Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese poet, bestselling author and peace activist, has been a Buddhist monk for over 40 years. He was chairman of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace delegation during the Vietnam War and was nominated by Dr Martin Luther King for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1966 he visited the US and Europe on a peace mission and was unable to return to his native land. Today he heads Plum Village, a meditation community in south-western France, where he teaches, writes, gardens and aids refugees worldwide.