Rachel and Simon speak with award-winning novelist Elif Shafak. The author of 12 novels and 7 works of non-fiction, her work has been translated into 55 languages. "The Forty Rules of Love" (2009) was chosen by the BBC as one of 100 novels that have shaped the world; "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the RSL Ondaatje Prize in 2019; her latest novel, "The Island of Missing Trees", was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards in 2021 and chosen for Reese Witherspoon's influential book club in November. We spoke to Elif about writing in both Turkish and English, "The Bastard of Istanbul" and the accusation that she had "insulted Turkishness" and why heavy metal is the perfect music to write to.

This episode is sponsored by Writing Magazine, who are offering our podcast listeners 20% off any of their courses throughout the whole of December and January. To claim your discount, simply email: [email protected] with the code PODCAST20 and the course you’d like to enrol on. For full course details, visit their website: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-courses

You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, on Instagram @alwaystakenotes, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

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