Episode 3 : The Island of missing Trees by Elif Shafak, chosen by Alicia Ayla Yerebakan

00:00:00: Ok hello welcome back everyone for the third episode of a book I love,

00:00:10: which is a podcast series in the shaded by womenwritingarchitecture.org.

00:00:19: Which is the book kiosk here GTA exhibitions at I'm joined here today by Emily upper say from womenwritingarchitecture.org,

00:00:33: womenwritingarchitecture.org Europa con who is Madame eth,

00:00:44: member of Griffin and diploma student at eth at the Department of architecture at the moment and grey from Moses also been involved,

00:00:55: myth quite sometime now giving suggestions and I guess have your so should be,

00:01:05: working together already so today we're going to talk about.

00:01:15: The book the island of missing trees by elif shafak which is the choice of Alicia.

00:01:22: This book today this book that she loves the book was written in 2021.

00:01:28: And just briefly summarise the book it's about.

00:01:36: What's the island of missing trees is Cyprus,

00:01:39: and the book place in Cannock to X Plus there is a third narrative running throughout the book and the two times is one in 2010s.

00:01:53: Where we meet kostas.

00:01:57: The father of Ada as well as Miriam aunty of Ada who are.

00:02:05: Costas Greek St.

00:02:09: Then we can get move back in time to the 1970s when into communal struggles in Cyprus with escalating between Greek and Turkish Cypriot.

00:02:25: Where we meet the mother of Adam Daphne and the Love Story between her and cost us and the struggles that they face from from.

00:02:39: The two different sides in the struggle.

00:02:41: We also meet yoghurts and Yusuf who are the owners of the fig tree at a tavern where Daphne and cost us can meet and be together with.

00:02:54: Fearing danger.

00:02:56: And then there's a third narrative running throughout the book which is the fig tree the fig tree becomes one of the protagonists and.

00:03:07: On the one side talks about.

00:03:10: Her side of the story and how she experiences cost us and Of His Love Story and the conflict but then also gives us.

00:03:20: Can I have more factual details about all about trees and animals and flora and found.

00:03:30: And where we where we can learn about the importance of the ecosystem really so.

00:03:39: First of maybe we can hear from Alicia about this why you chose this book yet what do you think.

00:03:45: So first of all I just book because I really like electric fox writing style and her way of like putting things.

00:03:58: Into details I've been reading her book since many years now,

00:04:03: I was super surprise when this book like really famous because she was already like climbing her way up in in like writing but.

00:04:16: Was like super popular even like online.

00:04:21: So I chose this book because from me of course I'm Turkish so it's really.

00:04:29: My way of of reading the book I said super.

00:04:36: To her as this book is kind of like a auto buy a graffiti of her of it.

00:04:44: It's really like centres the problems of life.

00:04:49: Being at second and also like feeling in between all the time.

00:04:55: From one cultural space.

00:05:00: When was brought up but then the other cultural space which one is connected to it basically describes.

00:05:10: My struggles within like.

00:05:15: Different like being brought up in like two different cultures and Switzerland has sweets and have Turkish it's two cultures which are really.

00:05:25: Separated from each other that is described in the book but just seen an egg other way so yeah I think this is.

00:05:35: Why does book stuck with me so much and I am also talking with a lot of friends of mine who were brought up here but I have like rude somewhere else and how they struggle with.

00:05:46: Cultural differences and.

00:05:51: Putting themselves into a place like where do I belong to and why do I have to choose either.

00:05:59: Yeah so this is like my choice,

00:06:03: a really interesting choice for Apple colour.

00:06:11: All I have to do it is quite challenging,

00:06:17: I'm in a really interesting way to the text that is very so accessible then open to many many readers and meaningful to a lot of people I think to you but also to anybody who.

00:06:30: I need this kind of layer to life nothing for me the tree.

00:06:35: Both intensity and annoying character in the book but also an incredibly important one and I find,

00:06:42: I find it impossible the importance of the the Tree of narrator,

00:06:48: if you really have to suspend judgement it's a bit like you animals being in the mountains animals are in the mind of a tree and there is a reason for that which we find out at the end which I won't spoil

00:06:58: the story of anybody finished with the books but I think the trip is a really important character in its creator.

