Watch our animated ‘Tale of the Sands’

We all fear change and yet change is the very essence of life. How does a stream cross the mighty, desolate desert? Can it allow itself to change its very form to survive the journey?

Hand-Printed Idries Shah Teaching-Stories

Next year is the centenary of Idries Shah’s birth in 1924. To celebrate, we’re excited to announce the creation of five hundred hand-printed folios of Idries Shah’s best-loved teaching-stories. There are five stories in all and just 100 copies of each have been printed. Each is a Sufi classic tale collected and previously published by … Read More

Patti Schneider 1934-2023

We’re sad to announce the passing of ISF’s friend, Aubrey Davis, the Canadian writer and master storyteller.

Rumi’s Enduring Influence

We visit the tomb of the 13th century Afghan-born Sufi, Jalaluddin Rumi, in Konya, Turkey. Idries Shah drew extensively from his teaching, adapting Sufism — just as Rumi did — to his time and environment. Watch the video below or in Full HD on YouTube

Blog: Octagon Rumi Backlist

Beginning in 1979, just as the soon-to-be-popular (and popularised) books on Rumi and his poetry began to flood the western market, The Octagon Press, the publishing predecessor of ISF, printed two important titles on Rumi. Both books were produced for the general public and remain authentic landmark works about the Sufi luminary. Those titles are: … Read More

Celebrating World Storytelling Day

On World Storytelling Day, the Idries Shah Foundation is celebrating the eternal appeal and exploits of the incomparable, incredible and inimitable folk legend, Mulla Nasrudin.