August 2012 sees the 60th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Hermann Hesse. Shortly after his death, and thanks to the prompting of none other than Henry Miller, Peter Owen gambled on Siddhartha, a novel that was soon acclaimed as one of the seminal influences of the 1960s counterculture and is, arguably, Hesse's signature work. The life and spiritual journey of one man in ancient India, this novel is seemingly a simple tale told in a simple, lyrical style. But together with an uncanny empathy for his characters and often awe-inspiring human insight, Hesse displays  mastery of the profoundest themes: in just 152 pages, the reader attains total immersion in a truly gripping quest for enlightenment, making this one of the great literary experiences.