Geraldine Brooks – People of the Book….full of great rich historical grandeur and resonates with my Jewish ancestry, I enjoy all Geraldine’s books – The Crossing was wonderful, story of the first American Indian to attend Harvard university
Who is your hero and why?
Strong women who have shaped history – why…. Because I affiliate with them….
What is your main motivation in life?
The greening of Honiara city (I started an environmental charity NGO 22 years ago and plant trees, make gardens and try to beautify the city through environmental means)
Please share your favourite quote
“walk the spiritual path with practical feet”
Keithie is the appointed United States Consular Agent to the Solomon Islands. In 2010 she received an OBE in recognition of her community and environmental work in the Solomon’s. She will be sharing the story of her parents at https://inkoflight.org/
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, because it is a poetic fable full of spiritual truth.
Who is your hero and why?
My wife, because she is not only loyal, responsible, kind, and loving; but she is also so stunningly pretty.
What is the motivation for your work?
The love of art and artfulness.
Please share your favourite quote
‘Everyone is talented, original, and has something important to say’ – Brenda Ueland
Grant Hindin Miller, is a New Zealand, Song Writer, Educator, Creative Extraordinaire and Key Note Speaker. Don’t miss out on a workshop from Grant. Register now at https://inkoflight.org.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe because it is a brilliant example of riveting fiction with the most profound and life changing message
Who is your favourite hero and why?
It’s Lua Getsinger because of her steadfastness and obedience.
What is your motivation?
Love and fear of God
Share your favourite quote:
“…despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.”
Gandalf in Lord of the Rings
Melanie has a PhD in engaging boys and men in gender equality and for many years has facilitated violence prevention and respectful relationships programs in high schools, and for adults. She is one of our presenters at Ink of Light https://inkoflight.org/speakers
Here is a short interview with one of our Ink of Light presenters. Michael will be speaking on Saturday the 18th of May.
What are your favourite books and why?
Lighting the Western Sky by Kathryn Jewett Hogenson. It is a very
well-written and compelling narrative about early Baha’i pilgrims to the Holy
Land, with original information that makes our heroes and anti-heroes real to the reader, and portrays the Master in a unique and meaningful way.
To the Holy Shrines by Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890). This book is vividly written, with humour and insight, and gives an insider’s look into Muslim culture of the 19th century. The description of the Fast is superb and will ring a few bells with Baha’is. It reinforces why the arrival of the Baha’i Faith was such a blessing.
Who is your favourite hero and why?
Marzieh Gail for writing so professionally about the early history of the Faith.
What is your main motivation?
My main motivation
is my overwhelming curiosity about the history of the Baha’i Faith, especially in the Holy Land;.
My subsidiary motivations are: (i) the unprecedented feeling for me of spiritual exhilaration and grace that often accompanies the research and writing on sacred topics (ii) the thrill of the discovery of information (iii) the enjoyment of writing books on topics so precious to me (iv) the responsibility of using my professional training and experience (v) the holy Shrines.
Share your favourite quote
“High, immeasurably high is this Shrine, the lofty, the most great, the most wondrous. Exalted, immeasurably exalted is this Resting-place, the fragrant, the pure, the luminous, the transcendent. Glorified, immeasurably glorified is this Spot, the most august, the most holy, the most beloved, the most sublime.”
~ Shoghi Effendi
Michael Day is presenting Sacred Stairway, Pathway of a Book, and his tips for writing, editing and researching at Ink of Light, May 18-19 Brisbane Australia. Register now! Limited places. https://inkoflight.org/speakers For more information on Michael visit his website http://www.michaelvday.com/
This year I will be presenting a workshop on the Powers of Poetry on Sunday May 19th at the Ink of Light, Baha’i Writer’s Festival. I have been assisting Naysan Naraqi and Ian Hallmond with organising the festival and it is so exciting for all of us to be about to see it happen. I am especially looking forward to the panels.
Favourite Books
My favourite books are many and varied, and I enjoyed during this interview series discovering that I shared some with the presenters who will be attending the festival. A special favourite is The Secret Garden though and I love books by Jackie French and Morris Gleitzman. I’m a huge fan also of Trent Dalton’s, Boy Swallows Universe.
Heroes
My poetry heroes are eclectic and I especially love Tahirih, Mahvash Sabet, Robert Hayden, Maya Angelou and Roger White as well as numerous song writers such as Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Wendy Matthews, Troy Cassar-Daley, and Sara Storer.
Motivation
My main motivation in life is to encourage unity in diversity and the realisation of justice in the world, whilst in my writing it is to explore this through narratives and poems that are still imbued with beauty and optimism and which invite the reader to think about what they can do rather than dictating this.
Favourite Quote
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
June Paisa Perkins 