Inaugural SFAL concludes drawing 10K visitors
A diverse programme of writers and activities
The festival featured 29 esteemed writers from the UAE and across Africa, who shared their stories, insights, and heritage through a carefully curated programme of activities, including 8 panel discussions and 3 inspiring keynotes, in addition to 12 interactive workshops for children.
Showcasing Africa's authentic customs and heritage
Commenting on the conclusion of the inaugural Sharjah Festival of African Literature, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, emphasised the festival's role as a cultural bridge between the UAE and the diverse, rich cultures of the African continent, saying 'SFAL showcased the beauty of African peoples preserving their authentic customs and heritage. The festival demonstrated that culture is an invaluable treasure, offering profound insights into the history of communities through mediums such as the written word, folk tales, traditional music, and handicrafts. These elements not only preserve heritage but also inspire the world.'
Festival aligned with Sharjah's cultural vision
Al Ameri further noted, 'The festival aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to position literature as the centerpiece of global cultural dialogue. Under the directives of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, we have established this event as a cultural platform that elevates Sharjah's global standing as a hub for creative and intellectual exchange. We remain committed to solidifying the role of this festival in uniting creators and promoting the authentic cultural values that connect people and enrich human communication.'
Festival highlights and celebrations
SFAL celebrated the intersection of African literature, art, and heritage through a vibrant programme of discussions, workshops, and performances. Highlights included 'Far Beyond Wakanda,' exploring Africa's cultural impact on global storytelling, and creative workshops on traditional crafts like pottery and jewellery-making. The festival also offered immersive experiences such as traditional drumming, storytelling, culinary workshops in the 'Cookery Corner,' and diverse food stalls, creating a sensory journey into Africa's cultural richness.
Entertainment and cultural performances
Entertainment featured enthralling cultural performances, including South African opera singer Ann Masina, whose blend of traditional rhythms and contemporary melodies resonated deeply. The Masaka Kids Africana from Uganda brought infectious energy, while acrobatic and roaming performances showcased the diversity of African heritage.
Intellectual engagement and cultural immersion
On the final day, intellectual engagement and cultural immersion took centre stage. Kenyan novelist Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor reflected on The Dragonfly Sea, offering insights into East African cultural worlds, while Ugandan-British novelist Jennifer Makumbi captivated audiences with themes of identity and resilience in The First Woman. A session titled 'Crafting Characters Free from Time Constraints' explored African narratives' timeless relevance, featuring distinguished writers.
A successful beginning for SFAL
With just one first iteration, SFAL has firmly established itself as a pillar of cultural unity, celebrating African storytelling while building bridges between cultures. Its success and reception has set the stage for an annual event of immense appeal, ensuring Africa's literary and cultural treasures continue to inspire a global audience.
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Int'l Cricket Council
2 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Seven new inductees added to ICC Hall of Fame
The ICC announced seven new additions to the ICC Hall of Fame on Monday, with a large group of former greats added as the latest inductees. ICC Chair Jay Shah welcomed the new members to the Hall of Fame at a gala event at Abbey Road Studios in London. "Through the ICC Hall of Fame, we pay tribute to the finest players the game has seen, individuals whose remarkable careers have shaped cricket's legacy and inspired generations," Shah said. 'This year, we are privileged to induct seven truly outstanding individuals into this prestigious group. On behalf of the ICC, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them and hope they cherish this well-deserved recognition as a defining moment in their cricketing journey.' The seven inductees are: 103 Tests – 8,625 runs at an average of 50.73 161 ODIs – 6,133 runs at an average of 43.80 9 T20Is – 308 runs at an average of 51.33 A powerful opening batter who intimidated the best fast bowlers in the world, Matthew Hayden joins an exclusive group in the ICC Hall of Fame . With a whopping 30 Test centuries and Test average greater than 50, Hayden's outstanding numbers in the longest format speak for themselves. The left-hander was just as adept in the 50-over game, with Hayden smashing three centuries alone at the 2007 edition of the ICC men's