The Idries Shah Foundation


The Idries Shah Foundation 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.
Based in London, England, the charity is primarily for the study, dissemination of knowledge, and promotion of Sufi arts, literature, culture and heritage, with special focus on the published works of Idries Shah.
Printed books, ebooks and audiobooks are being made available by the foundation's publishing arm, ISF Publishing.

Objective

The charity's stated objective is “to promote tolerance and cultural understanding by the dissemination of contemporary Sufi ideas as widely as possible throughout the world.” It aims “to translate the works of Idries Shah into Eastern languages in order to help preserve Sufi ideas and values within the Islamic world, where they originated.”
Between 2015 and 2020, the foundation's publishing arm, ISF Publishing, plans to republish the complete corpus of Idries Shah in English. This includes print, eBook, and audio editions and, for the first time, American editions as well. The foundation is also working on releasing translations of Shah's publications in Oriental languages. Translations into other Oriental and European languages are also underfoot. In addition, the foundation is committed to establishing an online archive of Idries Shah's manuscripts and associated material, as well as making Shah's publications available to libraries, schools and universities, in both East and West.
The Idries Shah Foundation supersedes the earlier educational charity, The Institute for Cultural Research, which was originally set up by Idries Shah; and ISF Publishing supersedes his earlier educational book publishing company, Octagon Press.
Operating in the United Kingdom and in Afghanistan, The Idries Shah Foundation's registered charity number in England and Wales is 1150876.

Children's Books for Afghanistan Project

The main goal of the Institute's Children's Books for Afghanistan Project is to provide free illustrated editions of stories by Idries Shah in full colour to children in Afghanistan. Funds raised from the sale of the limited edition titles will be directed towards this project. Using the model that was established by the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge's American charity, Hoopoe Books, the Institute is developing this series of its own children's books, and has received funding to produce them.

Friends of the ISF

Anyone is permitted to be a Friend of The Idries Shah Foundation, and can do so by registering with an email address on the foundation's web site. Friends of ISF receive monthly and quarterly newsletters of the foundation's progress and activities.
Each year, Friends of ISF are invited to meet up at a special evening event, usually held in the autumn at the Institute of Ecotechnics' October Gallery, Bloomsbury in London.

History

The Idries Shah Foundation was registered as a British charity on 18 February 2013. The founding trustees were Clare Maxwell-Hudson, Gillian Whitworth and Dr. Riad Kocache.. While involved in ISF, Idries Shah's three children – Saira Shah, Safia Shah and Tahir Shah – are not trustees. As owners of Shah's copyrights there would be a possible conflict of interest.
2014 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Idries Shah's first book on Sufism, The Sufis, which award-winning author Doris Lessing, writing in The Washington Post, describes as “a seminal book of the century, even a watershed.” New paperback and ebook editions of the work were published that year by the newly formed ISF Publishing, in association with The Idries Shah Foundation, to coincide with that event.
Part of a wider initiative, The Idries Shah Foundation had begun to make available new paperback, ebook and audiobook editions of Shah's 35 or so main titles in English, along with translations into other Western and Eastern languages. In addition, as Idries Shah's books are re-published, they are being made available to read online – via the foundation's web site and also Google Books – free of charge.
In 2014, The Idries Shah Foundation in partnership with Books With Wings also freely distributed 32,000 books by Idries Shah, together with related Eastern classics, to schools, universities and public libraries in Afghanistan.

UNESCO World Tales Short Story Competition

In January 2020, a World Tales Short Story Competition was announced by UNESCO in collaboration with The Idries Shah Foundation, in which "young teenagers from all over the globe are invited to write about challenges of today and tomorrow in the format of a short story, and share their perspectives."

