Elif Shafak

I had the pleasure of working with Elif in her house.  A place with an amazing living room where her office desk is too.  Elif is from Turkey and has written books like The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, Three Daughters of Eve and 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World.  Her literature touches on political issues, women’s rights, minority rights and freedom of speech.  Her political voice addresses issues around Turkish and European politics, democracy and pluralism.  Dealing with topics such as child abuse and Armenian genocide means she has made dangerous enemies.  A brave writer, yet not someone who comes across as being paranoid or threatened. 

Shot for Observer New Review