00:07:08: Much with wider historical context for the story so I said there were two main moments to main

00:07:18: epochs of the story but the tree is kind of timeless fifth note of the three Bean X,

00:07:24: and so you get this much wider kind of universal perspective on this tiny moment in time really this incident and and this conflict and its outcomes

00:07:36: 30th 40th later 30 years later so yeah I think the trees really interesting and I mean,

00:07:44: in terms of womenwritingarchitecture.org,

00:07:52: symbolic world's in away and so the tree this idea that the tree roots and the entanglement.

00:08:02: And witches,

00:08:03: really embrace because Costas have to there's going to be the massive storm the big hurry a big hurricane in London so he have to uproot the tree and bear,

00:08:15: protected from the storm and I guess that's also makes another analogy with the storm of Cyprus in the,

00:08:24: a very it again this time from a natural,

00:08:27: storm and so decided the roots you know being broken but also being tangled in this by this time the tree has been moved from the Courtyard in Cyprus,

00:08:39: which is an incredibly important space I think we're probably going to talk about that shortly but into these cold back garden in South London I think,

00:08:48: so you know entanglement definitely something that women writing architecture being really interesting from the start I mean as it as an intense in that.

00:08:58: I don't know with it with so many.

00:09:01: Ways of challenging the Canon and challenging the Enemy of what architecture is an architectural history is there kind of like really discreet.

00:09:12: World's been set-up that challenge that and that kind of you I think the isolate them,

00:09:21: so I really buying this idea entanglement that history is not just one thing but many things and that you can bring many different perspectives into nothing that something that this book,

00:09:33: really really well happy the trees is a real motif for that if they can just continue.

00:09:40: I was also trying to make the inside of the book,

00:09:47: packed with a lot of sodium gradients of the perfect post covenant novel

00:09:54: if you can say Pascal winner takes all the cases of the subject that were brought up during like we were kind of already,

00:10:04: and I've seen you about the mushrooms rediscovering the world with unilateral and gain and.

00:10:11: Also really intrigued by the tree and I was wondering if it was because I was reading the French translation of it and I was wondering if it was emphasised by French that it's a real human

00:10:25: voice and,

00:10:28: and it has economical understanding of the Worlds and and and someone and this was.

00:10:37: A bit contradictory I was wondering what does it mean because she wants there is a clear attention of make you think of the weather,

00:10:46: like to say to your mutual AIDS between spaces

00:10:50: putting again and length on the tree every makes me a little bit of Pocahontas you know like the Disney comic where you the trees that has been the Legend and is speaking petito.

00:11:04: Two eyes in animals and service wondering what does it mean like it's like putting against the human being.

00:11:12: Lenson it's not trying to like him in the way she writes she could have play with that princess tutu play as as,

00:11:22: find a web to to be another 6 but that's that's exciting I'm intrigued better and I was also,

00:11:29: hazardous trees villagers agents a little bit like womenwritingarchitecture.org website is doing it sexual.

00:11:37: A space I like the way you know she brings really important subjects that are really that are challenging to the,

00:11:47: politics and Sociology found this voice to speak about this and to live space,

00:11:55: to everyone to find it's on starring it so there is space for the democracy in there which are really interesting and this brings also,

00:12:04: May Foote to the destructor disbelief an instructor of the books that you were vitamin training with the entanglement between the device of the three voice of the little girl,

00:12:19: leaving today the brings indirectly oldest the past and so this polyphony.

00:12:30: Hi can I get to womenwritingarchitecture.org between different centre of Interest like different stories that may be.

00:12:44: At first you don't make sense and I was just wondering about that it's about the structure she makes she built,

00:12:54: you know that to make the stories making sense together and say womenwritingarchitecture.org.

00:13:10: The closet library was specifically started with the specific subjects and got into,

00:13:18: like merge some Humphreys womenwritingarchitecture.org we are the kind of doing this so what's the difference and it's actually the web,

00:13:29: structuring structuring it may be that as a group you need to find you,

00:13:35: you always putting things together and the same with students this morning speaking

00:13:42: really bright broad researchers from things they have in heads and history of to place and it's a bit like finding a way to link them together

00:13:54: some yeah this was my name my my so I don't know.