Reception

Fiftieth anniversary of ''The Sufis'' (1964–2014)

In an article on the Al Jazeera web site in 2014, to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the first publication of The Sufis, John Bell and John Zada write about the wave of intolerant militance and extremism in the East and in Africa and about the destruction of many cultural resources such as libraries and UNESCO World Heritage shrines and mosques in places like Timbuktu.
Explaining the historical, rich and diverse background of the tolerant Sufi tradition, the authors suggest that the material in Shah's newly republished book The Sufis provides a useful and most-timely counterpoint and antidote to such extremism in the East; to consumerism in the West; and to intolerance, dogmatism and closed thinking, which they and Shah see as material, mental and emotional “prisons”.
In a related article in The Guardian, author Jason Webster is also of the opinion that the Sufi Way, as it is known, is a natural antidote to fanaticism.
Webster states that classical Islamic Sufis include the poet and Persian polymath Omar Khayyám, the Andalusian polymath Avërroes, the Persian poet and hagiographer Fariduddin Attar, and the Persian poet and theologian Jalāl ad-Dīn Rumi. The writer also notes that when The Sufis first appeared, The Washington Post declared the book “a seminal book of the century”, and that the work attracted writers such as Doris Lessing, J. D. Salinger and Geoffrey Grigson. The poet Ted Hughes also described it as “astonishing” and wrote that “The Sufis must be the biggest society of sensible men on Earth.” According to the reviewer, others in the West drawn to or influenced by Sufism include St Francis of Assisi, the novelist, poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes, the poet and diplomat Sir Richard Burton, the leading British politician Winston Churchill, and the diplomat and economist Dag Hammarskjöld.
Stressing the importance of the Foundation's undertaking, Webster writes that “Half a century on, the foundation’s mission to promote Shah’s ideas in the Middle East fits with the ancient Sufi concern of passing knowledge between different cultures, particularly at times of greatest need. To a certain degree, the classics – what Shah drew on to bring Sufism to the west – are being overlooked by younger generations.”
In another related article on the Asian Affairs journal weblog, author Robert Twigger writes of it being fifty years since the original publication of The Sufis. He notes that the introduction by popular poet, novelist, critic and classicist, Robert Graves helped get the book noticed, and Shah had the support of American psychologist Robert Ornstein and award-winning author Doris Lessing. More recently, historian William Dalrymple has also expressed his debt to Shah's works, as has The Guardian columnist and author Oliver Burkeman.
Twigger writes that though Shah died in 1996, The Idries Shah Foundation carries the work on. He is of the opinion that “ironically, the original material Shah brought from the Oriental world has been persecuted to extinction in many regions of the East,” and adds that “the shock troops of ISIS will one day depart and folk will need re-introducing to their cultural inheritance.”

