It warms the cockles of our DMO hearts when we can report on the success of a former Dubai journalist, especially when we're genuinely pleased. David Williams, who many of you will know as a freelance journo or as provider of media passes to the rugby or tennis, has had his first novel published.
Desert England is a thriller about football hooliganism, and is set in England and Dubai. While we're still waiting for our preview copies, we're told that some of the scenes in Dubai cut pretty close to the bone.
David is appearing on the book show on Dubai Eye on Saturday; a case of the poacher turned gamekeeper?
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32 comments:
Well this looks like a cracking read, right up there with the much praised 'Dubai Creek'.
Nothing says ‘ international bestseller’ more than a self-published novel eh?
If that frigging website is anything to go by then we won’t be hearing from him anytime soon, thank f***.
All the testimonials for this book are written by 'authors' from the same publishing house, most of whom are convicts, criminals or dealing with some kind of mental health issues.
anon @ 11.17 - a little harsh. They're are some good comments on Amazon as well. You might like to read it before passing judgement? At least Dave tried to do something with his writing, instead of writing petty bitchy restaurant reviews or plagiarising agency copy.
"...Milton embarks on a violent pursuit across the continent to capture the generals orchestrating the foot soldiers. His chase finally leads him to the oasis paradise of Dubai where he uncovers something more sinister than he could have ever imagined..."
Modhesh?
"oasis paradise" ? when was the author last in Dubai!!!!!!
'At least Dave tried to do something with his writing'
Brilliant.
F... me. What is it with you people? Someone writes a book - even if it's crap it's more than most of you whining, no nothing, no talent scum bags will ever do.
Read the damn thing first before you spill your poison you jealous morons
But that said I do have to agree with the comment about Modesh
I've worked with David before and he's a genuinely nice guy. Maybe his book is crap. Maybe it's fantastic. I haven't read it, so I can't comment. Given that most of the people on this site clearly think they're world-class journalists, you'd expect at least a basic degree of fact checking such as, oh I don't know, maybe reading the book before you slag if off?
What a pathetic little bunch of wankers. As the poster above says, at least David's written something more than bitchy comments on an anonymous blog.
anon @ 15.54 - well said.
What were we supposed to do with an asinine thread about some random book launch? OK then, how’s this……
Congratulations indeed to Dave Willams and his new book! One can only hope a Pulitzer is winging it way to his word processor as I type. Anything born of the same publishing stable as Charles Bronson’s ‘Loonyology: In My Own Words’ or the utterly sublime British Crime and Prison Quiz Book, can expect great things. Shield your eyes from the white-hot erudition of Vince Powell’s From Rag’s to Gags or Leah Walker’s (she of big-boobed, Big Brother fame) heartbreaking account of life under the knife and her Spam-like existence since in Living With Body Dismorphic Disorder? Williams now joins the likes of Dickens, Goncharov and Dave Courtney in that exclusive club of scribblers for whom the common man is the champion, even when he’s a violent, homophobic, shit-kicker with a face like a freshly-squeezed frog.
anon - jealous much?
No, post-deadline boredom. Nothing against DW at all, I hear he’s a top-notch fella.
you lot really are a miserable bunch of cunts
There are enough opportunities on DMO to vent. Is it so hard for some of you guys to just keep your head up your ass and let a person's success be celebrated on this site? For once?
Don't even know this guy, but well done to him. It's a great achievement to write a book and
the author probably felt on top of the world when he saw his novel in print.
The jerks on this site will probably never have that kind of high.
I thought the whole point of this blog was to nail innocents to the wall and then smear them in shit? You’re happy to kick the crap out of IQ magazine but not this book, despite having seen either. As the poster above said, what were they expecting by adding this story in the first place? If you write a book it’s probably not the best idea to have your mates flaunt it on a website populated by pathological cynics.
to anon 09.20 - actually, the author isn't a mate of ours. The suggestion was sent into us. We wanted to look at something new, and had hoped that the post would generate some interest and reaction.
Slagging off IQ (again, done in the comments) was probably based on the fact it looks like a rip-off, cut & paste, regurgitated version of a high street men's mag, that promises the world, and promises original copy. Neither of which are likely to happen.
I'm sure David wouldn't claim he was the Next and Best Big Thing, so good on him for having a crack.
has anyone seen IQ yet?
Fair play the guy.
And the poster was right. This place has become a horrible snide little waste of time.