00:14:02: Step out what everyone has said upset and I don't know like I guess I was not aware this is a really popular book,

00:14:12: which apparently is very really like when I was reading it already spoke to me and also my personal experience a bit similar,

00:14:21: as well Alicia was talking about because like I was born when he was that in China and I can hear like for my activation study that somehow like I can like it really I think I was in my personal experiences,

00:14:34: experience where you are actually from a different background and there are,

00:14:38: moments of emotions feelings where you could not find the word like to describe in certain languages not like not in this one but also not in at 1 so it's not a second,

00:14:51: experience bad either really like them they were really quite a few moments of reading that I had without flashing dry eyes and.

00:15:01: Somehow I feel like that was not appreciate that like somehow the book has done is to ready through is narration like like made made this like somehow managed to,

00:15:15: touch touch and topics of like something like that transport identities and discount,

00:15:22: Solitude in that I don't know I was I was really actually and interesting what the hell is it about this entanglement because you describe entanglement as something that sort of,

00:15:33: not bouncing but many things and for me that that is very inspiring to listen to in a way to come.

00:15:41: I think I'd also provokes a little bit of the idea of historicity because he's question is a single narrative of the grand euros history by the actually really acknowledges that I'm anything happening.

00:15:54: Also the singer anaemia.

00:15:58: Understanding of time because I think that's something that's really like in this book but not like it was not the case like ice.

00:16:05: You have the the tablet 2010s and is having the 1970s or 1950s but you're hot to have the tree the trees and how those like I meant next distinction between 10 stamp,

00:16:18: and I'm on the tree always come like made the Bridges between the two and I can not only but also,

00:16:25: somehow spatially or even I could have actually because you think about the trees was a Sapling from the tree in happy thick and Happy Feet was such an important space for the parents of.

00:16:37: And I don't know like that moment when I can't I can't stop like comparing this book with another book by also,

00:16:46: Japanese British author when he acted like published his first book and healthy

00:16:55: you like there was also coming down on a relation of double time when is how the immigrant Japanese housewife experience when she when she actually was already,

00:17:06: she was not recording her memory of a good friend of her,

00:17:12: in Japan legs during the Second World War I think and then this to lying can magnets at end,

00:17:21: the bug and there was LEGO also surprised I would not like a lion,

00:17:25: bedtime and I don't know like I think hear the trees appended as a job of like and thinking this back and forth.

00:17:33: And yeah they are parts that are really for me I can text you in from this book and actually I,

00:17:39: potentially like a pickup this list and description of the Attic Tavern that I would like to read an excerpt because I think this is something that I find like very very watching memory emotion,

00:17:53: this is to think it's the tavern in 1974.

00:17:59: The Happy Feet was a popular hangout for granted by Greeks Turks a minions maronites you and soldiers and visitors to the island who quickly fell in step with the local,

00:18:11: it was round by Two Partners are Greek cypriots and Turkish Cypriot both in their 40s,

00:18:17: your coats and yourself had open the place in 1955 with money borrowed from feminist and Fred,

00:18:24: and kept their business Afloat even managed to fly despite the tensions and trouble specifically in The Island and also.

00:18:33: The entrance of the tavern was partially covered with twisting Vines of the honeysuckle.

00:18:38: Inside solid block and beams around the length and breadth of the ceiling from which hung gardens of God.

00:18:46: Onion drying herbs chili peppers and cured sausages.

00:18:51: There were 22 tables with mismatched chairs a carved wooden bar with Outdoors and a charcoal grill at the back from which the smell of flatbread what did Dale.

00:19:03: Alarm with Anderson karamazov cooking needs with more tables out on the patio the tavern was packed every night.

00:19:11: It was a place with history and a small miracles if it's on.

00:19:15: I hear stories of triumphs and ties with shared non spending accounts squared loft Interiors combined at the mission and promises made things I Confess,

00:19:28: between it whilst strangers turn into friends friends into lovers old flames rekindled broken heart mended or shattered once again.

00:19:39: Many a baby on Ireland have been conceived after Mary evening of the tavern the Happy Feet had touched people's lives in so many unknown ways.

