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TZID:Asia/Dubai
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DTSTART:20230101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260726T193000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260726T213000
DTSTAMP:20260616T141054Z
CREATED:20260616T141054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T141054Z
UID:10013909-1785094200-1785101400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Book Cellar Dubai: The Elephant in the Brain
DESCRIPTION:Another really interesting pick by Book Cellar. The authors – software engineer and writer Kevin Simler and economics professor Robin Hanson – start from the premise that we are often unaware of the real reasons for our behaviours: they go through several examples\, explaining them through that framework of signalling and self-deception. Meaty and interesting. (The publisher’s website describes the book as aiming “to track down the darker\, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights”.)
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/book-cellar-dubai-the-elephant-in-the-brain/
LOCATION:Le Brasserie sur le Boulevard\, Kempinski The Boulevard\, Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260726T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260726T123000
DTSTAMP:20260616T144513Z
CREATED:20260616T144513Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T144513Z
UID:10013906-1785063600-1785069000@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Bookends Book Club: Tuesdays with Morrie
DESCRIPTION:Subtitled ‘An Old Man\, A Young Man and Life’s Greatest Lesson\, this 1997 memoir by the award-winning sports columnist Mitch Albom is based on a series of Tuesday visits he made to his former sociology professor\, Morrie Schwartz\, as Schwartz was dying from motor neurone disease (the book was written in part to help defray Schwartz’s mounting end-of-life medical expenses).  Each chapter covers a different topic of conversation — including death\, fear\, ageing\, greed\, marriage\, family\, forgiveness\, and the meaning of life — interspersed with Albom’s reflections on his own career-driven lifestyle and flashbacks to his college years. The results are sincere and the writing skilful; but is it inspirational? Or even sentimental? \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/bookends-book-club-tuesdays-with-morrie/
LOCATION:Bookends\, A3 building\, Dubai Silicon Oasis\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260715T191500
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260715T211500
DTSTAMP:20260616T122931Z
CREATED:20260616T122931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T122931Z
UID:10013902-1784142900-1784150100@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Safar Book Group: Free – A Child and a Country at the End of History
DESCRIPTION:Lea Ypi’s colourful\, hectic coming-of-age story through the end Communism in the Balkans\, published in 1922\, has won several awards\, made the shortlist for many more\, and features on several ‘Best Book of the Year’ lists. The shock felt by the Young Pioneer and Stalin enthusiast as the Berlin Wall fell and her country\, Albania\, began a messy transition to join the “free markets” of the Western world provides a rich if somewhat dystopian brew. Ypi is a classy writer\, and through the gripping narrative she’s able to prompt us to ask questions the relation between the personal and the political\, and more deeply about the meaning of freedom … An interesting and potentially productive choice for the monthly book club.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/safar-book-group-free-a-child-and-a-country-at-the-end-of-history/
LOCATION:Ciao Bella Restaurant\, Media One Hotel\, Falak Street\, Media City\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260712T183000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260712T203000
DTSTAMP:20260616T122947Z
CREATED:20260616T114646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T122947Z
UID:10013901-1783881000-1783888200@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Dubai Bibliophiles: Giovanni's Room
DESCRIPTION:His publishers rejected Giovanni’s Room as a failure\, telling James Baldwin the novel would damage his reputation. Knopf claimed the judgement was nothing to do with the book’s content\, but Baldwin was convinced that the publisher didn’t want “a story of homosexual love between a white American expat living in Paris and an Italian bartender being told by a Black man from Harlem”. In the event it’s reception was distinctly mixed; but nearly 70 years after its publication\, Giovanni’s Room is considered one of the great novels of the 20th century – and writing about it in The New Yorker\, Colm Tóibín described Baldwin as “the greatest American prose stylist of his generation”\, which seems fair enough. James Baldwin’s groundbreaking novel of male desire should make for an excellent (if potentially risky) subject for the book club. \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/dubai-bibliophiles-giovannis-room/
LOCATION:The Coffee Club\, Times Square Center\, 4B Street\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260711T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260711T133000
DTSTAMP:20260616T134053Z
CREATED:20260616T134013Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T134053Z
UID:10013903-1783771200-1783776600@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Bookends Book Club: Yellowface