Cricket World Cup to finish the tournament as the leading run-scorer. It was the second of two World Cup titles that Hayden helped Australia win and the burly opener has since turned into a highly respected commentator around the world. Hayden was thrilled to receive the induction. "The ICC Hall of Fame includes many of my heroes of yesteryear as well as contemporaries whom I admired and enjoyed competing against," he said. "Each of these players gave something to the game in their own way. It is incredible to be recognised along with them." Hashim Amla 124 Tests – 9,282 runs at an average of 46.64 181 ODIs – 8,113 runs at an average of 49.46 44 T20Is – 1,277 runs at an average of 33.60 A calm and composed top-order batter, South Africa's steady head Hashim Amla is a well deserved member of the ICC Hall of Fame . Amla's overall record was top class in Test cricket and perhaps even more outstanding in the 50-over format as the underrated right-hander scored bulk runs against every opposition and in all conditions. With a superb cover drive and a trademark leg-side flick, Amla was a mode of consistency and a reliable member of a powerful South African side that scaled the heights to become the No.1 ranked Test team during his long and distinguished career. Amla dominated bowling attacks for much of his 15-year international career, becoming the first South African to score a triple century when he hit an unbeaten 311* against England in 2012 when he was at the top of his game. A total of 55 international centuries shows exactly how good Amla was and the South African great is a welcome inductee into the ICC Hall of Fame. The South African said it was a great honour to receive the recognition alongside former teammate Graeme Smith. "It is an honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, especially alongside Graeme," Amla said. "The Hall of Fame includes some of the most celebrated players in the history of cricket, all of whom have big achievements. Such recognition feels surreal, and I am really thankful." The Master of Class | Hashim Amla | ICC Hall of Fame 90 Tests – 4,876 runs at an average of 38.08, 294 dismissals 350 ODIs – 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57, 444 dismissals 98 T20Is – 1,617 runs at an average of 37.60, 91 dismissals MS Dhoni produced so many highlights throughout his lengthy international career and is a popular inclusion into the ICC Hall of Fame. His most memorable moment came when he produced one of his trademark helicopter shots when hitting the winning runs for India at the 2011 edition of the ICC Men's cricket World Cup, but there was so much more to the inspirational skipper. Dhoni was ahead of his time with the way he kept wickets in all formats, but perhaps excelled most against the white-ball when he was well renowned for his ability to time a run chase to perfection in the dying overs. The Indian great remains the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball tournaments, having led India to success at the inaugural ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2007, the 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Dhoni said it was a great thrill to be inducted alongside so many great players. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world," he said. "To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever." India's Captain Cool | MS Dhoni | ICC Hall of Fame 117 Tests – 9,265 runs at an average of 48.25, 8 wickets 197 ODIs – 6,989 runs at an average of 37.98, 18 wickets 33 T20Is – 982 runs at an average of 31.67 A superb opening batter and arguably an even better captain, Graeme Smith is a welcome addition to the ICC Hall of Fame . Smith forged a great career as a tough and uncompromising top-order batter and was thrust into the captaincy role he relished at the young age of 22. He excelled in this position in what was a high-class South African side and hit new heights as a batter while captaining the team. Smith felt great pride in receiving induction into the Hall of Fame. 'It feels amazing to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside some legendary cricketers, all of whom have made significant contributions to the game in their own way," he said. "This is also a proud moment for South Africa, as two of us have got recognition this year.' Proteas' Relentless Leader | Graeme Smith | ICC Hall of Fame graeme SMITH HALL OF FAME (2025-06-09 13:36:12Z) 113 Tests – 4,531 runs at an average of 30.00, 362 wickets 295 ODIs – 2,253 runs at an average of 17.33, 305 wickets 34 T20Is – 205 runs at an average of 12.81, 38 wickets An outstanding left-arm spin bowler, who was a more than handy middle to lower-order batter, Daniel Vettori joins the ICC Hall of Fame . Vettori paved out an excellent career as a player and was one of just three players to score 4,000 runs and take 300 wickets in Test cricket. He was also an excellent captain for the Black Caps, taking over from Stephen Fleming and leading the side to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2009. Now an assistant coach with the Australian team, Vettori was in London to receive his Hall of Fame induction in person. 