How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division: The powerful, pocket-sized manifesto (Welcome collection)

Review One of the best writers in the world today -- Hanif KureishiSharp and elegant ... I did find myself hoping that Facebook and Like (or whatever they are now called) might one day come across this little book - and thinking that its calm and generous view of the world might give them back some part of the optimism that had greeted their arrival. -- Mary Beard ― GuardianA calmly rational response to extraordinary circumstances ... there is comfort in having a voice like Shafak's to guide us ― The i PaperInsightful and very moving -- John Harris ― GuardianA deeply thought-provoking delight ― IndependentFortifying and optimistic ― Net-a-Porter MagazineOne of the most important writers at work today ― IndependentShafak's writings are an embodiment of radical remembrance; with existential fervour, they pull together the past and future to bring forth a fully realised present that feels all the more urgent ― DazedPRAISE FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS: 'Expect vibrant, vivid and eye-opening descriptions of Middle Eastern life propelled by a tender storyline, all in Shafak's haunting, beautiful and considered prose' ― Vanity FairIncredibly sensuous and poetic and evocative -- Pandora Sykes ― The High LowRichly uplifting... truly beautiful writing -- Nicola SturgeonSimply magnificent, a truly captivating work of immense power and beauty, on the essence of life and its end -- Philippe SandsA vivid carnival of life and death, cruelty and kindness, love, politics and deep humanity. Brilliant! -- Helena KennedyBeautifully written ... a complex vision of how emotions interact with political life -- Devi Sridhar ― LancetBeautifully written ... calls for the importance of centring knowledge, storytelling, empathy, and wisdom in our lives. -- Devi Sridhar ― Lancet Product Description 'Elegant ... calm and generous' Mary Beard, GuardianThe must-read, pocket-sized Big Think book of 2020One of the Guardian's 'Best Books to Inspire Compassion'One of Independent's Books of the Month A Cosmopolitan 'Revolutionary Read'Ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis. So, how can we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this age of division? In this powerful, uplifting plea for conscious optimism, Booker Prize-nominated novelist and activist Elif Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to bring us together. In the process, she reveals how listening to each other can nurture democracy, empathy and our faith in a kinder and wiser future. Book Description The Booker Prize-shortlisted author on how staying optimistic can make our world better About the Author Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published seventeen books, eleven of which are novels. Her work has been translated into 50 languages. Her latest novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize; and chosen Blackwell's Book of the Year. Her previous novel, The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and is a Fellow of the Royal S