Henry Shukman

As the son of two university professors, Henry Shukman grew up amid the spires and libraries of Oxford. An early love of poetry sparked a lifelong fascination with language and the human spirit, drawing him to Chinese Zen poetry and ultimately shaping his career as a writer and poet.

He published his first book at nineteen and has since produced a string of award-winning and bestselling works of fiction and poetry. His poems have appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and London Review of Books, and his essays in The New York Times, Outside, and Tricycle.

From a young age, Shukman suffered from severe eczema and the psychological challenges that accompanied it. Meditation became a cornerstone of his healing journey, beginning with Transcendental Meditation and later evolving into Zen practice. He chronicles this path of self-discovery in his memoir, One Blade of Grass, tracing his personal awakening and the transformative power of mindfulness.

Shukman is an authorised teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and has trained with eminent figures including John Gaynor, Joan Rieck, Ruben Habito, and Yamada Roshi. Appointed a Zen teacher in 2010, he has since guided practitioners across Europe and the United States. He is also certified to teach Mindfulness by Shinzen Young and is a qualified dreamwork therapist. Shukman has led meditation sessions at Google, Harvard Business School, Esalen Institute, and other prestigious institutions. He is the co-founder of The Way, a meditation app offering a structured, step-by-step path to deeper practice.

Henry Shukman’s recent work, Original Love, positions him at the forefront of contemporary secular spirituality. He presents meditation not merely as a stress-reduction tool, but as a gateway to our innate connectedness and capacity for unconditional love. Combining literary acuity with profound spiritual insight, Shukman provides a guide for those seeking solace, meaning, and peace in an age of disconnection.