«I like to see my writing as a pair of compasses. One leg of the compasses is fastened into Istanbul and in the culture where I grew up: in this respect, my novel has solid roots. The other leg of the compasses, however, inscribes a wide circle and travels all over the world.» Born in Strasbourg, Elif Shafak is one of the leading voices of contemporary Turkish literature. Pinhan (The Mystic), her first novel, in 1998, won her the Rumi Prize, assigned in Turkey to the best mystical work. Then she published Şehrin Aynaları, Mahrem e Bit Palas until the international bestsellers The Bastards of Istanbul (2006) and Honour (2012). She has been described by the critics as an author where the originality of west and east tradition merge to create a fictional work that is both local and universal. Her writings stem from a variety of literary traditions and cultures as well as an interest in history, philosophy, Sufism and oral culture. She also writes essays collected in volumes Med-Cezir (2005), Firarperest (2010) e Şemspare (2012). After the The Architect's Apprentice, between 2015 and 2024 in Italy Rizzoli published all her books, including the most recent There are Rivers in the Sky. An active commentator of political and current issues both in Turkey and abroad, Shafak lives in London and she is an editorialist of various international dailies. Her works, written in Turkish and English, has been translated in over fifty languages.

(foto: © Leonardo Céndamo)