Elif Shafak: Books, Biography, and Why She Left Turkey

If you have ever picked up a novel by Elif Shafak, you’ve felt the pull between two worlds — the East and the West, the real and the mystical. Her stories cross borders, much like her own life.

Books published: 21 ·
Languages translated: 56 ·
Awards: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize ·
Doctorate: PhD in Political Science

Seven facts that define Elif Shafak’s public profile:

What is Elif Shafak’s most famous book?

The Forty Rules of Love: a global phenomenon

The Forty Rules of Love is widely considered Shafak’s most famous work. Published in 2009, the novel weaves a contemporary story with the 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi and his mentor Shams of Tabriz. It has been translated into dozens of languages and remains a steady bestseller (Britannica). The book’s accessible introduction to Sufi themes made it a gateway for new readers.

Other highly acclaimed novels

Her novel The Bastard of Istanbul (2006) earned international attention for tackling the Armenian genocide — a subject that led to legal charges in Turkey (The Guardian). In 2019, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, cementing her global literary status (BookBrowse).

The implication: Shafak’s range spans accessible mysticism and politically charged historical fiction, with each book rewarding different reading priorities.

Which Elif Shafak book should you read first?

Starting with The Forty Rules of Love

Many critics and readers recommend beginning with The Forty Rules of Love. Its narrative is straightforward and introduces Sufi philosophy without requiring knowledge of Turkish history (Britannica). For a reader new to Shafak, this book provides the warmest entry point.

Alternatively: The Island of Missing Trees

For a more contemporary, character-driven story, The Island of Missing Trees (2021) is a strong choice. Set in Cyprus and London, it explores love and loss against a backdrop of political conflict. It was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award (BookBrowse).

Reading order by theme

• If you want magical realism with historical depth: The Bastard of Istanbul
• If you prefer a fast-paced, multi-character story: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
• If you enjoy ecological themes: The Island of Missing Trees

The pattern: each novel demands a different degree of familiarity with Turkish politics and history. Newcomers should pick the book that matches their appetite for context.

What this means: the right starting book depends entirely on how much historical context a reader wants to absorb upfront.

Why did Elif Shafak leave Turkey?

Political pressure and legal charges

In 2006, Shafak was prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish penal code for “insulting Turkishness” in The Bastard of Istanbul. The charges related to the novel’s depiction of the Armenian genocide (The Guardian). Though the case was eventually dropped, the experience left her fearful of further persecution.

Self-exile to London

Shafak moved to the United States for teaching positions before settling permanently in London. She became a British citizen in 2017. As she told The Guardian in 2021, “As a writer in Turkey, you can be attacked, put on trial, imprisoned” (The Guardian). Her exile is voluntary but driven by real threats to her safety.

The pattern: Shafak’s legal troubles directly shaped her decision to live and write from abroad, making exile a central theme in her biography.

Where does Elif Shafak live now?

Residence in London

Shafak currently lives in London, England, with her husband and two children (The Guardian). She has been based there since around 2013, though Wikipedia notes her residence as London from that year (Wikipedia).

Dual British-Turkish identity

She holds dual citizenship and describes herself as Turkish-British. This identity permeates her writing, giving her a unique vantage point on both cultures (Britannica). Her London novels often contrast the city’s multicultural energy with the weight of Turkish memory.

The implication: Shafak’s dual identity gives her fiction a layered perspective that single-nation authors rarely achieve.

What is Elif Shafak’s favorite book?

Authors she admires

Shafak has cited One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez as a major influence on her own magical realism (The Guardian). She also frequently references the works of Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and the poetry of Rumi.

Books that influenced her

• One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez
• The Black Book – Orhan Pamuk
• The Conference of the Birds – Attar of Nishapur

The implication: Shafak’s reading tastes lean toward layered, philosophical stories that blend history and myth. That same DNA runs through her own novels.

The pattern: her influences are a map to her own literary style — readers who enjoy those authors will likely appreciate her work.

Shafak’s body of work — from the lyrical Forty Rules of Love to the politically charged Bastard of Istanbul — reflects a life lived across borders. Her exile from Turkey is not a distant biographical note; it is the engine that drives her fiction. For readers in the UK and beyond, the choice is clear: engage with her books as literature, or as acts of resistance. Either way, they demand attention. Shafak’s unique position as a writer between worlds ensures her stories carry weight well beyond the page.