The Commanding Self, in Sufic terminology, is that mixture of the primitive and conditioned responses, common to everyone, which inhibits and distorts human progress and understanding. This book was described by Shah as the key to understanding his entire corpus of work. While complete in...

A major collaboration between ISF and UNESCO, the ‘World Tales Story Competition’ is aimed at developing a sense of imagination in children, and promoting shared values on a worldwide basis.

ISF has been working to provide illustrated books to children in Afghanistan on a mass scale. The tales, written by Idries Shah, are being illustrated by a range of talented artists in both East and West. The first six illustrated books are ready, with a...

Idries Shah believed that stories are not merely a part of culture – but rather that they are culture. During his lifetime, he published thousands of tales drawn from all corners of the world. Shah delighted in observing how varying versions of the same tale...

Ian McEwan is an internationally acclaimed author who has won numerous literary awards, including the Man Booker, the Somerset Maughan and the James Tait Black Memorial prizes. He was awarded a CBE in 2000. Several of his novels have been turned into films, including Atonement,...

Inspired by a special edition of The Tale of the Sands, produced in 1980 – and limited to just fifty copies – we have teamed up with a wonderful print-making collective in Bristol. Our plan is to hand-set the texts of six stories by Idries...

At the heart of ISF’s work is the spirit of honing oneself into the best person you can be – a thread running through Idries Shah’s many publications. This idea of personal fulfilment, is coupled with the ideal of giving rather than taking – opening...

ISF is extremely grateful to Sir Michael Palin for sparing the time in his busy schedule for recording Idries Shah's story, The Food of Paradise.