Award-winning British-Turkish novelist and 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted author Elif Shafak reveals the five books that have shaped her life and career.



Elif has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels, including The Island of Missing Trees, shortlisted for the Costa Award, British Book Awards, RSL Ondaatje Prize and 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction. 



Elif holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She also holds a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bard College and is a Fellow and a Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature and has done two Global TED talks, gaining millions of views.



Elif has been chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 most inspiring and influential women and in 2016 she was a judge for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She is an advocate for women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of expression and her new book There are Rivers in the Sky is out in August. 



Elif’s book choices are:

** Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

** Orlando by Virginia Woolf

** A Gate At the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

** Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

** A Woman Looking At Men Looking At Women by Siri Hustvedt



Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women.

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This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.