Idries Shah, also known as Idris Shah, Indries Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an Afghan author, thinker and teacher in the Sufi tradition. Shah wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
A teaching story is a narrative that has been deliberately created as a vehicle for the transmission of wisdom. The practice has been used in a number of religious and other traditions, though writer Idries Shah's use of it was in the context of Sufi teaching and learning, within which this body of material has been described as the "most valuable of the treasures in the human heritage". The range of teaching stories is enormous, including anecdotes, accounts of meetings between teachers and pupils, biographies, myths, fairy tales, fables and jokes. Such stories frequently have a long life beyond the initial teaching situation and have contributed vastly to the world's store of folklore and literature.
Robert Evan Ornstein was an American psychologist, researcher and author.
Tahir Shah is a British author, journalist and documentary maker of Afghan-Indian descent.
Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah was an Indian-Afghan author and diplomat descended from the Sadaat of Paghman. Born and educated in India, he came to Britain as a young man to continue his education in Edinburgh, where he married a young Scotswoman.
Saira Elizabeth Luiza Shah was a Scottish writer who wrote under the pen name Morag Murray Abdullah. She met the Pashtun author, poet, diplomat, scholar, and savant Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah and wrote about her marriage to this chieftain's son and her travels in the North-West Frontier Province of British India and the mountains of Afghanistan.
Robert Darr, also known as Robert Abdul Hayy Darr, is the author of several books on Sufism.
The Institute for Cultural Research (ICR) was a London-based, UK-registered educational charity, events organizer and publisher which aimed to stimulate study, debate, education and research into all aspects of human thought, behaviour and culture. It brought together many distinguished speakers, writers and Fellows over the years.
Safia Thomas is a British writer, editor, television news producer and member of the Afghan-Indian Shah family.
Knowing How to Know is a book by the writer Idries Shah published posthumously by Octagon Press in 1998. A paperback edition was published in 2000.
Seeker After Truth: A Handbook was written by Idries Shah, one of the foremost writers on Sufism. It was first published by Octagon Press in 1982, and later republished by The Idries Shah Foundation.
Wisdom of the Idiots is a book of Sufi teaching stories by the writer Idries Shah first published by the Octagon Press in 1969. A paperback edition was published in 1991. ISF Publishing, sponsored by The Idries Shah Foundation, published a paperback edition on 2015, followed by the ebook version and audiobook.
Octagon Press was a cross-cultural publishing house based in London, UK. It was founded in 1960 by Sufi teacher, Idries Shah to establish the historical and cultural context for his ideas. The company ceased trading in 2014.
Caravan of Dreams is a book by Idries Shah first published in 1968 by Octagon Press as part of his presentation of traditional Eastern teachings and Sufi ideas for contemporary society. New editions of the book were published in 2015 by The Idries Shah Foundation.
The Idries Shah Foundation (ISF) is an independent educational and cultural charity, set up by the family of the late thinker, writer, and teacher in the Sufi mystical tradition, Idries Shah, who wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
The Institute for Cross-cultural Exchange (ICE) or Institut d'échanges interculturels (IEI) is an educational and cross-cultural non-profit organisation based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Administered and staffed entirely by volunteers, ICE promotes children’s literacy and cross-cultural education at home and abroad. It provides at-risk children with their very first books: illustrated and thought-provoking stories from the Middle East and Central Asia.
Neem the Half Boy, first published in 1998, is the first of eleven children's books written by Idries Shah and published by Hoopoe Books.
The Lion Who Saw Himself in the Water, first published in 1998, is the third of eleven children's books written by Idries Shah and published by Hoopoe Books. The book is written for children aged from 3 to 11.
The Silly Chicken, first published in 2005, is the ninth of eleven children's books written by Idries Shah and published by Hoopoe Books. The book is appropriate for children from 3 to 11.
