About the Authors

Robert Nowell was born in 1974 at Aldershot in southern England. He arrived in Oman, at the age of 6, in 1980, where his father, John, was a pilot for His majesty Sultan Qaboos. Some of his education was at the hands of his father. By the age of nine, he was a crack shot with a rfile; at ten, he successfully navigated his father across part of the Wahiba Sands in a fierce sandstorm using a handheld compass. By the age of 12 he could drive a LandRover and, more importantly, change a tyre. At 11, he left to be educated at Oakham School in Rutland. His holidays were spent in the Middle East where he travelled extensively all over Oman and the UAE with his father both by LandRover and helicopter. After Oakham, Robert read Law in London but the lure of the Middle East beckoned and he returned to become an accomplished and determined photographer who undertakes photographic assignments all around the Gulf and Europe. He is currently proceeding with his Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society and for the last four years has been heavily involved with the promotions of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. He is also a keen scuba diver and underwater photographer.

Father and son first worked together during an intense, gruelling ten-day adventure to produce "A Day Above Yemen". On the 1st March 2000, John was invited to Yemen to discuss the possibility of publishing a book on Yemen. That day, he was asked if the book could be ready by the 28th March - just 27 days. John replied that he didn't think so but with unlimited support from the President's Office, they would try. He immediately asked for his son Robert and his Graphic Design Director, Nick Crawley, to fly to Yemen the next morning with the cameras and lots of film. When Robert and Nick stepped off the Emirates flight the following lunchtime, a helicopter was running on the dispersal with John and a small team waiting on board. The team included two guards and Mr Antar Al Himyari from the Survey Department of Yemen who acted as translator and guide. The following eight days were spent travelling all over Yemen, not only by helicopter but also on occassions by overnight taxi to make the dawn take off at a new location. Robert acted as assistant to his father, changing film and cameras on demand. Nick Crawley took photographs and designed the book as the flights progressed and the text was written every evening. On the final day, Robert left his father on a mountaintop above the Hadhramut Valley to await the "right" light for the cover photograph. John later performed a hair raising climb down the mountain after dark while Robert and Nick flew back to Sana'a, caught the next flight out to Dubai and developed all the film. The book was completed and the first 100 copies were delivered to President Saleh, in Canada for his State Visit, on the 28th March.

Now & Then - Sharjah is the tenth book in the series. Robert goes next to Pakistan then Qatar while John & Nick proceed to Cape Town, Eqypt then Malta for further books.