Elif Shafak Knihy

Magický príbeh o spolupatričnosti a identite, o láske a traume, o sile prírody a nových začiatkoch.Dvaja cyperskí tínedžeri – Kostas, Grék a kresťan, a Defne, Turkyňa a moslimka – sa spoznajú v taverne na ostrove, ktorý obaja považujú za svoj domov. V čarokrásnom prostredí exotických rastlín a pod konármi figovníka prepadnú zakázanej láske. Strom je nemým svedkom ich šťastných stretnutí, svedkom vojny, zničenia mesta aj svedkom osudu zaľúbencov.Figovník rastie takisto v záhrade londýnskeho domu, kde o desiatky rokov neskôr žije Ada Kazantzakisová. Ten strom je jediné spojenie s ostrovom, ktorý nikdy nenavštívila, jediné spojenie s boľavou rodinnou históriou a jej identitou, ktorú sa pokúša odhaliť, aby našla svoje miesto na svete.

V polovici šestnásteho storočia, za vlády sultána Sulejmana, vpláva do istanbulského prístavu loď. Privezie indického chlapca Džahana a spolu s ním dar pre panovníka - bieleho slona Chotu. Mesto plné ľudí rôzneho vyznania a kultúr, labyrint ulíc, to všetko je nové pre sotva dvanásťročného Džahana i Chotu. Jedného dňa Džahan stretne architekta majstra Sinana a práve on zmení chlapcov osud.

Celosvetovo úspešná turecká autorka Elif Shafak vo svojich knihách spája tradície Východu a Západu, búra vžité náboženské stereotypy a vytvára priestor pre všetky otvorené mysle. Jej knihy vyšli vo viac ako 40 svetových jazykoch a štýl jej písania vážne konkuruje slávnemu Paulovi Coelhovi. Štyridsaťročná Ella žije na predmestí Northamptonu v štáte Massachussetts a vedie pohodlný život po boku zámožného manžela. Napriek tomu nie je spokojná so svojím osudom. Po rokoch v domácnosti si nájde prácu ako externá lektorka v literárnej agentúre. Spolu s inými ponukami sa jej do rúk dostane text neznámeho autora, ktorého hlavnou témou je súfizmus, a táto kniha zmení jej pohľad na život a na lásku. Text ju natoľko zaujme, až si začne písať s jeho autorom Azizom. Postupne medzi nimi vzniká priateľstvo, ktoré pomaly prerastá v náklonnosť a lásku. Aziz jej vyrozpráva svoj životný príbeh, a aj to, že je smrteľne chorý a chce zomrieť v Konyi, kde žil Šams, potulný derviš, hrdina jeho románu. Ella stojí pri priateľovi do poslednej chvíle a po jeho odchode začne nový život vďaka sile ukrytej v tajnom súfickom učení.

Rovnako ako kniha Štyridsať pravidiel lásky, aj román Rebelka z Istanbulu je ďalším fascinujúcim rozprávaním tureckej autorky Elif Shafak. Román bol v roku 2008 nominovaný na cenu Orange Fiction Prize. Autorka v ňom na pozadí mystického a multikultúrneho mesta Istanbul opisuje osud rodiny Kazandžiovcov, v ktorej už po mnoho pokolení vládnu ženy a muži zomierajú mladí. Keď sa v jedno daždivé popoludnie v ordinácii lekára zjaví mladé slobodné dievča a žiada, aby mu urobili potrat, ani len netuší, že udalosti toho dňa ovplyvnia život celej jej rodiny. O dvadsať rokov neskôr žije krásna Asya Kazandžiová s početnými príbuznými vo veľkom dome v Istanbule. Mladá žena nepozná svojho otca, a teda ani svoju minulosť a je presvedčená, že taký človek nemá budúcnosť. Keď rodinu navštívi príbuzná z USA, pokojný život Kazandžiovcov sa nečakane zvrtne.

