'Elegant ... calm and generous' Mary Beard, Guardian The must-read, pocket-sized Big Think book of 2020 One of the Guardian's 'Best Books to Inspire Compassion' One of Independent's Books of the Month A Cosmopolitan 'Revolutionary Read' Ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis. So, how can we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this age of division? In this powerful, uplifting plea for conscious optimism, Booker Prize-nominated novelist and activist Elif Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to bring us together. In the process, she reveals how listening to each other can nurture democracy, empathy and our faith in a kinder and wiser future.

The Booker Prize-shortlisted author on how staying optimistic can make our world better

About the Author
Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish writer, storyteller, essayist, academic, public speaker and activist. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books, eleven of which are novels. Her work has been translated into 50 languages. Her latest novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and chosen Blackwell's Book of the Year. An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people "who will give you a much needed lift of the heart".

Reviews
One of the best writers in the world today -- Hanif Kureishi
Sharp and elegant ... I did find myself hoping that Facebook and Like (or whatever they are now called) might one day come across this little book - and thinking that its calm and generous view of the world might give them back some part of the optimism that had greeted their arrival. -- Mary Beard * Guardian *
A calmly rational response to extraordinary circumstances ... there is comfort in having a voice like Shafak's to guide us * The i Paper *
Insightful and very moving -- John Harris * Guardian *
A deeply thought-provoking delight * Independent *
Fortifying and optimistic * Net-a-Porter Magazine *
One of the most important writers at work today * Independent *
Shafak's writings are an embodiment of radical remembrance; with existential fervour, they pull together the past and future to bring forth a fully realised present that feels all the more urgent * Dazed *
PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS: 'Expect vibrant, vivid and eye-opening descriptions of Middle Eastern life propelled by a tender storyline, all in Shafak's haunting, beautiful and considered prose' * Vanity Fair *
Incredibly sensuous and poetic and evocative -- Pandora Sykes * The High Low *
Richly uplifting... truly beautiful writing -- Nicola Sturgeon
Simply magnificent, a truly captivating work of immense power and beauty, on the essence of life and its end -- Philippe Sands
A vivid carnival of life and death, cruelty and kindness, love, politics and deep humanity. Brilliant! -- Helena Kennedy
Beautifully written ... a complex vision of how emotions interact with political life -- Devi Sridhar * Lancet *
Beautifully written ... calls for the importance of centring knowledge, storytelling, empathy, and wisdom in our lives. -- Devi Sridhar * Lancet *



Book Information
ISBN 9781788165723
Author Elif Shafak
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Wellcome Collection
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 80g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 110mm * 16mm