Dr. Rick Hanson speaks with @BanyenBooksSound on his new book Making Great Relationships—neuroscience, psychology, and the contemplative wisdom. Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist, senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times bestselling author. His books have been published in 30 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, he has been an invited speaker at NASA, Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, and other major universities, and he has taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom.

Pico Iyer, bestselling author and TED speaker, converses with @BanyenBooksSound on his new book, The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise. Pico Iyer is the acclaimed and bestselling author of fifteen books, translated into twenty-three languages, including The Art of Stillness. He has been a constant contributor for more than thirty years to Time, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, and more than 250 other periodicals worldwide. His four recent talks for TED have received more than eleven million views. He has written the liner notes for Leonard Cohen albums, and his in depth conversations with the Dalai Lama have been published in the book, The Open Road.

Karen Casey shares life lessons and wisdom from her beloved classic Each Day a New Beginning, and celebrates the release its new 40th anniversary edition. Each Day a New Beginning defined a genre as the first daily meditation book for women, filled with encouraging meditations and  practices to lift readers up. With over 3 million copies sold and a  dedicated readership spanning over four decades, Karen Casey has cemented herself as a leading voice in the reflection and recovery space. Karen Casey is the author of several bestsellers including The Promise of a New Day, 52 Ways to Live the Course in Miracles, Let Go Now, and Codependence and the Power of Detachment.

Julia Cameron, author of 'The Artist's Way', shares wisdom and practices from her new book, 'Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer'.  Julia Cameron, hailed by the New York Times as “The Queen of Change,” is credited with starting a movement in 1992 that has brought creativity into the mainstream conversation—in the arts, in business, and in everyday life. She is the best-selling author of more than fourty books, fiction and nonfiction; a poet, songwriter, filmmaker and playwright. Commonly referred to as “The Godmother” or “High Priestess” of creativity, her tools are based in practice, not theory, and she considers herself “the floor sample of her own toolkit.” 'The Artist’s Way' has been translated into fourty languages and sold over five million copies to date.   Joel Fotinos has been a publishing professional for many years, as well as a minister and author. After 21 years as a Vice-President and Publisher at Penguin Random House, Joel joined Macmillan to start a new mind/body/spirit imprint called St. Martin's Essentials. He and Julia have worked together for 26 years so far, and hope for many years to come.

​@BanyenBooksSound hosts Melody Beattie in conversation about her revised and updated #1 bestselling, modern classic, Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.  Melody Beattie is one of America’s most beloved self-help authors and a household name in addiction and recovery circles. Millions of readers have trusted Melody’s words of wisdom and guidance because she knows firsthand what they’re going through. Her international bestselling book, Codependent No More, introduced the world to the term ’codependency’ in 1986. She is the author of many bestselling books—including The Language of Letting Go, Playing It by Heart, The Grief Club, Beyond Codependency, and The Codependent No More Workbook. She lives in Southern California and is at work on an inspirational memoir.

Join Danielle Blackwood, Archetypal Astrologer, for the @BanyenBooksSoundVancouver launch of her book 'A Lantern in The Dark'.  Danielle Blackwood is a professional astrologer with more than 30 years of experience and is certified in the principles and practice of Contemporary Psychological Astrology through world renowned astrologer and author, Erin Sullivan. Danielle is also a Registered Counseling Therapist (RCT) in private practice. Her therapeutic approach is transpersonal, archetypal, and person centered, and she holds a certificate in Jungian and Post Jungian Clinical Concepts through The Center of Applied Jungian Studies. Danielle has been a priestess and educator since 1994, facilitating workshops, retreats, classes and public ritual. She is the author of 'The Twelve Faces of The Goddess'. Danielle is a passionate lifelong student of folklore, mythology, and depth psychology, and helping others through their rites of passage when they find themselves in a dark wood, is at the heart of her work.

@BanyenBooksSoundVancouver  hosts Mahnaz Afkhami, leading women's rights advocate who served in the pre-1978 Cabinet of Iran, in conversation with CBC radio host Samira Mohyeddin in conversation on exile, protests, Iran, and the women's movement. Mahnaz Afkhami is the founder, president, and CEO of Women’s Learning Partnership and former Minister for Women’s Affairs in Iran (1976-1978) . Afkhami has been a leading advocate of women's rights for more than four decades, having founded and served as director and president of several international non-governmental organizations that focus on advancing women's status. Afkhami also serves on advisory boards and steering committees of a number of national and international organizations including the Freer/Sackler Galleries of The Smithsonian Institution, the Foundation for Iranian Studies, The Global Fund for Women, Women’s Learning Partnership, Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, and the World Movement for Democracy. She is the author of several books that have been translated into numerous languages, and has appeared on the BBC, CNN, and PBS and in numerous television and radio interviews on NPR, BBC Persian, VOA Persian and other international outlets.   Samira Mohyeddin is a multi-award-winning journalist, documentary maker, and producer at CBC Radio One’s The Current. She is the host of CBC's Unforked, a national radio program that picks apart the food we eat to reveal the culture and politics baked into it. Samira has a Master of Arts in Gender and modern Middle Eastern history from the University of Toronto. She is a trained Shakespearean actor and graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She also did genocide studies at the Zoryan Institute and is a graduate of Centennial College’s post graduate advanced journalism program. For more than 16 years, Samira has co-owned and operated Banu, a restaurant and market in Toronto's Queen West neighbourhood.

@BanyenBooks joins Valerie Mason-John (Vimalasara) for a conversation on her book, 'Afrikan Wisdom' — spiritual, political, and interdisciplinary anthology of wisdom stories from Black liberation leaders and teachers. Vimalasara is an accredited Life Coach and Addictions Coach. They are also one of the founding facilitators of Dr Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry CI course. They are trained in both CI and Internal Family Systems IFS, and work as a Mindfulness Coach to help liberate people from the prison of their minds. They are ordained into the Triratna Community, and have been practising Buddhism for over 30 years.

Join Dodie Graham McKay for a presentation of practices and wisdom from her new book, 'Earth Magic: Elements of Witchcraft'.  Dodie Graham McKay (Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Canada) is an initiated Witch and independent filmmaker. Since the 1980s, she has been involved in magic, music, and other forms of media. Dodie is the founder of Moongazey Films Inc, has written for The Wild Hunt, and is active in her local art and magic communities.

Dr. Sue Johnson speaks on her new book, The Hold Me Tight Workbook. Dr. Johnson shares tools for couples to strengthen bonds and deepen intimacy.  Dr. Sue Johnson is a leading innovator in the fields of couple therapy and adult attachment. She is the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. She has received numerous awards acknowledging her development of EFT, including the APA’s “Family Psychologist of the Year” in 2016 and the Order of Canada in 2017.