This could be a good blog. One that actually helps further the cause of journalism in Dubai.
Seriously, why not have threads on outing the companies that pay freelancers the least/slowest?
Why not try and expose the stories that influence us as journalists instead of turning on each other like idiots?
Instead people are slagging off a book they haven’t read. Or bitching because IQ bought in their cover story – I’ve worked at News International, IPC and written for international publications and buying in features from freelancers is pretty standard even at huge publishers.
This could be a worthwhile blog. It could actually help improve our lot in Dubai rather than just wallowing in it.
And yes, have good industry gossip but do it with some level of class or intrigue.
I just thought I'd add my 2 cents here and say that 30-year MEED veteran Eddie O'Sullivan has just had a new book published called "The New Gulf, how modern Arabia is changing the world for the good."
It came out last week through Motivate Publishing and is well worth checking out (although I've yet to read it myself :)
Love him or hate him, Eddie at least does know his stuff.
anon @ 22.55 - we have posted about companies that don't pay freelancers on time or at all, and about those that don't pay enough. We've posted about companies that breach ethical labour practices such as withholding visas. We try and mix sensible posts with gossip and rumour-mongering.
Sadly, the blog readers/commenters/slag artists don't respond to these posts. But, should you have issues you want to raise that haven't been posted already, email them through to us!
Eddie O'Sullivan knows his stuff! Nice posting, Eddie.
I remember him being on the breakfast show on Dubai Eye when news came in that a member of (I think) the Kuwaiti royal family had died.
He started pontificating about the politics of it all until Richard Dean (the presenter) called up something online that completely contradicted him, and he had to admit he didn't know what he was talking about...
Thank you to Mr. Williams for this:
Reviews by the Famous and Well Known:
Peter Miles, Author of 'The Southend United Quiz Book'
Norman Mailer, apparently, was busy being dead.
The Independent on Sunday review--"I have not enjoyed a sports-related book more in many years"-- looks good and would look even better if it appeared in the Independent on Sunday... can't for the life of me find reference to the book in the paper.
I also enjoyed the fact that the only item on the Amazon "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" bit was:
Lowepro Napoli 10 Soft Leather Digital Camera Pouch - Black
(16) £9.36
But bless him; I hope it's a good book.
I'm doing a Dubai book too. Does anyone think it will be any good?
Wasn't Eddie O's book launched last week? has anyone read it yet?
"The author, Edmund O’Sullivan, delves into Arabia’s past to narrate a remarkable story that encompasses Adam and Eve, Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire, Rome at its peak and Byzantium in decline, the coming of Islam, the rise of the Seljuks and Ottomans, the arrival of Portuguese, Dutch and British traders and, finally, the extraordinary dramas of the 20th century, including the discovery of oil that made the Gulf one of the world’s most vital regions."
The truly amazing thing is, the book's only 48 pages long.
"This could be a worthwhile blog. It could actually help improve our lot in Dubai rather than just wallowing in it.
And yes, have good industry gossip but do it with some level of class or intrigue."
Panty sniffer
The opening paragraphs from Desert England:
Mickey McNulty stood on the shore of the Arabian Gulf. His wide shoulders dripped with hot beads of sweat. The now-setting sun stung his thick brow. His thoughts, as they so often did, turned to football hooliganism.
"Oi!"
Mickey swung around at the sound of his good mate Bazza Stanton, who was wearing a capped-sleeve T-shirt and shorts that came down to below his knees. Tonight, Mickey and Bazza would be bringing their hooligan tendencies to the streets of Dubai...
brilliant! sounds like a perfect sunlounger read when you've had a couple of pina coladas down the pool
Anon 15 July, 2008 12:34
Please tell me that's for real? If it is, I'm ordering my copy today.
I've read it. It's not bad. The Sex on the Beach thing/recent media interest in Dubai/expats will probably boost sales in some small way. Football seems to have cleaned up its act in most places - so hooliganism may seem like a bit of a distant concern, or 'nostalgic' to others. Some people here will buy it because it's a locally-relevant book. Some won't. Can't knock the author though.
"The opening paragraphs from Desert England"
OK, so is that opening par for real or not?
just got it-- couldn't put it down
it reads like "Nashville" meets "Home Improvement"
has anyone read his previous novels:
"How To Fix A Broken Hearth"
or "The Loch Ness Mobsters"
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