Elif Shafak
There are Rivers in the Sky
Later, when the storm has passed, everyone will talk about the destruction it left behind, though no one, not even the king himself, will remember that it began with a single raindrop.
“There Are Rivers in the Sky”, the enchanting latest novel by Elif Shafak, is a rich and sweeping story set between the 19th century and modern times. With themes of love and loss, memory and erasure, hurt and healing, it centres around three characters living on the banks of the River Thames and the River Tigris – their lives all curiously touched by “The Epic of Gilgamesh”.
The most widely-read female author in Turkey as well as a bestselling writer in many other countries including the UK, Elif’s novels have been translated into over 50 languages worldwide. Steeped in ancient culture but also profoundly modern in their questioning of tradition and orthodoxy, they marry mysticism and myth with contemporary issues.
We are thrilled to welcome Elif, who will be in conversation with 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction winner, Rachel Clarke.
