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‘Literature can be a form of resistance’: Lea Ypi talks to Elif Shafak about writing in the age of demagogues

‘Literature can be a form of resistance’: Lea Ypi talks to Elif Shafak about writing in the age of demagogues

The Albanian author of Free and Turkish novelist discuss the rise of populism, censorship – and how today’s conflicts all come from the unresolved trauma of the past Lea Ypi’s prize-winning memoir, Free, detailed the experience of growing up in Albania both before and after communist rule. Her new book, Indignity, reconstructs the life of her grandmother, who arrived in Tirana from Salonica as a young woman and became closely involved with the country’s political life. She currently holds the Ralph Miliband chair in politics and philosophy at the London School of Economics. The Turkish writer Elif Shafak is author of more than 20 books, both nonfiction and fiction, including the Booker-shortlisted novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World and, most recently, There Are Rivers in the Sky. When the pair talked over videocall, Ypi travelling in India and Shafak at home in London, their conversation ranged over the threats of censorship and the rise of populism, the challenges of being writers with multiple identities and the importance of representing complex historical events in their work. Elif Shafak It’s the age of angst. There’s so much anxiety, east and west, young and old, so many people are anxious right now, it’s quite palpable. And I think in many ways, it’s the golden era for demagoguery, for the populist demagogue to enter the stage and say: “Just leave it with me. I’m going to make things simple for you.” Continue reading...

A desperate, opportunist press and vicious politicians: no wonder the debate on refugees is so awful | Jane Martinson

A desperate, opportunist press and vicious politicians: no wonder the debate on refugees is so awful | Jane Martinson

Migration is one of the most important issues of our time and needs serious consideration. History will damn much of the UK media for failing to do that At the end of August the Sun put a picture of a pink poodle-shaped balloon on its front page, not to illustrate the last dog days of summer but the latest migrant hotel scandal, a story that has dominated the UK news agenda for weeks. In this case, the “balloonacy” of teaching hobbies to asylum seekers . The silly season, in which the press seeks to entertain readers with lighter news during the summer, is cancelled this year. Jane Martinson is professor of financial journalism at City St George’s and a member of the board of the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian Media Group Continue reading...