'Looking at the past inductees of the ICC Hall of Fame, one can see the outstanding talent and contribution they made to the growth and popularity of the game," Vettori said. "To gain recognition alongside them is simply overwhelming and I can't find words to describe the feeling.' New Zealand's Spin Maestro | Daniel Vettori | ICC Hall of Fame Sana Mir 120 ODIs – 1,630 runs at an average of 17.91, 151 wickets 106 T20Is – 802 runs at an average of 14.07, 89 wickets Sana Mir becomes the first Pakistan women to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame , following a superb international career. With more than 200 international wickets against the white-ball, Mir is renowned for her work on the field and off the field. Mir was well known for her strong stance on body shaming, prioritising mental health and helped people affected by the COVID pandemic and fulfils a childhood dream by joining the ICC Hall of Fame. 'From dreaming as a little girl that one day there would even be a women's team in our country to now standing here, inducted among the very legends I idolised long before I ever held a bat or a ball – this is a moment I couldn't have dared to imagine," she said. 'I am incredibly grateful for this honour and hope to give back to the sport in any way I can. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, coaches and family for all their support over the years.' Pakistan's Trailblazer | Sana Mir | ICC Hall of Fame 10 Tests – 300 runs at an average of 18.75, 20 dismissals 126 ODIs – 4,056 runs at an average of 38.26, 138 dismissals 90 T20Is – 2,177 runs at an average of 29.02, 74 dismissals One of the most talented female players in recent times, England's star keeper-batter Sarah Taylor joins the ICC Hall of Fame following a 14-year career at international level . While Taylor was renowned for her sensational glovework behind the stumps and her trademark leg-side stumpings, she was also an extremely capable top-order batter and her record in big games gives further indication of this. Taylor played a major role in helping England win the double of the ICC Women's cricket World Cup and ICC women's T20 World Cup in 2009 and then stepped up once again at the backend of the 2017 50-over World Cup triumph on home soil by top-scoring for her side in the semi-final victory over South Africa and then producing an equally important innings of 45 in the title decider with India. Taylor said it was one of the biggest highlights of her career to receive induction into the Hall of Fame. "Being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame is one of the best moments of my life and truly feels like a dream come true," Taylor said. "Women's cricket has been thriving in recent years, and receiving this award during such a significant time makes it even more special. I am grateful to the members of the ICC Hall of Fame selection panel for this recognition." England's wicketkeeping pioneer | Sarah Taylor | ICC Hall of Fame
Arabian Business
6 hours ago
- Arabian Business
Dubai's top restaurateur Natasha Sideris prioritises flavour, experience over trends
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While Dubai's culinary scene leans into spectacle – gold leaf, dry ice, neon mocktails – Sideris is building something slower, deeper, and far harder to replicate. Her empire is rooted in memory, in emotion, in the fundamentals of flavour that don't trend, but endure. The reluctant restaurateur She never meant to be in the business. The daughter of a South African restaurateur, she watched the job consume her father's time. 'I said I would never be in the restaurant business,' she admits, then smiles, half in memory, half in disbelief. 'I was going to study psychology.' But a detour changed everything. Asked to help out at her father's restaurant, The Fishmonger, while studying, she found herself seduced – not just by food, but by the alchemy of space and emotion. There was a rhythm to it, a certain choreography – the way a good dining room moved, how people responded to small details. 'I love food – I'm Greek – and I love spaces. I like the way space can make people feel,' she says. That trio – people, food, space – would become her business model. By day, she studied Freud and Skinner; by night, she wore an apron and closed tabs. 'I would go to university during the day, have my apron in the boot of the car, drive to the restaurant, put my apron on and start working, party like a crazy lady… go out till three, four in the morning, go to lectures and repeat.' Her life became a symphony of motion. No investors. No safety nets. Just instinct and hustle. The psychology student was learning more from the kitchen pass than the classroom. A Greek tragedy with a modern ending It didn't get easier. Her first independent foray came via a loan shark and a franchise. 'I was taking a salary of AED 1,000 month,' she says. 