An Evening with Elif Shafak and Peter Frankopan

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Elif Shafak’s award-winning novels are celebrated globally. Her work has been translated into 58 languages, and her latest, There Are Rivers in the Sky, is a testament to the power of storytelling across borders and cultures. This is an epic story of interconnection. Spanning ancient Mesopotamia to contemporary London, Shafak charts the lifespan of a raindrop, as it is consumed, subsumed and transformed across continents and centuries. This sweeping narrative is anchored by the lives of three characters, all of whom live on the banks of the Thames or the Tigris. Their lives are all touched by the Epic of Gilgamesh, a poem written during the late second millennium BC. In April 2025 Shafak was be joined by historian Peter Frankopan on the Intelligence Squared stage. In his acclaimed The Earth Transformed, Frankopan explores how the natural environment has shaped the development and demise of civilisations across time. Here he joined Shafak to shed light on the history of ancient Mesopotamia and the weaving of epic narratives across time and place. ------ If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:38.3	Who's in then? Oh yeah, me. And me? But delivery. You in?
0:43.6	Delivery, from 11am, subject to availability. Participation may vary. Delivery, customization and
0:48.1	service fee set by chosen restaurant apply. Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
0:53.6	I'm producer Mia Serenti.
0:55.9	Today's episode is our recent event with Elif Shafak and Peter Francapan.
0:59.9	They joined us live on stage at Smith Square Hall to shed light on the history of ancient Mesopotamia
1:05.1	and the art of storytelling across time and place.
1:08.6	Elfx's award-winning novels are celebrated globally. Her work has been
1:12.9	translated into 58 languages, and her latest, There Are Rivers in the Sky, is an epic story of
1:18.8	interconnection, charting the lifespan of a raindrop as it is consumed, subsumed, and transformed across
1:24.9	continents and centuries. Elif is joined in conversation by historian and author Peter Frankapan.
1:31.3	Due to some technical difficulties on the night of the event,
1:36.3	we are only able to bring you the final 45 minutes of the event.
	...

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