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Turkey’s bestselling female author and leading voice in world literature Elif Shafak talks to author and journalist Rebecca Abrams about her latest novel, The Architect’s Apprentice. The novel is the story of Jahan, who travels to 16th-century Istanbul as a stowaway carrying the gift of a white elephant for the sultan. It is a tale of social upheaval, plagues, wars, forbidden romance and the simple love between a boy and his elephant.

Shafak’s works have been published in more than 40 countries and she is regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in Turkish and world literature. She writes in both Turkish and English, blending eastern and western traditions, and is known as a champion of cosmopolitanism. Her novels include Pinhan, winner of the Rumi Prize (best work in mystical literature in Turkey), The Flea Palace, Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, and Honour.

Supported by Ian and Carol Sellars.

Abrams is a writer of fiction and non-fiction including Touching Distance, winner of the Medical Journalists’ Association Award for Fiction. She teaches creative writing, including at the University of Oxford, and is a regular contributor to national newspapers.