Berggruen Salon & Interview with Elif Shafak Now on YouTube

In a period of decaying social cohesion brought about by an explosion of identity politics and marked social polarization, how do we rebuild social bonds and create a new shared story of “We,” while maintaining our sense of multiple belongings? All of this is unravelled in the books of British-Turkish novelist and political scientist Elif Shafak.

The Berggruen Institute sat down with Shafak, a Berggruen Prize Juror, for an interview about the importance of Storyland in dealing with the politics of identity and tribalism before her on-stage talk with Australian novelist and VP of Pen Center USA David Francis. Sample the interview clips or listen to the entire talk as Shafak unpacks the “us” versus “them” rhetoric, to reveal what lies beneath, while exploring how to navigate the political and cultural challenges of our turbulent times.

About Elif Shafak:
Elif Shafak is an award-winning novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books. Elif holds a PhD in political science and 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 is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations. An advocate for women’s rights, LGBT rights, and freedom of speech, Elif is an inspiring public speaker and twice a TED Global speaker. Elif contributes to major publications around the world and she has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017, she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better. She has judged numerous literary prizes and is chairing the Wellcome Prize 2019. www.elifshafak.com

Video Highlights: Berggruen Salon with Elif Shafak and David Francis.

• “It’s the Age of Anxiety.”

• The Distinction Between Knowledge, Information and Wisdom

• “I Worry About the Future of Democracy”

• “Stories Rehumanize Those Who Have Been Dehumanized”

• “As Human Beings We All Have Multiple Belongings”

• “Populism Is the Wrong Solution to Very Real Problems”

• “All of Us Need to Become Active, Engaged Citizens”

• “Rumi’s Words Are so Timeless That Even so Many Years Later, We Still Find Solace in His Work”

• “We Need Pessimism of the Mind and Optimism of the Heart”