UAE book lovers is giving you the opportunity to see Salha on October 16, joined by other local authors, discuss the importance of diversity in storytelling, the writing journey, and how books published today can serve a bigger mission.

  • Event Date: October 16, 2022
    Event Time: 15:00 – 17:00
    Event Address: The Junction, Unit H72 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
    Register here

Set in Oman, The End of Summer is an uncompromising take on the harsh realities of one girl’s dramatic story of her cross-cultural upbringing.

Exploring personal traumas, social taboos, and intricate family dynamics, Summer’s story reveals the challenges of growing up in the face of a modern world and longstanding traditions, which make it near-impossible to find a sense of belonging anywhere.

Book Synopsis

Twenty-two-year-old Summer is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, she’s stubborn, she’s clever, and she’s very opinionated on life as a Millennial Muslim woman. The only problem is that she is dead.

When her younger sister, Sara, finds Summer’s lifeless body on their bathroom floor, Summer can only watch as a devastated Sara calls the rest of her family to announce her death. With no way back to her body and no idea how she died, Summer remains a helpless observer as members of her devoted, dysfunctional family come back home to bury her – and her secrets.

As Summer pieces together the events of the night before, she starts unravelling her whole life: the fabric of her British-Omani-Zanzibari family, the culture clashes, the depression that dogged her for years, and the childhood trauma that changed her forever…

About the Author

Born in London to Omani-Zanzibari parents, Salha Al-Busaidy has been daydreaming, performing, and creating songs, plays, and stories since she was a child. Having already made her name in Dubai as a singer and songwriter, Salha now adds author to her creative credentials, with her first novel, The End of Summer.

Originally deterred from pursuing a career in musical theatre, Salha instead studied languages at Royal Holloway, University of London.  Returning from LA, where she spent three years after university, Salha finally found the opportunity to follow her passion when she visited her parents in Oman following a break-up, starting to write sad songs, find musicians, and ultimately form a band. 

In the following years Salha moved to Dubai, debuting in a small piano bar, which grew into a wildly popular venue. In 2005 she formed The Million Dollar Band, and together they travelled the world, playing at events, rock concerts, and even for royalty. She wrote and recorded several songs, including one full album, and appeared in countless cover features for Middle East magazines. 

In 2010, she married her best friend, and they lived happily in Dubai with their rescue cats, until COVID stopped all performances. Enjoying the break, Salha finally began to put ideas together for a book, based on the heartache of losing her nephew, and completed The End of Summer in 2020.