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Books and Authors

Open Book: Elif Shafak, children's books

Books and Authors

BBC

Society & Culture, Books

4.2824 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2012

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mariella talks to novelist Elif Shafak about her latest book highlighting the issue of honour killings in the Kurdish Turkish community across two continents. The programme also looks at novels for children of eight to twelve years. Plus more of the funny things people say in bookshops. This time round, book buyers get their revenge.

Transcript

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0:00.0

You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy.

0:05.4

My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds.

0:10.7

The BBC has an incredible musical heritage and culture and as a music lover, I love being part of that.

0:17.4

With music on sounds, we offer collections and mixes for everything, from workouts to

0:22.4

helping you nod off, boogie in your kitchen, or even just a moment of calm. And they're all

0:28.1

put together by people who know their stuff. So if you want some expertly curated music in your life,

0:34.9

check out BBC Sounds. This is a download from the BBC. To find out more, visit BBC.co.ukau

0:42.3

slash radio four.

0:44.3

Hello, today we enter the terrifying world of honour killings.

0:48.3

Look to the innocent pleasures and vampire-free pages of reading for seven to 12-year-olds.

0:54.8

And thanks to an overflowing inbox, revisit weird things heard in bookshops

0:59.8

to allow you, the customers, to strike back.

1:03.5

I was seeking some adult novels written by Richel Grompton, famous for Jess William.

1:10.0

Not only was this gentle maiden lady mistaken for a man,

1:14.6

but when I said I was searching for her adult works, the erotica section was recommended.

1:21.6

Ooh, more tales from Over the Bookshop canter later. But first, an author whose misfortune is perhaps to be so unique.

1:30.3

Aleif Shafak is Turkey's foremost female writer and one of only a small minority of women

1:35.5

whose novels confront the challenges of life as a contemporary Muslim women and writing in English.

1:41.6

As a result, her career has not been without controversy. The bastard of Istanbul

1:46.2

saw her tried and acquitted for insulting Turkishness, and her latest novel, Honour, tackling

1:51.9

the controversial issue of honour killings, will no doubt raise hackles in some quarters again.

1:57.7

Despite her emotive themes, Sheffack is not a political writer with a capital P. Instead,

...

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