'In the first minute following her death, Tequila Leila's consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away...' For Leila, each minute after her death brings a sensuous memory- the taste of spiced goat stew, sacrificed by her father to celebrate the long-awaited birth of a son; the sight of bubbling vats of lemon and sugar which the women use to wax their legs while the men attend mosque; the scent of cardamom coffee that Leila shares with a handsome student in the brothel where she works. Each memory, too, recalls the friends she made at each key moment in her life - friends who are now desperately trying to find her. . .

The new novel from the Booker-shortlisted, internationally bestselling author of The Island of Missing Trees and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World ***** There Are Rivers in the Sky is a rich, sweeping novel set between the 19th century and modern times, about love and loss, memory and erasure, hurt and healing, centred around three enchanting characters living on the banks of the River Thames and the River Tigris - their lives all curiously touched by the epic of Gilgamesh. ***** 'Elif Shafak is a unique and powerful voice in world literature' Ian McEwan 'Shafak makes a new home for us in words' Colum McCann 'One of the best writers in the world today' Hanif Kureishi

With an essay by renowned Turkish author Elif Safak.The debate surrounding Turkey’s potential membership in the European Union prompted Andreas Herzau to take a closer look at this country. Istanbul is situated at the border between Europe and Asia, and it was there that he found a concentrate of the challenges facing Turkey today. Yet the city also displays the opportunities that are open to the country as a whole. Herzau’s images capture precisely the many facets of the Turkish port: workers being ferried from one continent to the other, Muslims at prayer, people window shopping and looking at fashion advertising. Working with the genre of street photography, the photographer discovers the city on foot—watching, walking, and waiting until the pictures find him. In this way, the photographer creates spontaneous snapshots of public life. And since people from all walks of life are encountered on the street, the photographs reveal much about present-day conditions and a life between tradition and modernity.

In this lyrical, exuberant tale, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick), incarnates Rumi's timeless message of love Ella Rubenstein is forty years old and unhappily married when she takes a job as a reader for a literary agent. Her first assignment is to read and report on Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by Zahara's tale of Shams of Tabriz's search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mir­rors her own and that Zahara—like Shams—has come to set her free. The Forty Rules of Love unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives—one contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, Shams, the whirling dervish—that together explore the enduring power of Rumi's work.

It feels like the world is falling apart. So how do we keep hold of our optimism? How do we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this world of division?In this beautifully written and illuminating polemic, Booker Prize nominee Elif Shafak reflects on our age of pessimism, when emotions guide and misguide our politics, and misinformation and fear are the norm. A tender, uplifting plea for optimism, Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to reveal how writing can nurture democracy, tolerance and progress. And in the process, she answers one of the most urgent questions of our time.

Peri, a married, wealthy, beautiful Turkish woman, is on her way to a dinner party at a seaside mansion in Istanbul when a beggar snatches her handbag. As she wrestles to get it back, a photograph falls to the ground--an old Polaroid of three young women and their university professor. A relic from a past--and a love--Peri had tried desperately to forget. Three Daughters of Eve is set over an evening in contemporary Istanbul, as Peri arrives at the party and navigates the tensions that simmer in this crossroads country between East and West, religious and secular, rich and poor. Over the course of the dinner, and amidst an opulence that is surely ill begotten, terrorist attacks occur across the city. Competing in Peri's mind, however, are the memories invoked by her almost-lost Polaroid, of the time years earlier when she was sent abroad for the first time, to attend Oxford University. As a young woman there, she had become friends with the charming, adventurous Shirin, a fully assimilated Iranian girl, and Mona, a devout Egyptian American. Their arguments about Islam and feminism find focus in the charismatic but controversial Professor Azur, who teaches divinity, but in unorthodox ways. As the terrorist attacks come ever closer, Peri is moved to recall the scandal that tore them all apart.

