# The Island of Missing Trees

- Institution: TED
- Department: A TED Original Podcast
- Speaker: Elif Shafak
- Year: 2022
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Society and politics, Literature and writing
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/elif_shafak_the_island_of_missing_trees)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

"From populist demagogues, we will learn the indispensability of democracy," says novelist Elif Shafak. "From isolationists, we will learn the need for global solidarity. And from tribalists, we will learn the beauty of cosmopolitanism." A native of Turkey, she has experienced firsthand the devastation that a loss of diversity can bring -- and she knows the revolutionary power of plurality in response to authoritarianism. In this passionate, personal talk, she reminds us that there are no binaries, in politics, emotions and our identities. After the talk, stick around to hear a conversation between Elise and Elif about her new novel, "The Island of Missing Trees," an intergenerational story about forbidden love. Elise and Elif discuss how fiction creates empathy and how to avoid "falling into the trap of tribalism," even when the world might push us that way. This episode is part of the TED Talks Daily summer book club, a series featuring talks and interviews to inspire your next great read.

## Lectures

1. [The Island of Missing Trees](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/elif_shafak_the_island_of_missing_trees/79fb72c86007), 30 min (TED's player)