Publications

Print, ebook and audio book editions

In order of re-publication:
TitleISBNFormat/BindingCountryDate
The SufisPaperbackUK1 October 2014
The SufiseBook-MobiUK
The SufiseBook-ePubUK
The SufisPaperbackUSA1 October 2014
The SufiseBook-MobiUSA
The SufiseBook-ePubUSA
The SufiseBook-Kindle
The SufisAudioEnglish
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUK1 May 2015
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUK
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUK
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUSA24 April 2015
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUSA
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUSA
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudineBook-Kindle
The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudinAudioEnglish24 April 2015
Caravan of DreamsPaperbackUK1 June 2015
Caravan of DreamseBook-MobiUK
Caravan of DreamseBook-ePubUK
Caravan of DreamsPaperbackUSA1 June 2015
Caravan of DreamseBook-MobiUSA
Caravan of DreamseBook-ePubUSA
Caravan of DreamseBook-Kindle
Caravan of DreamsAudioEnglish11 August 2015
ReflectionsPaperbackUK1 July 2015
ReflectionseBook-MobiUK
ReflectionseBook-ePubUK
ReflectionsPaperbackUSA1 July 2015
ReflectionseBook-MobiUSA
ReflectionseBook-ePubUSA
ReflectionseBook-Kindle
ReflectionsAudioEnglish26 January 2016
The Way of the SufiPaperbackUK1 August 2015
The Way of the SufieBook-MobiUK
The Way of the SufieBook-ePubUK
The Way of the SufiPaperbackUSA22 August 2015
The Way of the SufieBook-MobiUSA
The Way of the SufieBook-ePubUSA
The Way of the SufieBook-Kindle
The Way of the SufiAudioEnglish22 August 2015
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUK1 September 2015
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUK
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUK
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUSA1 September 2015
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUSA
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUSA
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudineBook-Kindle
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudinAudioEnglish27 October 2015
Wisdom of the IdiotsPaperbackUK1 November 2015
Wisdom of the IdiotseBook-MobiUK
Wisdom of the IdiotseBook-ePubUK
Wisdom of the IdiotsPaperbackUSA8 November 2015
Wisdom of the IdiotseBook-MobiUSA
Wisdom of the IdiotseBook-ePubUSA
Wisdom of the IdiotseBook-Kindle
Wisdom of the IdiotsAudioEnglish
Oriental MagicPaperbackUK1 January 2016
Oriental MagiceBook-MobiUK
Oriental MagiceBook-ePubUK
Oriental MagicPaperbackUSA1 January 2016
Oriental MagiceBook-MobiUSA
Oriental MagiceBook-ePubUSA
Oriental MagiceBook-Kindle
Oriental MagicAudioEnglish
The Dermis ProbePaperbackUK1 February 2016
The Dermis ProbeeBook-MobiUK
The Dermis ProbeeBook-ePubUK
The Dermis ProbePaperbackUSA
The Dermis ProbeeBook-MobiUSA
The Dermis ProbeeBook-ePubUSA
The Dermis ProbeeBook-Kindle
The Dermis ProbeAudioEnglish
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufisPaperbackUK1 March 2016
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufiseBook-MobiUK
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufiseBook-ePubUK
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufisPaperbackUSA
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufiseBook-MobiUSA
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufiseBook-ePubUSA
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufiseBook-Kindle
The Elephant in the Dark – Christianity, Islam and the SufisAudioEnglish
Destination MeccaPaperbackUK1 April 2015
Destination MeccaeBook-MobiUK
Destination MeccaeBook-ePubUK
Destination MeccaPaperbackUSA
Destination MeccaeBook-MobiUSA
Destination MeccaeBook-ePubUSA
Destination MeccaeBook-Kindle
Destination MeccaAudioEnglish
'PaperbackUK1 June 2016
'eBook-MobiUK
'eBook-ePubUK
'PaperbackUSA
'eBook-MobiUSA
'eBook-ePubUSA
'eBook-Kindle
'AudioEnglish
The Secret Lore of MagicPaperbackUK1 June 2015
The Secret Lore of MagiceBook-MobiUK
The Secret Lore of MagiceBook-ePubUK
The Secret Lore of MagicPaperbackUSA
The Secret Lore of MagiceBook-MobiUSA
The Secret Lore of MagiceBook-ePubUSA
The Secret Lore of MagiceBook-Kindle
The Secret Lore of MagicAudioEnglish
Tales of the DervishesPaperbackUK1 October 216
Tales of the DervisheseBook-MobiUK
Tales of the DervisheseBook-ePubUK
Tales of the DervishesPaperbackUSA
Tales of the DervisheseBook-MobiUSA
Tales of the DervisheseBook-ePubUSA
Tales of the DervisheseBook-Kindle