DESCRIPTION:RF Kuang’s 2023 satire of racial diversity\, cultural appropriation and plagiarism in the publishing industry garnered some mixed reviews; the Washington Post was particularly critical of the main character (lacked depth) and the depictions of publishing (perfunctory). Our own view was closer to The Guardian’s – “a hugely entertaining account of a brazen literary heist” – or  The Chicago Review of Books’ commendation of “Kuang’s darkly witty tone\, critiques of publishing and cultural exploitation\, and the all-consuming nature of internet personas”. Should make for some interesting conversation …
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/bookends-book-club-yellowface/
LOCATION:Bookends\, A3 building\, Dubai Silicon Oasis\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260628T193000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260628T213000
DTSTAMP:20260616T141237Z
CREATED:20260616T135736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T141237Z
UID:10013908-1782675000-1782682200@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Book Cellar Dubai: Bartleby\, the Scrivener
DESCRIPTION:You can’t really go wrong with a classic like Herman Melville’s quizzical short story. What exactly is going on here? Of course you could always take refuge in The New York Times summary of “a quintessential New York book” that is the tale of an “unclassifiable weirdo who is always on the verge of being crushed by an ever-expanding city ruled by profit and… the compassionate mensch who tries to come to his aid”.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/book-cellar-dubai-bartleby-the-scrivener/
LOCATION:Le Brasserie sur le Boulevard\, Kempinski The Boulevard\, Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260628T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260628T123000
DTSTAMP:20260616T134820Z
CREATED:20260616T134820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T134820Z
UID:10013907-1782644400-1782649800@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Bookends Book Club: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
DESCRIPTION:Existential humour and comic absurdity from the Douglas Adams classic. A fun discussion seems guaranteed …
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/bookends-book-club-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy/
LOCATION:Bookends\, A3 building\, Dubai Silicon Oasis\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260402T183000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260402T200000
DTSTAMP:20260203T090506Z
CREATED:20260203T090506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T090506Z
UID:10013373-1775154600-1775160000@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Book club: The Development of An Art History in the UAE
DESCRIPTION:A discussion of Sophie Kazan Makhlouf’s excellent exploration of contemporary art in the Emirates\, led by Kutubna’s founder and director Shatha Almutawa and Nora Qudah\, curator of art exhibitions at Kutubna. Free to members; others pay AED 25.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/book-club-the-development-of-an-art-history-in-the-uae/
LOCATION:Kutubna Cultural Center\, Madina Avenues 17\, Nadd Al Hamar\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Art,Book club
GEO:25.1887983;55.3840009
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260303T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260303T220000
DTSTAMP:20260112T182101Z
CREATED:20260112T181836Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T182101Z
UID:10013235-1772568000-1772575200@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Dubai Bibliophiles: Andy Clark\, The Experience Machine
DESCRIPTION:Anyone who has read Clark’s sweeping but very accessible vision of cognitive science is free to join this Dubai Bibliophiles Book Club meetup. It’s a great choice: the key takeaway – experience itself is a kind of controlled hallucination because our mind is constantly making and refining predictions about what we expect to see. There’s plenty to talk about there …
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/dubai-bibliophiles-andy-clark-the-experience-machine/
LOCATION:The Coffee Club\, Times Square Center\, 4B Street\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club,Words
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260226T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260226T213000
DTSTAMP:20260217T155540Z
CREATED:20260217T155503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T155540Z
UID:10013446-1772136000-1772141400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:The Reading Village: February
DESCRIPTION:February’s Reading Village selection is a beefy one – Kiran Desai’s The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny\, described by the organisers as “sprawling\, layered\, and unapologetically thick” and shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize.  Meet at the excellent Batliwala & Co “for an evening of big thoughts\, shared pages\, and honest reactions over food and drinks”. \nThe Reading Village format is basic: one book a month chosen by poll\, and a free-to-attend gathering. To be there\, DM via Instagram or email hello@purvagrover.com.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/the-reading-village/
LOCATION:Batliwala & Co\, DoubleTree by Hilton Business Bay\, Bay Square\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
