A luminous reinvention of Gustave Flaubert told through the lives of the women - both real and fictional - who shaped him.

Join us for a very special event with one our most beloved storytellers, the global bestselling novelist Elif Shafak at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre, as we celebrate the publication of In One Brief Moment All Eternity.

During a time of great turmoil, Gustave Flaubert created literature's most scandalous heroine: Madame Bovary. He then poisoned her with arsenic. But what if, 175 years later, Emma – and the women history overlooked – could seize the quill from his hands and tell a different story?

In One Brief Moment All Eternity is a luminous reinvention of an iconic male writer, told through the eyes of the women – real and fictional – who shaped him: a devoted nursemaid, an Egyptian dancer and a passionate, jealous lover who refuses to be forgotten. Through their voices, Elif Shafak creates both an intimate portrait of a great artist and an epic meditation on storytelling itself: who gets remembered, who gets erased, and how can literature endure through political upheaval, war and injustice? When the world feels broken, how do we find the hope to carry on?

Elif Shafak is an award-winning and highly acclaimed British-Turkish novelist whose work has been translated into 57 languages. The author of 21 books, including 13 novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world. Her novels include The Forty Rules of Love, 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World, The Island of Missing Trees and There Are Rivers in the Sky.

The Signed Book & Ticket bundle includes a pre-signed copy of One Brief Moment All Eternity by Elif Shafak, for collection on the evening.

Elif Shafak will be in conversation with Jonny Thomson. Jonny taught philosophy in Oxford for more than a decade before turning to writing full-time. He’s a columnist at Big Think and is the award-winning, bestselling author of three books that have been translated into 22 languages. Jonny is the founder of the Mini Philosophy social media channels where he explains philosophy to millions of people. He lives in Oxfordshire with his family.

The Sheldonian is the historic congregation theatre of the University of Oxford, designed by Christopher Wren. Please contact oxford@Blackwells.co.uk if you have any accessibility requirements. Latecomers may not be admitted.

Description supplied by the event organiser.