Julia's Book Club – There Are Rivers in the Sky
10/02/24 • 43 min
In this episode of Julia’s Book Club, Julia and co-host Sarah Holland-Batt delve into the latest novel by best-selling author, Elif Shafak. There are Rivers in the Sky charts the story of three characters from across history brought together by two great rivers, with one epic poem flowing through the story. Spanning centuries and continents, the novel follows a single drop of water from the Tigris to the Thames, from antiquity to the 19th century to the modern day.
While exploring the rich histories laid out in the novel, Julia and Sarah also consider its central question – how does history get told, and who gets to tell it? They also reflect on Shafak's exploration of global inequalities across the novel – from the poverty of a class-divided Victorian London, to the far more recent persecution of the Yazidi people (and especially the women) in war-ravaged Iraq, to the impacts of climate change on the fragile ecosystems of rivers like the Tigris and the Thames.
If the name Elif Shafak sounds familiar, that's because we were lucky enough to have her join us on the podcast back in August. If you've not heard it yet, you can catch up with that interview here, or find it wherever you're listening to this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/elif-shafak-on-the-power-of-storytelling/id1466658814?i=1000666169272.
If you'd like to learn more about Gilgamesh, the epic poem that plays a central role in this novel, and the real-life figure of George Smith who inspired the character Arthur Smyth, you can read Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle.
There are Rivers in the Sky is published by Penguin Australia and is available at all good bookstores.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Julia’s Book Club, Julia and co-host Sarah Holland-Batt delve into the latest novel by best-selling author, Elif Shafak. There are Rivers in the Sky charts the story of three characters from across history brought together by two great rivers, with one epic poem flowing through the story. Spanning centuries and continents, the novel follows a single drop of water from the Tigris to the Thames, from antiquity to the 19th century to the modern day.
While exploring the rich histories laid out in the novel, Julia and Sarah also consider its central question – how does history get told, and who gets to tell it? They also reflect on Shafak's exploration of global inequalities across the novel – from the poverty of a class-divided Victorian London, to the far more recent persecution of the Yazidi people (and especially the women) in war-ravaged Iraq, to the impacts of climate change on the fragile ecosystems of rivers like the Tigris and the Thames.
If the name Elif Shafak sounds familiar, that's because we were lucky enough to have her join us on the podcast back in August. If you've not heard it yet, you can catch up with that interview here, or find it wherever you're listening to this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/elif-shafak-on-the-power-of-storytelling/id1466658814?i=1000666169272.
If you'd like to learn more about Gilgamesh, the epic poem that plays a central role in this novel, and the real-life figure of George Smith who inspired the character Arthur Smyth, you can read Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic by Sophus Helle.
There are Rivers in the Sky is published by Penguin Australia and is available at all good bookstores.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Alexis Wright on activism, Indigenous land rights and breaking down literature stereotypes
Alexis Wright is one of the most highly-regarded Australian authors in recent times, winning both the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize - twice.
Her work is challenging the traditional publishing world and asking some tough questions.
But her passions extend far beyond writing.
In this episode, Julia explores Alexis’ early beginnings as a young activist, her lifelong dedication to Indigenous land rights and her concerns around global warming, as well as her literary success.
Show notes:
Alexis’ latest novel Praiseworthy is published by Giramondo and is available at all good book stores.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Julia's US Election Special with Amy Walter
It’s been arguably the most eventful US Presidential campaign in history and the stakes couldn’t be higher, not just for the United States, but for the world.
There’s been two assassination attempts on Republican nominee Donald Trump, who became the first US President to be convicted of a felony over hush money payments to an adult film star.
We've seen President and Democratic nominee Joe Biden sensationally withdraw from the race after the most disastrous presidential debate performance in history and replaced by America’s first woman of colour to run for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris.
In this special US election episode, Julia sits down with American political analyst, Amy Walter from The Cook Political Report, for a deep dive on each swing state, the current state of play, how gender and reproductive rights are influencing the campaign and what we can expect when voters head to the polls on November 5.
Show notes:
To learn more about the electoral college ratings, go to: https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2024-president/
To learn more about the states where abortion is on the ballot, go to:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/abortion-ballot-measures/
Bruce Wolpe is an expert on US and Australian politics, having worked in the US Congress during President Barack Obama's first term and as a senior advisor to A Podcast of One’s Own host, Julia Gillard, when she was Prime Minister. His book, Trump’s Australia, is published by Allen & Unwin:
https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Bruce-Wolpe-Trump's-Australia-9781761068096
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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