'My mother died twice. I promised myself I would not let her story be forgotten . . .' Pembe and Adem Toprak leave Turkey for London. There they make new lives for their family. Yet the traditions and beliefs of their home come with them - carried in the blood of their children, Iskender and Esma. Trapped by past mistakes, the Toprak children find their lives torn apart and transformed by a brutal and chilling crime. Set in Turkey and London in the 1970s, Honour explores pain and loss, loyalty and betrayal, the clash of tradition and modernity, as well as the love and heartbreak that can tear any family apart. Praise for Elif Shafak: 'Vivid storytelling, a gripping novel . . . scenes blaze with the force of parable.' Sunday Telegraph 'A stunning novel. Exotic, evocative and utterly gripping.' The Times 'Moving, subtle and ultimately hopeful, Honour is further proof that Shafak is the most exciting Turkish novelist to reach western readers in years.' Irish Times 'Extraordinarily skilfully crafted . . . with Shakespearean twists and turns, omens and enigmas, prophecies and destinies.' Independent

A new title from the author of The Flea Palace, shortlisted for the Independent Prize for Foreign Fiction and chosen for Waterstone’s 2005 Summer Reading promotion. In her prize-wining novel, The Gaze, Shafak explores the subject of body image and desirability. An overweight woman and her lover, a dwarf, are sick of being stared at wherever they go, and decide to reverse roles. The man goes out wearing make up, and the woman draws a moustache on her face. The couple deal with the gaze of passers by in different ways. The woman wants to hide away from the world, while the man meets them head on, even compiling his own ‘Dictionary of the Gaze’ to show the powerful effects a simple look can have. The narrative of The Gaze is intertwined with the dwarf’s dictionary entries and the story of a bizarre freak-show organized in Istanbul in the 1880s as Shafak explores the damage which can be done by our simple desire to look at other people.

The author recounts her effort to balance her writing career and her parenting responsibilities, describing her battle with postpartum depression, her views on prominent women authors, and the many roles she embraced throughout her journey.

Bonbon Palace was once a stately apartment block in Istanbul. Now it is a sadly dilapidated home to ten wildly different individuals and their families. There's a womanizing, hard-drinking academic with a penchant for philosophy; a 'clean freak' and her lice-ridden daughter; a lapsed Jew in search of true love; and a charmingly naïve mistress whose shadowy past lurks in the building. When the garbage at Bonbon Palace is stolen, a mysterious sequence of events unfolds that result in a soul-searching quest for truth.

The narrative intertwines the lives of three individuals across different eras and locations, united by the theme of water. In ancient Mesopotamia, fragments of the Epic of Gilgamesh lie buried. In Victorian London, a gifted boy named Arthur escapes poverty through literature, while in modern Turkey, Narin faces a perilous journey amid conflict. Meanwhile, Zaleekhah, a hydrologist in London, seeks solace on a houseboat after personal loss. Elif Shafak's storytelling explores the connections between history, culture, and the enduring significance of water.

El cerebro permanece activo unos diez minutos después de que el corazón deje de latir. Durante ese lapso, mientras el cuerpo de Leila yace en un contenedor de basura a las fueras de Estambul, el tiempo fluye y, minuto a minuto, le trae un nuevo recuerdo: la infancia con su padre y sus dos madres en una casa grande y antigua de una apacible ciudad de Turquía; los chismorreos de las mujeres cuando los hombres están en la mezquita; la huida a Estambul para escapar de los abusos y las mentiras familiares y de un matrimonio concertado; el amor hallado de manera inesperada en el burdel de Mamá Amarga... Y los cinco amigos que hace en el camino «su verdadera familia» y que, mientras agoniza, tratan desesperadamente de encontrarla

Buchmagie pur! Dieses Kinderbuch der Bestsellerautorin Elif Shafak erzählt eine poetische Geschichte über die Macht der Fantasie und den Zauber von Geschichten. Liane liebt Geschichten und findet ihr Glück im Lesen und fantasievollen Tagträumen. Eines Tages entdeckt sie in der Schulbibliothek einen alten Globus mit einem rätselhaften Kontinent in Buchform. Kurz darauf begegnet sie zwei geheimnisvollen Kindern aus dem Land der Geschichten, das in großer Gefahr schwebt. Es lebt von der Fantasie der Menschen, doch da immer weniger lesen, droht es zu verdorren. Liane ist entschlossen, das magische Land zu retten, bevor es zu spät ist, und begibt sich auf eine abenteuerliche Reise. Lesen tut gut! Bücher und spannende Geschichten fördern die Fantasie und Kreativität. Von Bestsellerautorin Elif Shafak: Das erste Kinderbuch einer der bedeutendsten Schriftstellerinnen der Gegenwart. Ab 8 Jahren: Ein fantasievolles und zauberhaftes Buch mit dem Potenzial zum Kinderbuchklassiker. Zeitlose und brandaktuelle Themen wie Fantasie und Umweltschutz werden behandelt. Extra-Motivation: Zu diesem Buch gibt es ein Quiz bei Antolin. Diese Geschichte ist ein flammendes Plädoyer für die Macht der Fantasie und den Zauber des Geschichtenerzählens. Ideal für bücherliebende Mädchen und Jungen ab 8 Jahren.

