Alan Jacobs has made a lifelong study of mysticism and is a regularly published author and poet. He is the editor of Poetry for the Spirit and Tales from Rumi and the beautiful poetic translations of The Upanisads also in this series. The Reverend Doctor Vrej Nersessian is the curator of the Christian Middle East section at the British Library. He is a senior priest at the Armenian Apostolic Church, holds a doctorate in Theology from Kings College London and is a world authority on Christian Middle East as well as an author of a number of significant works.