The most popular stories from The Review this year offer up some interesting food for thought. Several of the articles are long reads, which suggests that people here in the UAE and region are keen for a more substantial form of story telling.
Two of the stories are linked to NYUAD’s artistic output – one detailing a collection of historic Middle East images at its photography centre and another about an unconventional yet thrilling performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
The desire to know more about our history is also evident, as a piece about an archaeological dig which sheds light on a forgotten capital of the Arabs shows. A review that examines themes of religion and terrorism in Karine Tuil’s The Age of Reinvention also was very popular.
Finally, a story about how one Emirati restaurant owner is giving free meals to workers who cannot afford them struck a particular chord in 2015. It proves, that despite everything, the spirit of generosity in a year of turmoil does not go unnoticed.
Here are the links for the top five:
[ Book review: The Age of Reinvention is a tale of deception and downfall in our times ]
[ Theater Mitu’s version of Hamlet at NYUAD is a production unlike any other ]
[ The long read: has a lost Arab capital been found on the Oman-UAE border? ]
[ Emirati restaurant owner offers free meals to people on low incomes ]
[ The long read: NYUAD’s Centre for Photography unveils a new collection of antique images from the Middle East ]
John Dennehy is the Deputy Editor of The Review.
