"Twin sisters are born in the mid-1940s in a small Kurdish village on the border of Turkey and Syria. Jamila becomes a local midwife. Pembe marries Adem, and they immigrate to London in the 1970s. Bitter and frustrated with his new life, Adem moves out and Iskender, their eldest son, must step in as keeper of the family’s honor. But when Pembe begins to spend time with another man, Iskender will discover that you could love someone with all your heart and yet still hurt them."
About the Author
Critical Thinking: To what extent do you agree with Shafak's message from the video above?
Elif Shafak is a Turkish-British novelist, essayist, public speaker, political scientist, and activist.
Shafak writes in Turkish and English, has published 21 books, and is best known for her novels. As of 2025, her work had been translated into almost sixty languages, and nominated for several literary awards. She has been described by the Financial Times as "Turkey's leading female novelist" with several of her works having been bestsellers in Turkey and internationally.
Her works have prominently featured the city of Istanbul, and dealt with themes of Eastern and Western culture, roles of women in society, and human rights issues. Certain politically challenging topics addressed in her novels, such as child abuse and the Armenian genocide, have led to legal action from authorities in Turkey that prompted her to emigrate to the United Kingdom.
Shafak has a PhD in political science. An essayist and contributor to several media outlets, Shafak has advocated for women's rights, minority rights, and freedom of speech. In December 2025, she was named as the new president of the Royal Society of Literature.
Adapted from wikipedia.
Honour Killings in the UK
Objective (EO8.1): Actively participate in collaborative discussions about the text.
Objective (EO8.3): Identify the different ethnicities or voices that are part of British literature because of multiculturalism.
Harkness Discussions
Objective (EO8.1): Actively participate in collaborative discussions about the text.
Objective (EO8.3): Identify the different ethnicities or voices that are part of British literature because of multiculturalism.
Summative Assessment
Objective (EO8.5): Make an informed argument(s) about the subject matter learned in this unit.
Objective (EO8.6): Support my argument clearly with textual evidence.
Objective (EO8.7): Present my argument and supporting evidence in a clear, organised way that is appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.
Summative Assessment
Objective (EO8.5): Make an informed argument(s) about the subject matter learned in this unit.
Objective (EO8.6): Support my argument clearly with textual evidence.
Objective (EO8.7): Present my argument and supporting evidence in a clear, organised way that is appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.