Associate Professor Craig Hassed works at the Department of General Practice and is coordinator of mindfulness programs at Monash University. His teaching, research and clinical interests include mindfulness-based stress management, mind-body medicine, meditation, health promotion, integrative medicine and medical ethics. Craig is regularly invited to speak and run courses in Australia and overseas in health, professional and educational contexts. He was the founding president of the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association and is a regular media commentator. He writes regularly for medical journals and has published eleven books, as well as featuring in the documentary The Connection. Craig has a long-term interest in philosophy and the world's great wisdom traditions.
Deirdre Hassed has had a fascination with handwriting since childhood, often delving into her grandfather's old sign-writing box with its treasure trove of brushes, gold leaf and finely crafted steel pens. This hobby eventually led to the pursuit of a career in the craft of calligraphy and hand lettering. Deirdre trained in calligraphy and bookbinding and now works from the tranquil space of her purpose-built studio. A deep interest in philosophy underpins her life, with the wisdom traditions of the world offering a rich reservoir of texts to inspire her calligraphic works.