Since meeting and collaborating with Pico Iyer, the brilliant essayist and keen observer of inner and outer life at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in 2023, I have been enthralled by his commitment to a deeply spiritual yet hermit-like existence. As each day brings increasing discord and tumult – of wars that refuse to end, of leaders who refuse to lead with wisdom and compassion, of gaps between the wealthy and the marginalised that continue to widen – I wonder how our species will survive, let alone thrive, when there is so much hopelessness, so much hate, so much bewilderment. I find my solace in books, and pick up Pico’s latest novel, Aflame: Learning from Silence, where he shares with readers, in his usual luminous prose, his hard-won wisdom about the wonders of solitude but also, some of his deepest fears and vulnerabilities. You can read the full interview at this link : it’s a long read, but one to savour slowly, and yes, in silence if at all possible.

I am so honoured and grateful to have been able to engage with Pico again in an intimate discussion about his novel, this time by email, for the wonderfully eclectic and soul-nourishing digital magazine, Coffee and Conversations. My heartfelt thanks to Pico and to the tireless Shikha S. Lamba, one of the co-editors of C&C, for their care and time.