Elif Shafak - ‘There’s only one thing that scares me - and that’s indifference’

I could listen to Elif Shafak speak for HOURS. The eloquence of this woman! She speaks like most of us would aspire to write. I cannot get over it. Shafak, the Turkish-British author, combines ferocious intelligence with a captivating turn of phrase so it’s little wonder she’s garnered so much critical acclaim. She has been nominated for countless literary awards, including the Booker Prize and made the BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Women list of 2021.  Elif and I talked about the importance of outsidership, why it’s her mission to champion ‘otherness’, the fluidity of chosen family and how growing up without her father’s love shaped her for years to come. We also discuss gender, sexuality, prejudice and why the only thing that terrifies her is indifference. There are truth bombs in every sentence. And we talk about her fantastic new novel, There are Rivers in the Sky. As always, I’m desperate to hear about your failures. Every week, my guest and I choose a selection to read out and answer on our special subscription offering, Failing with Friends. We’ll endeavour to give you advice, wisdom, some laughs and much, much more.  Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com  Production & Post Production Manager: Lily Hambly   Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Tickell and Josh Gibbs Senior Producer: Selina Ream  Executive Producer: Carly Maile Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.   Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

How To Fail with Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things in life that haven’t gone right and what we might learn from them along the way. Every week, Elizabeth’s guest explores three failures, and what these failures have taught them about how to grow and succeed, better. We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with Elizabeth to share your failures, problems or questions - anonymously or otherwise. She'll go through these each week with the help of her very special guests. And remember: a fail shared is a fail halved. https://forms.sonymusicfans.com/campaign/how-to-fail-uk-2023/ An Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Original Production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com