“Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus: 'You bear God within you, poor wretch, and know it not.”

American journalist and author

Elizabeth Gilbert is an American journalist and author. Her memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, was published in 2006 and became widely read around the world. The book has sold more than 12 million copies and has been translated into more than 30 languages. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 2010, which helped make Gilbert a familiar name far beyond literary circles.