Meet the writer behind the sleep story: Faith Adiele

📸 credit: Elmaz Abinader

Part of the magic infused into Calm’s Sleep Stories comes from the writer. In our Meet the Writer interview series, we’re offering you a window into the brilliant hearts and minds crafting the stories that help millions of people around the world fall asleep each night.

We’re pleased to introduce the writer behind two episodes of A World of Calm, Calm’s collaboration with HBO-Max, Faith Adiele.

Tell us about your career as a writer.

My career has been based on saying YES. I especially love opportunities that sound a little bit terrifying, that require me to master new skills, like walking the Camiño de Santiago from Portugal to Spain and then immediately flying to the Cannes Film Fest to speak. Before becoming a writing professional, I worked as a community educator, diversity trainer and Buddhist nun. Now I travel the world, finding family and friends in unexpected places, seeking out local crafts and foods, and teaching writing. 

Do you have a favorite piece of work that you are especially proud of and want to highlight?

My first memoir, Meeting Faith, tells my story of being type-A, having a breakdown, and putting myself back together in Thailand. I rather accidentally ordained as the country’s first Black Buddhist nun, and I include my nun diaries in the book’s margins. It won the PEN Open Book Award fifteen years ago but still regularly makes listicles for inspiring travel books, for which I’m so grateful and amazed. Buy it from your local indie bookstore or Bookshop.

I’m thrilled to be the opening essay in Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of Covid-19. It’s the first anthology chronicling these strange times and provides a balm for readers. I’m also really proud that I helped with finding diverse voices to include and that all profits go to support independent bookstores. Buy it from your local bookstore or Bookshop.

I gotta say, writing two episodes of A World of Calm, Calm’s collaboration with HBO-Max, was a highlight. I’m a film fanatic, so I loved collaborating with the team at Nutopia and figuring out how to blend my sensibility with the stunning visuals and soundtrack. Having my words voiced by Mahershala Ali and Kate Winslet and knowing that they’re helping to bring calm to so many people during the pandemic, is amazing. 

Of the writing you have done for Calm, is there anything you’d like to share about the work itself, or the creative process you took to complete it?

My first story for Calm was based on a memorable trip I took to Lesotho years ago, when I was teaching in South Africa. Years later, I was excited to see Basotho blankets stunningly showcased in the movie Black Panther. I realized that many people didn’t know about this isolated little jewel of a country and that I had never written about my time there. A Sleep Story was the perfect vehicle to capture its rich culture and majestic natural environment.