The Architect's Apprentice

'There were six of us: the master, the apprentices and the white elephant. We built everything together ...'Sixteenth century Istanbul: a stowaway arrives in the city bearing an extraordinary gift for the Sultan. The boy is utterly alone in a foreign land, with no worldly possessions to his name except Chota, a rare and valuable white elephant destined for the palace menagerie.So begins an epic adventure that will see young Jahan rise from lowly origins to the highest ranks of the Sultan's court. Along the way he will meet deceitful courtiers and false friends, gypsies, animal tamers, and the beautiful, mischievous Princess Mihrimah. He will journey on Chota's back to the furthest corners of the Sultan's kingdom and back again. And one day he will catch the eye of the royal architect, Sinan, a chance encounter destined to change Jahan's fortunes forever.

Short-listed for Ondaatje Prize 2015

'This is Shafak's most ambitious novel yet, and it is her best ...' -- The Independent
'This edifying, emotionally forceful novel shows how hate and envy destroy, and how love might build the world anew ...' -- The Guardian

Elif Shafak is Turkey's most-read woman writer and an award-winning novelist. She writes in both English and Turkish, and has published 13 books, nine of which are novels, including: The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, Honour and her nonfiction memoir Black Milk. Her books have been translated into more than 40 languages.Shafak blends Western and Eastern traditions of storytelling, bringing out the voices of women, minorities, subcultures, immigrants and global souls. Defying cliches and transcending boundaries her works draws on different cultures and cities, and reflects a strong interest in history, philosophy, culture, mysticism, Sufism and gender equality.Shafak is also a political scientist and has taught at various universities in the USA, UK and Turkey. She has written for several international daily & weekly publications, including The Guardian, The New York Times, The Independent and The World post/Huffington post.She was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1971. She is married with two kids and divides her time between London and Istanbul. Grant Cartwright is an award-winning actor who has performed extensively in Australia with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, La Mama Theatre and many others. A 2005 graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, Grant returned from New York where he performed with the Manhattan Repertory Theatre and the 45th Street Theater. He frequently lends his voice to many international film productions for English Language dubbing, and among his screen credits is the HBO mini-series The Pacific.

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