Home 5 Articles and Reports 5 Shafak offers manifesto of hope

Shafak offers manifesto of hope

by | Dec 5, 2019 | Articles and Reports, News

With the impeachment of President Trump continuing, the UK tearing itself apart over Brexit, Londoners coping with the aftermath of another terrorist attack in the city, Malta enveloped in scandal, China accused of brainwashing Uighur Muslims in ‘prison’ camps and all of this set against the ongoing climate change narrative, it is easy to feel depressed, even despairing.

Step forward the Turkish novelist, writer and human rights activist Elif Shafak with How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division.  Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown in London sold English language and Commonwealth rights to Cecil Gayford at Profile Books in London for publication in July 2020.  Profile will publish jointly with the Wellcome Collection, the museum and library in London that covers science, medicine and art.

At the time of going to press Arabic rights in the short work had not yet been sold, but Curtis Brown’s Daisy Meyrick confirmed that Rana Idriss at Shafak’s long-time Arabic publisher, Dar Al Adab in Beirut, Lebanon, would be given first refusal on the title.

Shafak argues that 20 years ago, we lived in a time of optimism where it seemed as though fascism had been defeated and liberal democracy had triumphed.  “Today, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme – we have entered the age of pessimism,” the publisher says. “In a rallying cry for hopefulness, Elif Shafak explores how writing can nurture democracy, tolerance and progress. Drawing on her own experiences and drawing upon her TED talks, Shafak examines the urgent questions of our time in this passionate plea for hope and truth.”

She says: “As the world becomes increasingly polarized, beset with anxiety, anger and tribalism, it’s time for us to turn to the art of storytelling for wisdom, connectivity and much-needed empathy.”

At Profile, Gayford says: “Elif is an extraordinary, inspiring voice even at the best of times – and now, in what has come to feel like it might just be the worst of times, her words are a vital resource for us all. We are extraordinarily proud to be publishing How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division.

It is a good month for Shafak – her novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World (Viking in the UK) has just triumphed in a vote by Blackwell’s booksellers across the UK to be named Blackwell’s Book of the Year.  On hearing the news, Shafak said: “I am utterly delighted and honoured to learn that 10 Mins was selected Blackwell’s Book of the Year. May 2020 be the year of storytelling!”

Recent News

29May
Agatha Christie “teaches” again through AI

Agatha Christie “teaches” again through AI

There has been a mixed reaction to BBC Maestro’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agatha Christie which sees the world’s most famous crime novelist ‘teaching’ the tricks of her trade to would-be crime writers.  Some have hailed it as wonderfully creative, others as “a bit Frankenstein”. According to the Bookseller, an actor, whose face and voice have […]

29May
Al-Sayyab’s House to Become Literary Museum

Al-Sayyab’s House to Become Literary Museum

A significant project to rehabilitate the historic house of iconic Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab in Basra was launched this month. The initiative aims to transform the residence in Jaykur, Abu Al-Khaseeb, into a literary museum dedicated to the pioneer of poetic modernism. The Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities announced the project in […]

29May
2025 Women’s Prize Winner to Be Named in June

2025 Women’s Prize Winner to Be Named in June

The Women’s Prize has announced its shortlist for fiction, featuring works that explore personal freedom, the search for identity, and the tension between Western values and cultural traditions. New voices feature heavily on the shortlist, with four of the six entrants being debut novelists. They are Aria Aber, Sanam Mahloudji, Nussaibah Younis and Vale van […]

Related Posts

Al-Sayyab’s House to Become Literary Museum

Al-Sayyab’s House to Become Literary Museum

A significant project to rehabilitate the historic house of iconic Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab in Basra was launched this month. The initiative aims to transform the residence in Jaykur, Abu Al-Khaseeb, into a literary museum dedicated to the pioneer of poetic...

2025 Women’s Prize Winner to Be Named in June

2025 Women’s Prize Winner to Be Named in June

The Women’s Prize has announced its shortlist for fiction, featuring works that explore personal freedom, the search for identity, and the tension between Western values and cultural traditions. New voices feature heavily on the shortlist, with four of the six...

Penguin Books Launches 90 Mini-Libraries

Penguin Books Launches 90 Mini-Libraries

The UK’s largest book publisher has announced plans to install dozens of mini-libraries across the country as part of its 90th birthday celebrations. Penguin Books has announced it will install a series of book boxes, which it is calling "90 Little Book Stops", in...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this