“If you are a writer from turbulent geographies, such as Turkey, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan or Mexico, you do not have the luxury of being apolitical. Up until now, this was mostly the case with non-Western authors. However, in the years ahead, I believe Western authors, too, will start to feel a similar pressure, a similar urgency. How should literature respond to the insanity of populism, jingoism, religious fundamentalism, bigotry and xenophobia? More and more authors will feel the need to talk or write about politics because the world is changing too fast, even the most basic human/women’s rights cannot be taken for granted, and the danger of ‘tribalism’ is growing, East and West.”
– Elif Shafak