Tales of the DervishesAudioEnglish
The Book of the BookPaperbackUK1 December 2016
The Book of the BookeBook-MobiUK
The Book of the BookeBook-ePubUK
The Book of the BookPaperbackUSA
The Book of the BookeBook-MobiUSA
The Book of the BookeBook-ePubUSA
The Book of the BookeBook-Kindle
The Book of the BookAudioEnglish
The Magic MonasteryPaperbackUK1 February 17
The Magic MonasteryeBook-MobiUK
The Magic MonasteryeBook-ePubUK
The Magic MonasteryPaperbackUSA
The Magic MonasteryeBook-MobiUSA
The Magic MonasteryeBook-ePubUSA
The Magic MonasteryeBook-Kindle
The Magic MonasteryAudioEnglish
Sufi Thought and ActionPaperbackUK1 April 2017
Sufi Thought and ActioneBook-MobiUK
Sufi Thought and ActioneBook-ePubUK
Sufi Thought and ActionPaperbackUSA
Sufi Thought and ActioneBook-MobiUSA
Sufi Thought and ActioneBook-ePubUSA
Sufi Thought and ActioneBook-Kindle
Sufi Thought and ActionAudioEnglish
A Perfumed ScorpionPaperbackUK1 June 2017
A Perfumed ScorpioneBook-MobiUK
A Perfumed ScorpioneBook-ePubUK
A Perfumed ScorpionPaperbackUSA
A Perfumed ScorpioneBook-MobiUSA
A Perfumed ScorpioneBook-ePubUSA
A Perfumed ScorpioneBook-Kindle
A Perfumed ScorpionAudioEnglish
Learning How to LearnPaperbackUK1 October 2017
Learning How to LearneBook-MobiUK
Learning How to LearneBook-ePubUK
Learning How to LearnPaperbackUSA
Learning How to LearneBook-MobiUSA
Learning How to LearneBook-ePubUSA
Learning How to LearneBook-Kindle
Learning How to LearnAudioEnglish
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyPaperbackUK1 December 2017
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyeBook-MobiUK
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyeBook-ePubUK
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyPaperbackUSA
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyeBook-MobiUSA
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyeBook-ePubUSA
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyeBook-Kindle
Neglected Aspects of Sufi StudyAudioEnglish
World TalesPaperbackUK1 February 2018
World TaleseBook-MobiUK
World TaleseBook-ePubUK
World TalesPaperbackUSA
World TaleseBook-MobiUSA
World TaleseBook-ePubUSA
World TaleseBook-Kindle
World TalesAudioEnglish
'PaperbackUK1 April 2018
'eBook-MobiUK
'eBook-ePubUK
'PaperbackUSA
'eBook-MobiUSA
'eBook-ePubUSA
'eBook-Kindle
'AudioEnglish
Seeker After TruthPaperbackUK1 June 2018
Seeker After TrutheBook-MobiUK
Seeker After TrutheBook-ePubUK
Seeker After TruthPaperbackUSA
Seeker After TrutheBook-MobiUSA
Seeker After TrutheBook-ePubUSA
Seeker After TrutheBook-Kindle
Seeker After TruthAudioEnglish
The Hundred Tales of WisdomPaperbackUK1 August 2018
The Hundred Tales of WisdomeBook-MobiUK
The Hundred Tales of WisdomeBook-ePubUK
The Hundred Tales of WisdomPaperbackUSA
The Hundred Tales of WisdomeBook-MobiUSA
The Hundred Tales of WisdomeBook-ePubUSA
The Hundred Tales of WisdomeBook-Kindle
The Hundred Tales of WisdomAudioEnglish
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUK1 October 2018
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUK
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUK
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudinPaperbackUSA
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudineBook-MobiUSA
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudineBook-ePubUSA
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudineBook-Kindle
The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudinAudioEnglish
Kara KushPaperbackUK1 December 18
Kara KusheBook-MobiUK
Kara KusheBook-ePubUK
Kara KushPaperbackUSA
Kara KusheBook-MobiUSA
Kara KusheBook-ePubUSA
Kara KusheBook-Kindle
Kara KushAudioEnglish
The World of the SufiPaperbackUK1 February 19
The World of the SufieBook-MobiUK
The World of the SufieBook-ePubUK
The World of the SufiPaperbackUSA
The World of the SufieBook-MobiUSA
The World of the SufieBook-ePubUSA
The World of the SufieBook-Kindle
The World of the SufiAudioEnglish
The Commanding SelfPaperbackUK1 April 2019
The Commanding SelfeBook-MobiUK
The Commanding SelfeBook-ePubUK
The Commanding SelfPaperbackUSA
The Commanding SelfeBook-MobiUSA
The Commanding SelfeBook-ePubUSA
The Commanding SelfeBook-Kindle
The Commanding SelfAudioEnglish
Darkest EnglandPaperbackUK1 June 2019
Darkest EnglandeBook-MobiUK
Darkest EnglandeBook-ePubUK
Darkest EnglandPaperbackUSA
Darkest EnglandeBook-MobiUSA
Darkest EnglandeBook-ePubUSA
Darkest EnglandeBook-Kindle
Darkest EnglandAudioEnglish
The Natives are RestlessPaperbackUK1 August 19