Lieferung vom Verlag mit leichten Qualitätsmängeln möglich

Ein Roman des urbanen Amerika mit all seinen sexuellen und religiösen Verwirrungen - grandios erzählt, authentisch im Ton und voller überraschender Wendungen. Wenn Omar eines in den wenigen Monaten in Boston gelernt hat, dann dies: Amerikaner lieben es, wenn sie Namen aussprechen können. Namen sind die Brücken zu den Burgen der Existenz anderer Menschen. Jemanden anderes Namen zu lernen heißt, einen Teil seiner Existenz zu verstehen. Und so hat sich Ömer in Omar verwandelt, ist in eine WG mit Abed und Piyu gezogen und hat sich Hals über Kopf in Gail verliebt. Gail ist eine attraktive Amerikanerin, die eigentlich Zarpandit heißt und ihre Unsicherheit und Schüchternheit durch sexuelle Eskapaden und merkwürdige Obsessionen überspielt. Was Gail und Omar vereint, ist das Gefühl, nur in ihrer Beziehung sie selbst sein können. Und das Wissen, daß ihre Vorstellung vom amerikanischen Traum nicht dieselbe ist ... Freundschaft und Liebe, Tradition und Veränderung, Sprache und Nationalität i m Schmelztigel des modernen Amerikas - klug und humorvoll macht uns Elif Shafak Reichtum und Vielfalt der Kulturen zum Geschenk, ohne den Preis zu verschweigen: das Verschwinden der eigenen Identität.

Oto opowieść o pomysłowej, zdolnej i odważnej dziewczynce ze Stambułu. Wszystko w jej życiu układałoby się wspaniale, gdyby nie jej nietypowe imię. Dlaczego rodzice nie nazwali jej Różą albo Jaśminą, tylko wybrali dla niej imię… Pelargonia? Najlepszymi przyjaciółkami Pelargonii są książki, dlatego dziewczynka dużo czasu spędza w szkolnej bibliotece. Właśnie tam znajduje magiczny globus i odkrywa zaznaczone na nim tajemnicze miejsce – nieznany ósmy kontynent. I tak zaczyna się pełna przygód podróż Pelargonii na skrzydlatym koniu przez Las Możliwości prosto do krainy opowieści, baśni i legend. Czy dziewczynce, która nie lubi swojego imienia, uda się ocalić bajkowy świat? Elif Shafak, ceniona brytyjsko-turecka powieściopisarka, w swojej pierwszej książce dla dzieci z dużą wrażliwością opowiada najmłodszym o wartości przyjaźni i mocy wyobraźni.

Spiegel der Stadt ist ein fesselnder historischer Roman von Elif Shafak, der den Leser durch ein ernstes Thema unterhält. Die Handlung beginnt im Spanien der Inquisition im 17. Jahrhundert und erstreckt sich über Italien bis ins Osmanische Reich. Die jüdischstämmige Familie Pereira wird von der Inquisition verfolgt, wobei Neid der Auslöser für ihre Verfolgung ist. Eine verbotene Liebe dient als Vorwand für die nächtliche Verhaftung durch die Inquisitoren. Kurz vor der Katastrophe, dem Verbrennen auf dem Scheiterhaufen, gelingt es zwei Familienmitgliedern, nach Istanbul zu fliehen, wo sie eine neue Heimat unter den Sepharden finden. Im Mittelpunkt stehen große Gefühle, insbesondere die leidenschaftliche Liebe zwischen Isabel und Miguel, die die historische Realität greifbar machen. Gleichzeitig bietet der Roman einen realistischen Blick auf oft vergessene Dimensionen einer dunklen Phase der europäischen Geschichte. Die Aktualität des Werkes wird durch die Thematisierung der Beziehungen zwischen Judentum, Christentum und Islam verstärkt, die eine andere Vergangenheit aufweisen, als sie in der heutigen politischen und medialen Darstellung vermittelt wird. Shafak hinterfragt auch die exotischen Vorstellungen des "Orients" und karikiert dabei subtil bekannte türkische Schriftsteller.

