FT News Briefing

FT Weekend: The stories we tell, with Elif Shafak

Mar 5, 2022

Elif Shafak, a renowned Turkish-British novelist and activist, engages in a thought-provoking discussion about the intricate ties between national identity and storytelling. She reflects on the generational pain from conflict and the challenges of expressing creativity in oppressive environments. The conversation emphasizes the significance of understanding cultural roots and confronting historical trauma. Additionally, Enuma Okoro shares her affection for New York City, while Tim Harford suggests a more relaxed approach to productivity amidst life's uncertainties.

30:43

Creator website

Episode guests

Elif Shafak

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Exploring Identity and Heritage

16min

Exploring Identity, Memory, and the Joys of Simple Living

5min

Simplifying Productivity: Focus and Prioritize

4min

Finding Balance in Life's Uncertainty

3min

This week we bring you one of the most popular episodes from our archive: a conversation with Elif Shafak, the most widely read woman novelist in Turkey. She and Lilah discuss national identity, the generational pain of conflict, and writing in countries that don't have freedom of speech. This conversation feels especially poignant today, as the war in Ukraine becomes even more devastating. This episode also features columnist Enuma Okoro on loving our cities, and economist Tim Harford on feeling less pressure to get everything done.

We’ll be back with a new episode, on the cultural side of the war in Ukraine, next week.

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We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Links from the episode:

––Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/freetoread. You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

—Enuma Okoro’s love letter to New York City: https://www.ft.com/content/e2507d84-9a12-4755-a9c7-41c9ea116947

—Lilah’s piece about visiting Armenia: https://www.ft.com/content/2e2f38b0-e7a1-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3

—Review of Elif Shafak’s novel, The Island of Missing Trees: https://www.ft.com/content/1a064a06-bd19-43c7-8237-38931853d0e2

—Tim Harford on to-do lists: https://www.ft.com/content/06ffe40d-fdcc-4be8-b536-810cedce7ed1

—Oliver Burkeman on how not to waste your life (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/dd0d477b-c1f7-4d74-af68-c1ef1692566c

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The first US FT Weekend Festival is on Saturday, May 7 in Washington, DC. To attend virtually or in person, buy tickets at http://ft.weekendfestival.com – use the discount code FTFriends2022 for 10% off.

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Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

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