'I did all the ordering, all the receiving. I cooked all the dishes.' The grit is almost mythological – 'Mine is a story of real Greek tragedy, and struggling.' That early struggle embedded a discipline. She wasn't just managing a kitchen – she was managing possibility. Everything was personal. Every shift a test. Every menu a message. When offered the chance to open something original in 2005, she came up with nearly 50 names before reluctantly landing on her own. tashas, in lowercase, debuted as a contradiction: understated but ambitious, rooted but elevated. That tension – soft branding with uncompromising standards – has defined her ever since. The first location became a kind of pilgrimage site for locals looking for something sincere: not just food that tasted good, but an atmosphere that felt considered, whole, deliberate. Building quietly in a loud city. In Dubai, Sideris is an outlier. She avoids gimmicks. She isn't chasing the algorithm. Instead, she obsesses over balance. 'I think an important thing is the balance between over-innovating and being overly trendy and trying to be viral… and being classic.' She speaks like a designer, but works like a chef. And she names her influences not from TikTok, but from legacy players. 'La Petite Maison… they do not care what everyone else is doing. They do what they do. They do it well – classic, good ingredients, good service, nice music. Quanto basto, just enough.' This is her competitive advantage. Where others compete on noise, she bets on calm. On texture. On taste. The result is a quietly growing hospitality group with longevity – and loyalists. Each venue in her portfolio is more than a restaurant – it's an environment. A world unto itself. There are no recycled templates. Every site has a different narrative. From tableware to typography, she obsesses over details that others outsource. The Dubai chapter In 2014, tashas landed in the UAE, opening in Galleria Mall. It wasn't instant magic. 'It was dead for the first four or five days. Oh my God, what have I done?' she remembers. But by day seven, the switch flipped: 'I remember not leaving for 17 hours, even to use the bathroom. It was packed.' It was a tipping point, and it taught her something crucial about Dubai: if you build it right, people show up. But they only return if it's real. That kind of growth – slow, deliberate, unflashy – has been her method all along. Today, her UAE portfolio includes tashas, Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas, Bungalo34 and Nala, the concept where we meet. With Saudi Arabia and London now on the map, the expansion is accelerating — but never carelessly. Each opening is a measured move, grounded in location, community, and her own near-obsessive involvement. 'Everyone thinks they're going to make it overnight,' she says. 'Some people are very lucky. They do make it overnight. Mine is a different story.' The art of enough At Nala – self-described as a 'casually fancy canteen' – everything speaks of restraint, not extravagance. The interiors are warm, not blinding. The plates are handmade. The food is unfussy — but faultless. This, Sideris insists, is the future. 'One minute kale is in fashion, and everything's kale, and then everyone's just jumping on the same bandwagon. There's a lot of noise, and sometimes just providing people really good food and great service is much more effective than just all of this noise.' It's not just ideology — it's business. Her view is that design might bring people in once, but only taste and service bring them back. 'A lot of restaurants are forgetting that they're actually serving food. No one can eat the table or the chair. The food's got to be good.' She sees dining not as theatre, but as communion. A good meal, in her eyes, is about what happens between people: conversation, laughter, reflection. She's less interested in plates that go viral than in dishes that evoke nostalgia, that spark a memory. And even as the industry contemplates AI, automation, and ultra-efficiency, she stays rooted in something older: presence. 'Nothing will take away human connection,' she says. 'There's a reason why someone goes to a restaurant. It's not just to look at nice things. It's also to feel a sense of connection.' What's next? Sideris doesn't talk in hockey-stick projections or IPOs. When asked what she would love to do next, she very quickly identified a gap in the market: a cool, independent boutique hotel. 'There are so many huge hotels… amazing ones, but big brand names, lots of keys… there's no really cool, hip boutique hotel.' Although she shows no clear signs of building one soon, her team is bigger now and her systems are stronger. So, who knows what she might do next? 'We've had very slow and steady growth, few people working in an office. Now we have an army. I think we're ready to get into another gear and speed up a little bit.' Speed, yes. But never chaos. The Sideris
Broadcast Pro
11 hours ago
- Broadcast Pro
Canal+ and Netflix expand strategic partnership to sub-Saharan Africa
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