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GEO:25.1865855;55.2803563
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251213T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251213T180000
DTSTAMP:20251210T140024Z
CREATED:20251210T104610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T140024Z
UID:10013154-1765641600-1765648800@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:SAF Book Club Meetup: The State of Publishing
DESCRIPTION:Held during Focal Point\, Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual art book fair\, this special session of SAF’s always interesting book club looks at the realities of contemporary publishing from independent presses to shifts in digital technology via AI and self-publishing.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/saf-book-club-meetup-the-state-of-publishing/
LOCATION:Sharjah Art Foundation\, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi\, Arts Square\, Sharjah
CATEGORIES:Book club
GEO:25.3461555;55.4210932
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251122T100000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251122T123000
DTSTAMP:20251104T092327Z
CREATED:20251104T091454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T092327Z
UID:10012993-1763805600-1763814600@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:HoW November Book Club: The Odyssey
DESCRIPTION:The House of Wisdom in Sharjah is running a new season of its Book Club under the theme ‘Home’\, with three very relevant titles – House of Stone by war correspondent Anthony Shadid\, Near to the Wild Heart by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector\, and Homer’s epic for the first in the series. \nThat’s an interesting collection for the concept of ‘home’ as something shaped by memory and identity\, and often defined by absence\, return or loss. The discussion for The Odyssey should be a great opener; it’s led by Nezar Andary\, Professor of Film and Literature at Zayed University\, who will guide participants through Homer’s performative to show how the story weaves together memory\, ethics\, and community. He’s also using Emily Wilson’s highly regarded 2017 translation of Homer\, praised for being both lyrical and clear. (We don’t know who translated the Arabic version – the Book Club discussions are we think bilingual). \nSessions last all morning and include workshops as well as curated discussion.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/hiow-november-book-club-the-odyssey/
LOCATION:House of WIsdom\, Al Juraina 1\, Sharjah
CATEGORIES:Book club
GEO:25.3056999;55.5031115
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20250830T170000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20250830T190000
DTSTAMP:20250814T084728Z
CREATED:20250814T084247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250814T084728Z
UID:10012637-1756573200-1756580400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:SAF Book Club Meetup: Art History in the Gulf
DESCRIPTION:Another good-looking subject for a Sharjah Art Foundation meetup. The discussion will include Sabrina DeTurk’s Women and Contemporary Art in the Gulf\, The Development of An Art History in the UAE by Sophie Kazan Makhlouf and But We Cannot See Them\, edited by Maya Allison.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/saf-book-club-meetup-art-history-in-the-gulf/
LOCATION:Al Mureijah Art Spaces\, Al Mureijah Square\, Sharjah\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Art history,Book club
GEO:25.3577194;55.3816261
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20250216T183000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20250216T203000
DTSTAMP:20250116T112755Z
CREATED:20250116T112651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250116T112755Z
UID:10011231-1739730600-1739737800@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Dubai Bibliophiles: The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years
DESCRIPTION:Anyone who has read The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov is free to take part in this book club meetup – attendees will each get the chance to express their impressions\, then a moderator will take the group through some discussion points.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/dubai-bibliophiles-the-day-lasts-more-than-a-hundred-years/
LOCATION:21grams Urban Balkan Bistro\, Meyan Mall\, Al Thanyah St\, Umm Suqeim 2\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Book club
GEO:25.14468;55.1987169
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20240810T170000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20240810T190000
DTSTAMP:20240806T075933Z
CREATED:20240802T104846Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240806T075933Z
UID:10010417-1723309200-1723316400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:SAF Book Club: Dystopian Literature in the Present
DESCRIPTION:An SAF Book Club meetup to talk about dystopian literary titles such as The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa\, Vauhini Vara’s Immortal King Rao and the granddaddy of the general\, Orwell’s 1984. You’re also welcome to bring your own choice of books to the conversation.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/saf-book-club-dystopian-literature-in-the-present/
LOCATION:Sharjah Art Foundation\, Flying Saucer\, Sharjah\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Book club
END:VEVENT
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