Elif Shafak

Emotion – the key to storytelling

A woman with short brown hair wearing a grey beanie, black sweater, and turquoise necklace holds a white cup while sitting indoors near a floor lamp. She is looking slightly to the side with a thoughtful expression.

“The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then the queen died of grief is a plot.” – E.M. Forster

Elif Shafak has a voice unique among contemporary writers – she blends East and West, feminist argument and traditional belief, local and global themes, Sufism and rationalism. A globally acclaimed author and activist with 1.6 million Twitter followers, more than 1.3 million people have viewed her TED talk on The Politics of Fiction. Discussing the importance of emotion in storytelling, Elif cited Forster above: ‘It is only one word added, but we remember it when we leave the room because we added emotion and a story to the same sentence. Fiction has that power.’

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