Elif Shafak's new novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky is a rich, sweeping tale spanning centuries, continents and cultures. It is the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives – all connected by a single drop of water. Among its characters are an extraordinary child born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames in Victorian London, a Yazidi girl journeying across war-torn lands in 2014 Turkey, and a broken-hearted hydrologist in 2018 London.

Elif’s 19 books include The Forty Rules of Love and The Island of Missing Trees. She also writes about international politics, far-right populism, pluralism and democracy. She is an outspoken critic of the Turkish government, and a passionate champion of women’s rights and free speech. In 2019, her novels became a target for ‘crimes of obscenity’ by Turkish prosecutors; she has since been living in self-imposed exile in London.

Join her for a wide-ranging conversation about her craft, her inspirations and her latest novel, in this livestreamed and interactive event. You will also have the chance to ask your own questions.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the event. After registering, please refer to your confirmation email for access to the event.

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8pm BST | 9pm CEST | 12pm PDT | 3pm EDT

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If you are unable to join at the time of streaming, this event will be available to watch on demand for two weeks. A reminder of this will be sent out via Eventbrite email the day after the event and a link to the recording will be sent to all ticket holders.