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Elif Safak Quotes


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Quotes by Elif Safak

Showing 21-30 of 33 Quotes by Elif Safak

There are two different ways of writing a novel. The first I call the traditional father way, when the novelist slightly situates himself or herself above the text and knows what each and every character is going to do. It's a bit like engineering. I've never felt close to that tradition. I like the second way, which relies a bit more on intuition.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Above Bit Call Character Close Different Different Ways Each Engineering Every Father Felt First Going Herself Himself Intuition Knows Like More Never Novel Novelist Second Slightly Text Tradition Traditional Two Way Ways Which Writing

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The lack of trust in supranational entities and cosmopolitan elite creates a fertile ground for tribalist belongings and reactionary politics.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Cosmopolitan Creates Elite Entities Fertile Ground Lack Politics Reactionary Trust

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English, for me, is an acquired language. I started with English at the age of 10. At the time, it was my third language.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Acquired Age English Language Me Started Third Time

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Writing in another language gives me an additional freedom, an additional way of thinking. It's a challenge, but I like the challenge.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Additional Another Challenge Freedom Gives Language Like Me Thinking Way Writing

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I realized over the years if I'm writing about humor, irony, satire, I much prefer to do that in English. And if there is sorrow, melancholy, longing, I much prefer to do that in Turkish. Each language has its own strength to me, and I feel connected and attached to both Turkish and English. I dream in more than one language.

~Elif Safak

Topics: About Attached Both Connected Dream Each English Feel Humor Irony Language Longing Me Melancholy More Much Over Own Prefer Realized Satire Sorrow Strength Than Turkish Writing Years I Feel I Dream

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I write my novels in English first; then they are translated into Turkish by professional translators. Then I take their translation and rewrite. So basically, I write the same novel twice.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Basically English First Novel Novels Professional Rewrite Same Take Then Translated Translation Turkish Twice Write I Write

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Art and literature should help us to get out of our mental cocoons.

~Elif Safak

Topics: Art Get Help Literature Mental Our Out Should Us

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Turkey is a complex country. Most readers are women, of all generations, and they are passionate about books. However, the written culture is mostly patriarchal. In general, men write; women read. I would like to see this pattern changing. More women should write novels, poems, plays, and hopefully, more men will read fiction.

~Elif Safak

Topics: About Books Changing Complex Country Culture Fiction General Generations Hopefully However Like Men More Most Mostly Novels Passionate Patriarchal Pattern Plays Poems Read Readers See Should Turkey Will Women Would Write Written

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Part of me always felt like the other, the outsider, the observer. My father had two sons with his second wife, who I didn't meet until my late 20s. I was always on the periphery. In Madrid, I was the only Turk in a very international school, so I had to start thinking about identity. All these things affected me.

~Elif Safak

Topics: About Affected Always Father Felt Had His Identity International Late Like Madrid Me Meet Observer Only Other Outsider Part School Second Sons Start Things Thinking Two Until Very Who Wife

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If you are a writer from Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, you don't have the luxury of being apolitical. You can't say, 'That's politics. I'm just doing my work.'

~Elif Safak

Topics: Being Doing Egypt Just Luxury Nigeria Pakistan Politics Say Turkey Work Writer You

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Biography

Nationality: Turkish

Type: Author

Born: Unknown

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