The Turkish author Elif Shafak has spent her life so far moving between her Strasbourg birthplace, her Turkish home, Madrid, Jordan, Germany, the US and London, and says that this exposure to different cultures and languages has had a great impact on her writing. Her novels blend eastern and western traditions from her cosmopolitan upbringing to explore themes of femininity, youth and mysticism, often intertwined with cutting black humour. Shafak has a PhD in political science and is well known for her outspoken criticism of the Turkish government. With her husband and two children, she currently divides her time between Istanbul and London. , and her latest book The Architecht’s Apprentice is out now.
Book: Sane New World by Ruby Wax
I wasn’t familiar with her work but the voice in the book was so charming – full of humour but also darkness. Without simplyfing or over-romanticising she talks about depression, madness, sanity and insanity. For me when I read her it’s like a restless mind constantly asking questions, trying to go beyond the limits of that drone in front of her. I liked her chutzpah, her daring and honest book.
Music: Nightwish
In my daily life I am usually a calm person, so people think I listen to calm music, but it is the exact opposite. When I’m writing I always listen to music – I can never write in silence, I find it very disturbing. The kind of music I listen to is either industrial metal or gothic – I love gothic! There’s a Finnish band that’s very close to my heart called Nightwish. I have listened to their every song on repeat while I’m writing novels, I would love to see them live!
Restaurant: Guinea Grill, Mayfair
It is a very little, very old restaurant I discovered by complete accident. I haven’t eaten red meat for many years – it’s an acquired taste for me – but I go there and I love the food and the spirit – the place has an amazing character. It was an inn back in 1423; I just imagine that the world was not conquered back then! Gutenberg had not invented his printing machine! I like the history of it, the spirit and the food. I like everything about it.
Film: Nightcrawler
It’s such a disturbing story. I was very impressed by both Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo – what she is doing as a female of a certain age is amazing. It was very daring of the director not to look for a more typical younger actress. In the story, you see how everything is part of a spectacle, everything is to be consumed, even other people’s pains, tragedies and sorrows. We just watch it, consume it and forget it. A powerful, very disturbing and very true story.
Radio show: Boston Calling
I don’t watch TV much but radio is in my life every day for six or seven hours. Even though the story revolves around American culture and what it means to be an American, the themes they deal with are so universal. I like that it brings together music, politics and people’s stories. I have an interdisciplinary background myself and something that appeals to me is programmes that have a broader range and can jump from one subject to the next in a very natural, organic way. Also, for people who love words, radio is a great medium with very special value – you just close your eyes and visualise the words.
Theatre: The Infidel – The Musical
I saw this at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. It’s written by David Baddiel. I particularly liked the lead, Kev Orkian. And the music was great; it blends ska, rock, soul music, the songs are really powerful. Above everything it spoke to my heart – the humour, the humanism is very powerful. It’s about a cab driver, an ordinary honest man, who discovers that he is in fact Jewish – he had been adopted by Muslim parents. It questions all sorts of identity issues. There are similar themes in my books, with an emphasis on coexistence and humanity. We definitely share this desire to surpass extremist ideology and emphasise our common humanity.