00:19:49: When deafening following kostas walked in for the first time she knew none of these,

00:19:55: tecnologo hair behind her ear she hides her surroundings curiously the place seem to have been decorated like someone who clearly worship the colour blue,

00:20:05: the entrance with Brad adso with dragging evil Eye beads and Horseshoes now.

00:20:12: The Chequered tablecloth when Navy and white the curtains are baby to stop.

00:20:17: The tiles and the water done with patterns in aquamarine and even the wide language synonyms fans were a similar here.

00:20:27: Columns were crammed with him photos of celebrities who have visited the restaurant over the years singers actresses TV stars footballers.

00:20:38: Fashion designers John and his boxing champions so it goes out with more like detailed description but somehow this,

00:20:47: very detailed description of the interior speak to me so much and where you feel like this interior has some architectural quality where to dissolve momentarily this boundaries identities and making p.

00:21:01: Fine knob or accepted talk to each other,

00:21:04: the somehow I just had a feeling like also in my study like somehow architecture accept your history since 2,

00:21:11: too grandiose to talk about those those icons and even though I don't know

00:21:18: premier this tree-like kostas the handle was exactly a fragment of the space but it was too little to be considered as architecture.

00:21:31: Tell me a really great I love that reading what a great choice I think the tavern is such an important place I know and the trees in the Courtyard in defence for the tavern can observing all of history.

00:21:44: I really like the way when you describing the the tavern the walls with a kind of layering for history and experiences in them I think it's really,

00:21:54: to me it reminds me of something that I've just remember if you were talking is this the Archaeological the book you know that,

00:22:03: when she introduces did the tree roots and the tree for the trees above ground and the Roots,

00:22:10: you realise that the below ground is actually very very important in the book as well so that's for those the hidden history.

00:22:17: And I think that's the kind of archaeologist but I kind of an archaeologist for Death looking for people who are murdered and buried in mass graves and.

00:22:30: The Fate of crucial characters in in the book who sends already mentioned but you know where the court itself has its negative in the bell witch,

00:22:44: tonight at the beginning of the book The Well,

00:22:47: start you start off in the depth of the well of seeing something glinting and that's really weird the narrative begins but I think this kind of use of archaeology to really clever.

00:22:58: Challenging the constructions of knowledge you know like it's it's one of the enlightenment science.

00:23:06: That with you two to define an organised knowledge and she's starting to like really question that and it's flaring that you mentioned Chennai,

00:23:14: that's very very much part of it so she's kind of like conflating overlaying the the boot with the separate layers,

00:23:22: in the way she's writing but also in the symbols of the the well and the Courtyard in the the roots and the turning of the room,

00:23:30: I think yeah but I think it's a really really nice select.

00:23:38: I mean I was too like I love you too really like Emily's an allergy to women writing architecture as a platform somehow but what you said now is the future is a kind of listener and around.

00:23:51: Around who will which all these characters are Canon.

00:23:55: The stories are playing out but this victory is also yet recollecting.

00:24:02: The as you say the history is all the Histories and then also like an added layer to that I think of these.

00:24:10: Micro narratives of each of the characters wear so we have.

00:24:15: Ada who's finding her voice in the beginning of the book she she's a teenage and she screams

00:24:23: in in the classroom then you have Daphne who you know suffers from from melancholia and Costas

00:24:34: a very very careful,

00:24:39: delicate character and and the victory is also we find out about a lot of these details also through the fig tree in and.

00:24:49: Put the things that happened along the way what's the sum of the carnivore brutal things that happened the fig tree is the one who tells us about them I also wanted to pick up on which nsaid I think beginning of the bookshop.

00:25:03: There's one sentence where she wrote something like cartography was made by winners and I thought this was a really interesting sentence and and a relief for the about that way.

00:25:17: But I think it's exactly what you said she like picks up the voices of the Dead and everything else that we can see right now it's just clearly everything.

00:25:30: It was still left from the people that were winning or dead were just.

00:25:36: Overcome like generation generational trauma and I think this is just one example.

00:25:47: Dislike sentiments that are around everywhere and I think I heard it show fuck say in an interview.

