Elif Shafak is a British-Turkish novelist. She has published 17 books, 11 of which are novels, including the bestselling "The Bastard of Istanbul," "The Forty Rules of Love," and "Three Daughters of Eve." Her most recent novel, titled "10 Minutes 38 seconds in this Strange World," explores themes of sexual violence, gender, and human rights.Elif's work has been translated into 50 languages, and she is the most widely-read female author in Turkey. She has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017, she was chosen by Politico as one of the 12 people who would make the world better.Elif is also a political scientist and an academic. She holds a degree in International Relations, a masters’ degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and a PhD in Political Science and Political Philosophy. She has taught at various universities in Turkey, the UK and the US, including at St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow.