Elif Shafak is Turkey’s most-read and popular woman writer and an award-winning novelist. She writes in both English and Turkish, and has published 13 books, nine of which are novels, including: The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, Honour and her non-fiction memoir Black Milk. Her books have been translated into more than forty languages.

Shafak blends Western and Eastern traditions of storytelling, bringing out the voices of women, minorities, subcultures, immigrants and global souls. Defying cliches and transcending boundaries her works draws on different cultures and cities, and reflects a strong interest in history, philosophy, culture, mysticism, Sufism and gender equality.

Shafak is also a political commentator. She has written for several international daily & weekly publications, including The Guardian, The New York Times, Die Zeit, La Repubblica and The Independent. She is a popular TED speaker, a regular presenter at the World Economic Forum and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations).

She has received many honours and awards including Ambassador of Culture Action Europe Campaign, 2010 and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Lettres. She sat on the 2013 judging panel for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and in 2014 on the judging panel of the Sunday Times Short Story Award.

Elif’s Books Include: 

• Honour

• Black Milk – On Writing, Motherhood and the Harem Within

• The Gaze

• The Flea Palace

• The Bastard of Istanbul

• The Happiness of Blond People – A Personal Meditation on The Dangers of Indentity

• The Forty Rules of Love

• The Saint of Incipient Insanities

Elif’s Topics Include:

• the art of storytelling

• bridging the gap between East & West

• Global souls versus national frontiers

• women’s issues

• diversity & mutliculturalism

• Sufism/mysticism

• innovation/creativity in today’s world

Awards and Special Recognition

•   She has more than one and a half million followers on Twitter http://twitter.com/Elif_Safak

•   Honour, Nominated (long listed) for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 2013

•   Member of the 2014 judging panel for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award

•   Turkish American Society Young Society Leader, 2013

•   Honour (Crime d’honneur, Phébus), 2013 Prix Relay des voyageurs, France 2013

•   Honour, Long listed for Women’s Prize for Fiction, 2013

•   Member of the 2013 judging panel for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

•   Honour, Long listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize, 2012

•   The Forty Rules of Love, Nominated (long listed) for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 2012

•   The Forty Rules of Love (Soufi, mon amour, Phébus), Prix ALEF – Mention Spéciale Littérature Etrangère, France 2011

•   Member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on The Role of Arts in Society

•   TED Global speaker

•   Marka 2010 Award, Turkey

•   Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres, France

•   Ambassador of Culture Action Europe Campaign, 2010

•   Special Envoy, EU-Turkey Cultural Bridges Programme, 2010

•   Turkish Journalists and Writers Foundation “The Art of Coexistence Award-2009”

•   International Rising Talent, Women’s Forum – Deauville, France 2009

•   The Bastard of Istanbul, Long listed for Orange Prize for Fiction, London 2008

•   Founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations)

•   The Gaze, Long listed for Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, United Kingdom 2007

•   Maria Grazia Cutuli Award – International Journalism Prize, Italy 2006

•   The Flea Palace, Short listed for Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, United Kingdom 2005

•   The Gaze, Union of Turkish Writers’ Best Novel Prize, 2000

•   Pinhan, The Great Rumi Award, Turkey 1998