00:25:56: Today you cannot have to feel sorry for,

00:26:03: generational trauma that has happened in the world cannot say I am just like said for the word that is happening there you also have to mention all the the wars that are happening around you.

00:26:18: But it's really not realistic because you can only connect to something.

00:26:26: That you kind of have a connection to like really and you cannot always like speaking this pluralism all the time.

00:26:36: Sofa me what is like connecting the spoke to architectures is more of like.

00:26:43: Collective sentiments that goes to collective space that everybody shares around the world and then also like the people.

00:26:53: Shaping shaping the space so that's why people are always scared also of,

00:27:01: like immigrating somewhere or when immigrants arrived because they're scared that the space is.

00:27:09: Forming or shaping into something that they cannot control which is actually.

00:27:14: Very sad because it is the victory wonders around the world everything is just,

00:27:21: history goes sometimes not even like in One Direction but in circles is just repeating itself and now we're just like super connected through the inter.

00:27:32: And I think I'll die place kind of this this role in The Book talking about.

00:27:40: The modern Modern history you can actually ex has access to.

00:27:47: All of the knowledge through internet and that's why she perceives history.

00:27:53: In a different way than 4 cm on those like in this she believes in God and she puts.

00:28:00: Faith into Gordon and traditional traditional ways so yeah ice.

00:28:07: This book is a lot of about like putting everything that is like happening around as it's just suppose of of the time we're in.

00:28:16: To one example and with that one example in the same time.

00:28:21: She she does like to point out to this entanglement that's that everything is connected there's not one story not one history.

00:28:31: 1

00:28:33: No division without connection no like this place when without placement and so is like she talks about like 12 teeth but then she wants to emphasise that there is.

00:28:45: No such thing as only.

00:28:48: That is really reminding me actually my one of my absolute favourite book I think now I just realised he's referring to which is all and pay me for my name is,

00:28:58: which author begins in the bottom of the well,

00:29:01: with the with the murder and and he's and that book it is also set in the mediaeval times,

00:29:09: the cultural difference between benefit and but what was then Constantinople and the other ways of producing art and beauty men.

00:29:17: So yeah I just said that she's making an explicit link to that actually I mean there is no tree in that I'm in the,

00:29:25: is both essential and really problematic to me but I think we've had enough about that but then another thing that I wanted to mention which he says which maybe she could talk a little,

00:29:40: focal polyvocal and when Geraldine mention the Scream at the screen with such an amazing time,

00:29:49: you know not even articulate but it's an incredibly powerful voice,

00:29:53: no space saving for her then then you connect to this network if root of the social media and she becomes like a meme on social media,

00:30:05: finding sympathy with another that took to the space you were talking about Lisa just now of you know.

00:30:12: Be frightened of making a new faith and it being humiliating or difficult and and then how you.

00:30:21: Sympathy I guess or sympathetic emotion and.

00:30:27: Can help alleviate that send and I think that process that you go through of making the screen if it in articulate.

00:30:35: Voice and then how that becomes.

00:30:38: How it becomes understood in translated through social media through the really interesting but I mean it just do it and it really reminds me of the point you made about the local which absolutely something that women like.

00:30:52: I'm just something that comes to my mind not like when you are speaking is the.

00:30:58: General confusion in the book I like when she's screaming and.

00:31:05: The can of melancholia and vulnerability of the day.

00:31:10: Resonating to Old what you said it's kind of the opposite of certainty and which I think in the book will be this to the latest vanity,

00:31:23: and it's something that's also.

00:31:29: Architecture in invite we are challenging today also comes into questions I mean I had I was just thinking about just all the,

00:31:39: how ambitious because all his different aspects that it's kind of including and also one thing which I think we haven't really talked about yet or which I a very present is also this song.

00:31:54: So it's about sustainability which is like though the fig tree is really kind of.

00:32:02: Telling us to watch a help basically is also that time's the the the victory can also be quite a moralistic character in that way.

00:32:11: Tell me about the importance of the bees and and these kind of things but yeah maybe we wanted to shortly just talk about that aspects as well.

00:32:20: I don't know like just before we moved to the system Villa T H I think this screaming is like something that also very I don't know telling for me in a sense that,

00:32:30: yeah that's definitely like a very difficult moment for adult that it was like a scream that I can open up the book but also the screen that made all the narration afterwards possible the other name of the sea.

