Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing is launching a new novel, The Black Book of Arabia, by Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi on August 13.
It is a collection of true stories from the Middle East.
Condensed versions of the tales originally appeared in the ‘True Stories’ column of Velvet, the fashion and lifestyle magazine of which Sheikha Hend is Editor-in-Chief. For the first time, she reveals each story in entirety.
She uncovers tales of love, betrayal and heroism, offering a frank look at private lives of men and women — from princesses to paupers, sheiks to farmers.
A princess’s best friend tries to steal her wedding, right down to her nuptial shoes. A bride mysteriously goes blind on her wedding day. A girl is kidnapped by her abusive mother from her home in LA and held hostage in the Egyptian desert. A man tiring of his marriage decides to take a second wife – but receives a nasty shock when he underestimates her. A woman’s romantic Parisian honeymoon proves too good to be true… and a jealous wife creates an alluring online persona, trapping her husband into falling in love with another woman.
The candid stories are moving, shocking and funny — a medley of unbelievable and relatable vignettes.
Emirati Sheikha Hend, who lives in Sharjah and Doha, is a designer, entrepreneur, artist, photographer and philanthropist and supports young designers in the region. She also runs a fashion label, House of Hend, and was chosen as World Fashion Organisation’s Goodwill Ambassador for Qatar. She is also a part-time researcher for the reconstruction of Doha’s Old Town. The Black Book of Arabia is her first book.
The Peninsula
