How To Academy Podcast Robert Macfarlane Meets Elif Shafak – Rivers of Life
Sep 30, 2025
Award-winning nature writer Robert Macfarlane teams up with Elif Shafak, a novelist and activist, to delve into the fascinating connection between rivers and humanity. They explore ancient tales like the Epic of Gilgamesh and the importance of rivers in retaining memory. The duo discusses shifting baselines, the urgent need for better water stewardship, and how stories can revive buried histories. With humor and depth, they advocate for hope over despair while emphasizing daily actions to connect with and protect our vital waterways.
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Gilgamesh As A River Text
- The Epic of Gilgamesh is materially and thematically river-born, shaped by river clay and reeds.
- Its cedar-forest episode frames early extractive imperialism and ecological choice.
Humbaba Reveals Environmental Conflict
- Humbaba can be read as the forest's anima and an early environmentalist defender.
- Gilgamesh and Enkidu's slaying of Humbaba models a foundational imperialist violence against nature.
Shifting Baselines And River Revival
- Shifting-baseline syndrome normalizes environmental decline across generations.
- Reversing this requires imagining restored rivers people can drink and swim in again.
