Elif Shafak: Fiction as a bridge across divides in a fractured world

In this episode of arts24, Eve Jackson sits down with one of the most celebrated British-Turkish novelists of our time, Elif Shafak. With over 20 books translated into more than 50 languages, Shafak believes fiction remains one of the last truly democratic spaces, where stories can build empathy, challenge polarisation and create connections across cultures. Her latest novel, “There Are Rivers in the Sky”, takes readers on a sweeping journey through history and geography, tracing a single drop of water from ancient Mesopotamia to modern-day Iraq, against the urgent backdrop of climate crisis and cultural loss.