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SCRF: Grandma tales fame Sudha Murty looks at audiobook to connect with children
Celebrated author, educator and philanthropist Sudha Murty left a packed hall of all age groups at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) captivated and craving for more just as her books do even at the age of 72.
Her session, titled ‘Tales of Grandma’, was the highlight of the day and the organisers even had to shut the doors midway into the session after the alleys also filled up with people standing. Many trooped in a little late because there were no clear directions on the agenda.
The love and affection from the children and parents alike, clamouring for pictures, blessings and signed autographs on her books, became so overbearing that the SCRF security had to called it off fearing a stampede on the dias.
Ms Murty, awarded India’s highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan last month, regaled the audience with tales as a grandmother would. Asked to choose a favourite among her published works, she said: “It is difficult to ask a mother to choose between her children, and my books are my children.” the author of 44 books (29 in English and 15 in Kannada) acknowledged that she now releases one book a year.
The Intellectual Hall at the Expo Centre was packed to the rafters. SCRF
To an interesting question about embracing technology through mediums such as podcasts to deliver her stories, Ms Murty gave a revealing confession. “I have always been comfortable just writing. Lately, I have been told that I need to look into new formats to share my stories. Podcasts are not for me. However, I recently requested my daughter to look into the possibility of audiobooks”.
Ms Murty’s advice to the young audience is to develop hobbies. “It can be anything, even one is fine if you pursue it in all earnest without letting your studies get affected. In fact, the hobby will help you focus on your studies, while also helping you become a better person.”
For the uninitiated, most of Ms Murty’s books are based on her real-life experiences, and hence “non-fiction to a large extent,” she said. Among her latest works has been a three-book set: Gopi Diaries. Citing the latest trilogy as an example, Ms Murty revealed that Gopi in the book is actually his dog. She also shared anecdotes of how the dog was initially unwanted, but ended up becoming “my son” within a year of entering the household.
Ms Murty is a philanthropist and wife of tech multinational Infosys head Narayan Murthy. Their daughter Akshata is married to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Recently, a video of her casual chat about Sunak went viral.
House of Wisdom visit
The author then visited the House of Wisdom (HoW), Sharjah’s iconic cultural centre and futuristic library, where she was introduced to the emirate’s efforts to promote culture, knowledge and innovation amongst the younger generation in the UAE and beyond. She sifted through HoW’s exhaustive physical and digital archives and was briefed on the various programmes and initiatives led by HoW to stimulate imaginations and boost cross-cultural understanding and exchange.
As part of her tour through HoW’s world-class facilities, Ms Murty stopped at the Little Reader section, where she was briefed on the events and workshops that are designed exclusively for children in order to develop their skills in a variety of areas. She also reviewed the wide-ranging collection of children and young adult titles in English, Arabic and other languages.
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Crackdown on Illegal paying guests: Dubai’s new shared housing law takes effect with fines up to Dh1m
Dubai’s new legislation governing shared accommodation officially came into effect on August 26. Applying across the entire emirate, including free zones and special development zones, the comprehensive framework is designed to eliminate dangerous, overcrowded, and unauthorised partition rentals while establishing formal licensing standards for communal living.
What qualifies as shared housing?
Under the law, shared housing is defined as any residential property where individuals or families occupy private designated living spaces while sharing common facilities like kitchens, bathrooms, and dining areas.
Who is permitted to rent out shared units?
The new framework strictly bans unauthorised subletting by tenants. A primary tenant can no longer rent out individual bedrooms, partitioned spaces, or bed spaces directly to roommates or third parties.
Only the following entities can legally offer shared housing:
- Registered Property Owners: Leasing spaces directly to occupants under formal contracts.
- Licensed Management Companies: Authorised operators contracted by the owner to run and lease the property.
- Licensed Operators Subletting Master Leases: Approved commercial entities leasing an entire property from the owner to sublet authorised units to tenants.
Penalties for violations
Authorities have introduced strict financial and operational consequences for non-compliance:
- Initial Fines: Dh500 up to Dh500,000, depending on the severity of the violation.
- Repeat Violations: Fines double for repeat offences committed within one year, capped at Dh1,000,000.
- Operational Sanctions: Authorities may suspend operations for up to 6 months, revoke commercial licenses, cancel permits, disconnect utilities, seize equipment, or order the direct evacuation of non-compliant properties.
Grace period & tenant protection
- Compliance deadline: Existing shared housing operators and property owners have until August 26, 2027, to obtain permits and bring their properties into full compliance.
- Protection from sudden eviction: If an operator’s permit is suspended or cancelled, authorities can grant occupants an interim stay period to secure alternative accommodation rather than facing immediate eviction.
Approved property/resident categories
The regulation permits shared accommodation across six distinct property types:
- Residential apartments
- Detached/standalone houses
- Residential complexes
- Mixed-use buildings
- Attached / adjoining houses
- Multi-storey buildings
Permitted occupant groups include families, single men, single women, university students, government personnel, and private sector corporate employees. Corporate and student housing provided directly by employers or educational institutions does not require individual tenancy contracts.
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