00:32:44: Understand you're not understand your cyberbully,

00:32:48: and it just reminds me of like another like I don't know like the feminine stick activex Verona cargo like she's herself like very involved in all,

00:32:59: striking and activism in South America and she has that you her book she talk about actually striking a strike is actually,

00:33:08: the mechanisms of where you put everything to stop to win the time where to think about things you would normally not do and for.

00:33:17: The the true aim was not,

00:33:20: nearly just to like striker something you don't have like a clear gender for and you put it out and there's that moment in her context where the housewife sex workers,

00:33:32: trans community start to meet in the strike space and started talk to each other and I found that somehow has something an analogical to the screaming when you scream.

00:33:45: Find it like that and I also like understand I didn't understand the first but that's the starting point to open some a different page and I found.

00:33:56: Very interesting space and time outside normality.

00:34:06: They just started that however different from each other they are and I think it makes a really interesting contact this baby described in your in the extract that you read,

00:34:17: when you're describing is very convivial space at Steve just seems like he's going to say the same thing.

00:34:23: And it's a very deep space that everyone knows and they go there because it's a friend's it's accepting and it's,

00:34:31: I think that that's a really interesting contrast between this convivial female permanent space at the fig tree to have an inner Courtyard with a tree in,

00:34:41: between know if just activate temporary and if cream it is a moment which that we had such resonance and and it is in a way more permanent,

00:34:51: the tavern it's.

00:34:53: The big question is how you how you start and changing your perception to the person to start to be aware of what's what's wrong and.

00:35:06: I guess I don't have to book she has yeah just pick up on.

00:35:14: Under scream and like how screams and being loud can you change a space or time.

00:35:23: I think this bugs just book shifts.

00:35:27: Like points on on How fluids the world is all the time.

00:35:34: It's funny how people need to really put like a piece of wood.

00:35:40: Like to stop this fluidity to just have to time to like recap speak out.

00:35:48: Is everything is everything connected I think what you said Geraldine.

00:35:54: About how many topics there are in this book.

00:35:59: To this book like everything is packed chicken you can pick up.

00:36:05: From all the topics that are mentioned in this book you can pick something,

00:36:10: this is like really representative for you your feelings like at the moment at this time and I think that's also why it is so popular because everybody.

00:36:21: She's like some reflection of.

00:36:27: Themselves in the poo I think this is a very very interesting that she was able.

00:36:33: To put so many different topics and back to like all this eco question.

00:36:40: I think also how she portrays the climate changing was really interesting because the Climb.

00:36:51: Changes around the tree kind of and,

00:36:54: it's like the same tree that was like back there in Cyprus that is now in,

00:37:02: in a completely different environment where shouldn't really be and how it affects the space around it as we know it's like when when you take.

00:37:12: For example plants or other natural.

00:37:17: Things and put it into a different environment how can affect the environment there and it can like totally.

00:37:26: Break up the natural cycle which is what we're doing all the time every day,

00:37:32: but then still talking about how bad are ecosystem is and then this again connecting to migration and how that is like,

00:37:44: problem kind off for many many people still which is totally absurd because it's happening every day and every time.

00:37:53: As well I always dislike double morality I think this also is like playing a role.

00:38:00: Connect a lot of the problems in the books,

00:38:04: very shortly I think like the whole ecological like aspect from this book is also very deeply waived with all these like a political like a

00:38:17: and the ID of immigration and some had make me you and make sure that all the ecology questions cannot be like separated from the address of the discussion in a.

00:38:28: Moving a plant from one place to the other,

00:38:31: or like like an artificial manipulation of plantations has been like a very typical colonial practise night whatever it's,

00:38:42: exporting or importing and the somehow again things will come back at to the question of the tree like the tree is like summer,

00:38:51: a subject in this book has feelings with talking at the time of preserving and also the human being also noticed that and I think perhaps there's something that,

00:39:02: we could just like I don't know start to think about it like me are fundamental different shading from subjects to object the object of things which is totally also like the original wind-up colonialism.

00:39:16: Thank you so much.