Even before the turmoil of 2020, the last few years have seen the rise of populist politics, people split into tribes, and the disintegration of constructive discourse around the topics that affect all of our lives. In this age of division, what can we possible do to maintain our sanity? We sat down with Booker Prize-shortlisted author Elif Shafak to look at some of the reasons for our current state of affairs and to ask what needs to change for a more positive future.
Books mentioned: How To Stay Sane In An Age Of Division, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World

30. DIVISION with Elif Shafak

Going beyond the book with a wide range of authors to discover the story behind the books we love.

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Some debuts are so assured and so distinctive that you just have to know more about what went into their creation. Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time is one such debut. We sat down with her to discover how the book was originally meant to be something else entirely, the inspirations behind its brilliant plot, and how she managed to balance comedy and trauma in such an entertaining read.

Kaliane Bradley

With a novel that spans twenty years, marked by three celestial events and characters with their feet firmly on the ground, we sat down for a fascinating conversation with former Waterstones Book of the Year author, Sarah Perry. How do faith and science intersect, what do we really mean by love, friendship and family, and when our orbits bring us back together how do we mark this significance?

Sarah Perry

On 12 Aug 2022, over 30 years after a fatwa had been ordered against him, Salman Rushdie was attacked as he was about to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua​ Institution. By his own admission, he shouldn’t have survived such serious injuries. So what was it that helped him to persevere and how has it changed his outlook on life. We spoke with him about the hard work of recovery, the need to write about the ordeal, and what it means to have a second chance at living.

Salman Rushdie

Fresh from breaking hearts with the TV adaptation of his bestselling One Day, David Nicholls came in to talk to us about his new novel, You Are Here, which introduces us to Marnie and Michael, two souls on an epic walk, on the precipice of a new friendship, and maybe more. We sat down to talk about his love of walking, music and, well... love.

David Nicholls

Not many writers would be brave enough to take an American classic like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and rework it from a new perspective, but then Percival Everett isn’t like most writers. We sat down to talk about giving fresh voice to one of American literature’s most important characters, the whole concept of ‘black voices’ and what drives his prolific output.


30. DIVISION with Elif Shafak

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