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Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation | How I Write

August 19, 2026 · 1 h 4 min

Show notes

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane are two of the most dreamy and articulate writers I know.

Elif has written 21 books, 13 of which are novels, and she’s the president of the Royal Society of Literature.

Robert writes about the natural world, and he does so in such a poetic and enchanted way. His writing is infused with wonder.

I’ve had both of them on the show individually, but I said, “Hey, I know you’re really good friends. Let’s all get together for one conversation. What I want to do is hear the kind of conversation you would have over a cup of coffee or over lunch.”

And so here I’m like you, a fly on the wall for a conversation between two really interesting writers. About the host Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell

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