Acclaimed author shines a light on life at the bottom of the heap in Saudi Arabia's often forgotten villages As anyone who has picked up One Thousand and One Nights is aware, there is a venerable tradition of Arabian storytelling. Before sky-scrapers shot up in the Gulf, the heart of the culture was found in the tales shared around evening fires, and perhaps that is what organisers of this week's Book World Prague jamboree had in mind in making Saudi Arabia their guest of honour. Or, just perhaps, they grabbed the petro-dollars without stopping to think. Conditions in the kingdom are dismal ones for creating literature of any quality. With no cinemas, youngsters can grow up missing out on the great tales of the times, and there are ludicrous new strictures on literary clubs, even before we consider the heavy scrawl of the censor's black pen. The Prague delegation arrived with just one obscure writer, deliberately leaving behind novelists whose sheer gift has overcome all of the barriers to win international acclaim. Foremost among them is Abdo Khal, whose Spewing Sparks As Big As Castles won a $60,000 prize dubbed the Arab Booker. A modest ... My father, Eric Strach, who has died aged 96, was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St Helens and Whiston hospitals, Merseyside. He specialised in the treatment of children with spina bifida, and designed appliances which improved their quality of life, including the Strach-Edney calliper and a shunt to drain fluid from the head, for those affected by hydrocephalus. Eric was a keen amateur astronomer and built a solar observatory in his garden. His observations and drawings of solar flares and prominences were meticulously executed and published in the journal of the British Astronomical Association. Eric was born into a close-knit Jewish family in Brno, Czechoslovakia, where his father owned an umbrella shop. After graduating in medicine from Prague University in 1938, Eric went on holiday to France. As the situation in Europe deteriorated, his parents dissuaded him from returning. Eric tried desperately to arrange a visa for his older sister, Ilse, and her children. He always thought he could have done more to save them. He arrived in the UK in 1940 with the Czech army and resumed his medical career, becoming the senior house surgeon at Wigan Infirmary. He married Margaret Forshaw in 1945. After the ... George Michael has added four more dates to his upcoming European tour due to public demand in the U.K.The Faith hitmaker is heading back out on the road for a series of orchestral concerts, kicking off in Prague, Czech Republic, in August... Every week, _Mashable_ puts together a calendar of upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. Here are some tips on how to net… Index on Censorship condemns prestige places for oppressive regimes at events that 'should be standing up for freedom of expression' Writers and freedom of speech campaigners have hit out at the organisers of Prague's Book World fair, after it emerged that despite the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's status as guest of honour at this year's festival, only one Saudi writer was present. Abdullah Al-Nasir, described by the Moroccan author Abdelkader Benali who shared a platform with him at the festival as "more of a civil servant" than an author, was the only representative from the kingdom, after the joint winner of the 2011 International prize for Arabic fiction, Raja Alem, did not make a scheduled appearance. Speaking to the Guardian from Prague, the editor of Index on Censorship Jo Glanville suggested that the representation of oppressive regimes at European book fairs was a "travesty". Last month's London Book Fair focused on Russia, she added, while China was the guest of honour at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair and is due to be the "Market Focus" for next year's London Book Fair. "All of these countries are oppressive regimes," she said, "where censorship is the norm, where writers ... The Fjord near Alesund, Norway (C)Nomadic Matt's Travel Site. Want to save OVER $700 USD on your next trip? Get Free Travel Coupons with my guide to traveling the world. Related Travel ArticlesThe Weekly Photo: Old Town StockholmThe Weekly Photo: La Sagrada FamiliaThe Weekly Photo: Sunset at ArlandaThe Weekly Photo: Prague CastleThe Weekly Photo: Naxos (05-12) 11:47 PDT PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Prague Zoo has started selling what look like ice cream containers but are actually full of elephant dung. It's the latest fad among Czech gardeners who are buying out... PRAGUE — Prague Zoo has started selling what look like ice cream containers but are actually full of elephant dung. It's the latest fad among Czech gardeners who are buying out the manure pails to use as fertilizer. The brain behind the project is zoo director Miroslav Bobek, whose surname literally means dung. Zoo officials estimate they sell around 200 of the 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) containers of dung per weekend, at 70 koruna ($3.90) each. But sales have been so brisk they decided to expand to weekdays. Read full article >> I'm in Dubrovnik now, flying to Prague tomorrow for the last leg of my trip. These photos are from Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. I was there on a gloomy day, so the photos really don't do the place justice. The 16 lakes that form the park spin off several dozen waterfalls, the largest [...] PRAGUE (Reuters) - Growth in eastern Europe should accelerate only slightly this year as domestic demand recovers, but trouble in the euro zone periphery, wide budget deficits and inflation pressures still pose risks, the IMF said on Thursday. On the occasion of the 50th Birthday of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons Hotel Prague is joining the company's efforts in working with its local community and sharing in its global efforts in sustainability.{poll_summary} British number one Elena Baltacha reaches the Sparta Prague Open second round after a 6-2 6-4 win over ex-world junior number one Daria Gavrilova. Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News Leon Neal, AFP/Getty Images George Michael announced details of a 47-date orchestral tour of Europe starting in August -- as well as a new album -- during a press conference at London's Royal Opera House on Wednesday, May 11. The tour, which is called Symphonica, will begin at the State Opera House in the Czech capital Prague on Aug. 22 and end at the MEN Arena in Manchester on Dec. 12. One date already confirmed for next year -- Paris' Palais Garnier on April 29 -- may be the beginning of a second leg which could take Michael to countries outside of Europe. Reopened following a $20 million renovation, the National Technical Museum in Prague is drawing in crowds with novelties like the oldest existing Bugati car and 16th-century instruments employed by famed Prague-based astronomer Tycho Brahe. Reopened following a $20 million renovation, the National Technical Museum in Prague is drawing in crowds with novelties like the oldest existing Bugati car and 16th-century instruments employed by famed Prague-based astronomer Tycho Brahe. The only reason I went to Prague not long ago is that I had been sitting at my computer on a Tuesday afternoon in February. While I was hammering away at my keyboard, a tweet popped up touting a major sale to Europe on Delta Airlines....
Key Words: prague
References:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/18/in-praise-of-abdo-khal-editorial
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/may/17/eric-strach-obituary
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/george-michael-adds-more-dates-to-orchestral-tour_1219364
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Tuesday, May 17, 2011
In praise of… Abdo Khal Eric Strach obituary GEORGE MICHAEL ADDS MORE DATES TO ORCHESTRAL TOUR 50+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events Fury over book fair's welcome for Saudi Arabia Riding a Bicycle in an Airport The Weekly Photo Alesund Fjord Stinky souvenirs! Prague Zoo sells elephant dung starts selling containers of latest fad among Czech gardeners Photos the Day IMF warns on eastern Europe budgets News Four Seasons Hotel Celebrates Company’s 50th Birthday Baltacha sets up Kvitova meeting George Michael Announces Orchestral Tour New Album With Gay 'Collective' Planes Trains and Automobiles at Renovated Museum Transit Airfare Deals Now You See 'Em Don't Replay May 8