Kararır gökyüzü bazen; kasvetli bulutlar kaplar semayı. Hayatın ritmi durağanlaşır, sohbetler bildikleşir, içimizde birikir yalnızlık hissi. Nasıl özleriz güneşi o zaman, griler içinde aradığımız bir tutam renk demeti. Peri tozu gibi, inceden. Gönülden yazılmış her roman, her hikâye, her kelime bir şemsparedir... Güneş parçası... Düşer omuzlarımıza, kar tanesi gibi usulca, yağmur gibi yıkar ruhumuzu, arındırır tozdan kirden tekdüzeliklerden...

Tadına doyulmaz, kimi zaman kışkırtıcı, kimi zaman sakinleştirici ama ruhu hep özgür kalan yazılar.... İnsan ki eşrefi mahlukattır, içindeki semavi özü keşfetmekle yükümlüdür. Çıkacaksın yollara, kendine doğru git gidebildiğin kadar. Keşif boynumuzun borcudur. Kendimizi keşfetmek, aşkı keşfetmek, dünyayı keşfetmek, Ötekini keşfetmek... (…) Çakılı kalmamak sırf alışkanlıklardan ötürü demir attığın koylara. Çıkmak oralardan, geçmek dalgakıranların beri tarafına, bilmediğin memleketlere varmak, tatmadığın yemekler yemek, sözlerini anlamadığın şarkılarla içlenmek, risk almak, dağılmak ve parçalanmak ve hasret çekmek buram buram, gurbetin tadına bakmak ve kendini yabancının gözünden görmek, şaşırmak yeniden, şaşırmak bir çocuk gibi dünyanın hallerine, çeşitliliğine, güzelliğine, acımasızlıklarına... şaşırmak ölene kadar... şaşırma kabiliyetini hiç yitirmemek... budur son tahlilde Âdemoğullarına, Havvakızlarına kendilerini keşfettirten serüven.

"Aynalar şehrine geldim çünkü benim hikâyemin önünü, benden evvel kaleme alınmış bir başka hikâye tıkıyor. Aynalar şehrindeyim çünkü bir kez şu bendi yıkabilsem sular çağlayacak, deli deli akacak; hissediyorum." ...Bazen, hakikat bütün çirkinliği ve çirkefiyle karşıma dikildiğinde, akıbetimi allayıp pullamak, süsleyip püslemek gelmiyor içimden. Böyle zamanlarda gözlerimi kapatıp, usulca arkama yaslanıyorum ve küfre özenen kelimelerin dişlerimin arasında bıraktığı o kekremsi tatla oyalanıyorum. "Aynalar şehrindeyim çünkü ben bir korkağım; ve ne olduğunu bilen her korkak gibi, bu sırrı kendime saklıyorum." Elif Şafak, Türkiye'nin önde gelen çağdaş yazarlarından biri olarak Orhan Pamuk'un yanında yerini alıyor. -Economist-

(...) Derken o yolculukta bir an geliyor, durup geriye bakma gereği duyuyorum. Geçtiğim yolları, uğradığım durakları, güzergah boyu karşılaştıklarımı anımsıyorum. Bu kitap dünden bugüne yazdıklarımdan ufacık bir seçkidir. Bir alıntılar kitabı. Karın doyursun diye değil, tadımlık niyetine. Kağıdın üzerine konmuş birkaç tatlı kelam. Kağıt Helva...