angeles and has lived in London, Paris and Barcelona. His first book, The 48 Laws of Power was published in 1998 and quickly became an international bestseller. Next came The Art of seduction, a handbook on how to wield the ultimate form of power and a detailed look at the greatest seducers in history. The third in the series, The 33 strategies of War, was published in 2006 and offers a strategic and very topical look at the impact of war on everyday life. Now his latest book The 50th Law, co-written with rapper 50 Cent, takes as its central theme, fearlessness.
Youssef Ziedan: in Conversation
Mar 10th
Youssef Ziedan
in Conversation with Mohammad Al Murr
“What can I do with all my pasion when I’m imprisoned in my worries?” Thought provoking much?
Welcome to Day 1 Session 6, International Prize for Arabic Fiction or Arabic Booker Prize, 2009 winner author Youssef Ziedan in Conversation with Mohammad Al Murr.
Do historical novels need research and reading to a great extent?
This is the first thing required. In any time, to write about history, you must try to live, imagine that time. I imagined I lived those scenes. In recent times, the anatomy would be different. To write about history, we go identify history.
Accusations: Instead of making it a history of religion, you made it a historical book.
When I was young, an editor asked me to write an article. I started writing, but I used to feel sad when parts of my articles were removed. I complained with my editor and he asked me to write again and again and keep writing.
In response to my novel, 6 books were wrote. One of which accused me of showing ignorance to history. I go back to what me editor told me: write and write.
What I see as more fruitful is that people won’t stop criticising. We are not going to wait for what these people think.
There are various aspects of history. Why would my novel be an accusation when it came 300 years after Coptic Chair? History can be dealt with various angles and we don’t wanna be dead or demolished again. I take the freedom provided as to me to write, but I will not cry. I write my novel, I finish my job and move to write another novel. So let them say what they want to say.
Do you think your novel is not a scientific information? Its fiction. Don’t you think you should refrain from writing such controversial things for the interest of nation?
We should confront tutorship. I did refrained from shedding lights on topics which conflicts with Sharia. Even the Bishop said, this is balance of power. Our Government banned Da Vinci Code (movie) when the Church requested them to.
Imagine if each region is going to come up with sad reactions, what will we write about?
I wanted to write how Jews left Alexandria because there was misery, but I avoided writing about those adventures. Things that are presented as undiscussable are not even close to history. I was not attacking Coptic Church or any person. Historical awareness covered in Azazil goes beyond this issue.
Kindly explain what part of your novel is historical, what is imagination and what’s the reality?
I have not put or created this framework. This is upon the reader to put his imagination to work. Character are real, they existed in history, I just manoeuvred them using some reference.
The text doesn’t include anything, The text it a mirror that reflects what you see. You are a reader and you come up with results.
How did you come about to write a novel?
I came to write novel from Sufism. ‘When’ indicated time, an era and spirits from beyond etc. Capacity of this term explains the power of literature.
A large part of my work are taken from Sufism and this was a natural reaction. Talent also needs other complimentary elements, you will have to read a LOT before writing such work.
About the author:
Youssef Zeidan is a Egypt born author. His academic work was focused on Sufism and other branches of Islamic philosophy and he is director of the Manuscript Centre and Museum affiliated to the Bibliotheca Alexandria. He is now most widely known for his bestselling second novel, Azazil which won the 2009 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the ‘Arabic Boooker’).
Conn Iggulden: Historical Fiction at its Best
Mar 10th
Conn Iggulden
From Julius Caesar to Shakespeare to his own life story, Iggulden took the audience on a laughter ride. Making fun of himself, sharing his experiences, Iggulden talked about Julius Caesar’s fascinating story.
First Iggulden played psychologist, explaining what led to Julius Caesar being so violent. “Julius Caesar was kidnapped at the age of 19 & held for ransom. He decided, when I will eventually be free, I’ll kill all of them.”
“One of the difficulties of Historical Fiction is that sometimes you have to make your own stories”
Blessed with an amazing sense of humor, Iggulden just kept the audience spell bound with experiences like this: “I once asked a tribal: How do you separate sheep from a goat? Tribal: why do you want to separate sheep from a goat?”
And it couldn’t have been more aptly put than this: “Every writer is a reader first.” and “People do care about each other. We are all interested in others.”
About the author:
Teacher Turned bestselling writer, Conn Iggulden, credits his Irish mother, who explained history to him as a series of exciting stories together with an early diet of Flashman, Jack Aubrey and Sharpe, as having kindled his interest in historical fiction. His own career took off in 2003 with The Gates of Rome, the first in his Emperor series following the life of Julius Caesar. His new series based on Genghis Khan, leaped straight into the bestseller lists.
Inspiration- Why we write
Mar 10th
Bahaa Taher, Yann Martel and Imtiaz Dharker
In conversation with Paul Blezard
Concept of muses:
Bahaa: I don’t believe we need muses to inspire poetry or music. We need inspiration and own realisation to to create poetry. Inspiration changes from one period to another. Writers or artist fail to produce words sometimes. Muses of poetry or music is inside ourself and its upon us how can we make use of them.
Joy of creative writing: What sustains you?
Imtiaz: I don’t believe you can write in hope that someone will publish it. You have to start with that, just start with that. With poetry you write knowing its a hopeless cause. You are forced to do it. The audience may never be there. When I first read Gerard Manley Hopkins, I realised words were playful, thats when I began to write.
Bahaa: If inspiration dies, you need to stop at that stage and consider two options: First – Refrain from writing or Pursue with diligence or wait, wait for inspiration. Hemmingway shot himself when he couldn’t write. Optimism is paramount. When writing is impossible, people still continue to write without inspiration.
I do think they do understand the advises, they continue to write when the inspiration is not present for fans. Stop writing when inspiration dies. God takes care of writers.
Yann: Writing is North America is commercialised. Publishers now make huge sums, while writers suffer. Writers now submit themselves to commercialisation. When I started writing, what I loved was that I control things. You have a sense you are god. When you are 19, you can follow your dreams, so do when you are 30. But at 40, you need to stop being optimistic and be realistic.
Imtiaz: For a writer, colleagues are other writers in the world, great source of inspiration, living and dead.
Bahaa: Applies to real writers, not superficial writers. People write series of books to prove their effective presence.
Yann Martel leapt to public attention in 2001 when his second novel, Life of Pie, won the Booker Prize.
Bahaa Taher’s novel Sunset Oasis won the IPAF, or Arabic Bo0ker in 2008.
Imtiaz Dharker is a Pakistan-born, Scottish educated poet.
