In this special interview episode of Julia's Book Club, we welcome award-winning writer, political scientist and activist Elif Shafak back to the podcast to discuss her brand-new novel, In One Brief Moment All Eternity.
The book tells the story of 19th century author Gustave Flaubert, but this is not historical fiction as we usually know it. The story unfolds through a remarkable chorus of voices: the women who shaped or crossed his life, including his mother, the servant who raised him, and his most famous creation, Madame Bovary. Other voices belong to Istanbul, to ghosts, and even to Flaubert’s illness and opium.
In this conversation, Elif shares what drew her to Flaubert, her inspiration for the novel’s unusual structure, and the stories history leaves unheard. Julia and Elif also discuss the often complicated relationship between writers and their characters, and the striking parallels between Flaubert’s prosecution and Elif’s own experience.
Show notes
You can find out more about In One Brief Moment All Eternity here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460464/in-one-brief-moment-all-eternity-by-shafak-elif/9780241745465.
We first welcomed Elif Shafak to the podcast back in 2024. You can catch up with her interview with Julia here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/elif-shafak-on-the-power-of-storytelling/id1466658814?i=1000666169272 and our deep dive of her last novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky on Julia's Book Club here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/julias-book-club-there-are-rivers-in-the-sky/id1466658814?i=1000671591621 on Apple Podcasts, or find these episodes wherever you get your podcasts.
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