The Natives are RestlesseBook-MobiUK
The Natives are RestlesseBook-ePubUK
The Natives are RestlessPaperbackUSA
The Natives are RestlesseBook-MobiUSA
The Natives are RestlesseBook-ePubUSA
The Natives are RestlesseBook-Kindle
The Natives are RestlessAudioEnglish
Knowing How to KnowPaperbackUK1 October 19
Knowing How to KnoweBook-MobiUK
Knowing How to KnoweBook-ePubUK
Knowing How to KnowPaperbackUSA
Knowing How to KnoweBook-MobiUSA
Knowing How to KnoweBook-ePubUSA
Knowing How to KnoweBook-Kindle
Knowing How to KnowAudioEnglish
A Veiled GazellePaperbackUK1 December 19
A Veiled GazelleeBook-MobiUK
A Veiled GazelleeBook-ePubUK
A Veiled GazellePaperbackUSA
A Veiled GazelleeBook-MobiUSA
A Veiled GazelleeBook-ePubUSA
A Veiled GazelleeBook-Kindle
A Veiled GazelleAudioEnglish
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeasPaperbackUK1 February 2020
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeaseBook-MobiUK
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeaseBook-ePubUK
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeasPaperbackUSA
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeaseBook-MobiUSA
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeaseBook-ePubUSA
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeaseBook-Kindle
Special Problems in the Study of Sufi IdeasAudioEnglish
The Englishman's HandbookPaperbackUK1 April 2020
The Englishman's HandbookeBook-MobiUK
The Englishman's HandbookeBook-ePubUK
The Englishman's HandbookPaperbackUSA
The Englishman's HandbookeBook-MobiUSA
The Englishman's HandbookeBook-ePubUSA
The Englishman's HandbookeBook-Kindle
The Englishman's HandbookAudioEnglish
The World of NasrudinPaperbackUK1 June 2020
The World of NasrudineBook-MobiUK
The World of NasrudineBook-ePubUK
The World of NasrudinPaperbackUSA
The World of NasrudineBook-MobiUSA
The World of NasrudineBook-ePubUSA
The World of NasrudineBook-Kindle
The World of NasrudinAudioEnglish
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionsPaperbackUK1 August 2020
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionseBook-MobiUK
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionseBook-ePubUK
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionsPaperbackUSA
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionseBook-MobiUSA
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionseBook-ePubUSA
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionseBook-Kindle
Evenings With Idries Shah: Sufi discussionsAudioEnglish
ObservationsPaperbackUK1 October 2020
ObservationseBook-MobiUK
ObservationseBook-ePubUK
ObservationsPaperbackUSA
ObservationseBook-MobiUSA
ObservationseBook-ePubUSA
ObservationseBook-Kindle
ObservationsAudioEnglish
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShahPaperbackUK1 December 2020
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShaheBook-MobiUK
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShaheBook-ePubUK
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShahPaperbackUSA
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShaheBook-MobiUSA
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShaheBook-ePubUSA
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShaheBook-Kindle
Letters and Lectures of Idries ShahAudioEnglish

Limited editions

In order of re-publication:
TitleISBNFormat/BindingCountryDate
World Tales :
World Tales: Book 1: Tales Of A Parrot And Other StoriesHardcoverUK2015
World Tales: Book 2: The Happiest Man In The World And Other StoriesHardcoverUK2015
World Tales: Book 3: The Food Of Paradise And Other StoriesHardcoverUK2015
World Tales: Book 4: The Water Of Life And Other StoriesHardcoverUK2015
World Tales: Book 5: The Land Where Time Stood Still And Other StoriesHardcoverUK2015
Nasrudin :
Nasrudin Book 1: The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla NasrudinHardcoverUK2016
Nasrudin Book 2: The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla NasrudinHardcoverUK2016
Nasrudin Book 3: The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla NasrudinHardcoverUK2016
Nasrudin Book 4: The World of Mulla Nasrudin IHardcoverUK2016
Nasrudin Book 5: The World of Mulla Nasrudin IIHardcoverUK2016
The Book of the BookHardcoverUK2016
The Way of the SufiHardcoverUK2017
Tales of the DervishesHardcoverUK2017
ReflectionsHardcoverUK2017
Thinkers of the EastHardcoverUK2017
The Essential Idries ShahHardcoverUK2017

Web sites

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