This can only be good news.

Given AI bots are famously over the top in heaping praise on you for every little thing, I'm really quite hurt that when I cracked my tractor joke to Chat GPT it told me "half the room will laugh, and the other half will stare at you like you’ve just wasted 45 seconds of their life."

It was brilliant to talk with Madeleine Davies at @churchtimes.bsky.social about When the Music Fades. I appreciated sharp questions about the different perspectives readers might have. And an honour to see all my rambling emerge as part of a clear write-up! www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

It lay forgotten for 13.8 billion years, but they've just uncovered the first ever BBC news report from the archive

Earth Day 2026! Explore our books designed to help you and your church make a difference: canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk #earthday2026 #canterburypress #ourpowerourplanet

/When the Music Fades: Power, Surrender and the Soul Survivor Generation/ is a book about charismatic worship, dignity, and what happens when you think you're all supposed to be history makers but it doesn't work out. Pre-order here: canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/978178...

It lives!!

Read. For goodness' sake, read. It's the most hopeful thing you can do.

Read. For goodness' sake, read. It's the most hopeful thing you can do.

"Passengers wishing to leave the train at the next station must move forward from this part of the train" declares the automated announcement in the front carriage as we arrive at the terminus. A metaphor for something, probably.

Proud of our publishing and delighted to be shortlisted for the IPG's DEI award!

A deeply moving moment, uniting us in a deep sense of our common humanity, the height of our achievement, and our shared goals for future endeavour, as we remember that tomorrow is the start of cricket's county championship season.

Thoroughly excited about Artemis II launch, getting 'It would be unwise to stay up for the first ball of the Ashes but I think I'm going to anyway' vibes. Incidentally I saw a space launch in person once, unmanned satellites but was still fairly mind-blowing.

The Quiet Revival thing has me utterly unsurprised. It always felt like there had been a lack of critical thinking in response to the YouGov figures. Given what Jesus told us about his search for the one, single, small sheep, it's amazing how often the church loses its head in big numbers.

Been reflecting on this conversation, and @lucysixsmith.bsky.social's book in general. I wonder, does anyone else remember the jobs/volunteering stalls at Soul Survivor. A big room full of opportunities to go and be history makers. 1/3

Greg James seems a lovely chap, a cracking role model, and an all round very good thing. If we're going to have celebrities, they should be like him. Also they should all feel about cricket like he does.

NEW on the SCM Press blog: @alexianafry.bsky.social talks us through the cover of her new book scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/blog/behind-...

BREAKING: Oscars Nomination Committee Thrown Into Last Minute Chaos By Dad's Extraordinary Turn as Mr Toad During Bedtime Story

This is excellent 👏👏👏

In beautiful, beautiful Temple Church with St Martin's Voices rehearsing for tonight's special event to mark the coming of Malcolm Guite's new Arthurian epic "Merlin's Isle"

Small Prophets. Exquisite. Watch it immediately.

If we're going to excel at anything, it may as well be hurtling downwards headfirst at 90mph.

We are pressing onwards with introducing the kids to Narnia, and thus this evening I read one of favourite opening lines of all: "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it”.

If we're going to excel at anything, it may as well be hurtling downwards headfirst at 90mph.

State of UK mood update: "Sun came out for 30 minutes" is currently a lead story on the BBC News app. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It hasn't (and I can't believe I'm saying this, and I appreciate there's still time, and some people might accuse me of 'tempting fate' but since that doesn't mesh with my worldview I don't mind too much, much as I'd love to think what I type on here has that kind of power) rained today so far.

BIG TEXTBOOK SALE NOW ON: scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/features/big...

On this grey, damp day, you need something to look forward to. Go on - add some enchantment to your February. Beautiful music, haunting words, ancient setting, what's not to love? Tickets a bargain at £15 and even more of a bargain if you're a Church Times subscriber. canterburypress.co.uk/events

If Bilbo had Chat GPT

It was great to chat with @samhowson.bsky.social about Soul Survivor, charismatic worship and my book, When the Music Fades youtu.be/_OdaFwfI3Xs?...

This month we are publishing two excellent titles: Becoming Prayer by Simon Cocksedge and Nicholas Alan Worssam The Middle Eastern Jesus by Nadim Nassar Find out more: chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk

"And though red roses blossomed bright, in secret gardens on the height, for many a lady and her knight the morning came too soon." 👀 (Coming very soon ... )

This month we're officially retiring our venerable old 'potato print' logo, and a new @canterburypress.bsky.social logo is released into the world for the first time. Ready for the next 40 years...

Stop scrolling and listen to 4 minutes of skylark. youtu.be/ssEZWMsQg_8?...

Shout out to the tiny wee Gandalf permanently sitting in the back of my brain saying "so do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide", at the mo.

Webinar: Faith, Hope, and Autism 🌐 12th February 2026, 4-5:30pm (GMT) Join us to hear from John Allister about his upcoming book 'Faith, Hope, and Autism: Biblical Models of Neurodiversity' Register here: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

Has this chap never heard of the Council of Nicea?

Injured my knee pretending to be a leafcutter ant, because I promised the boy I would do any impression of his choice if he brushed his teeth. Committed parenting.

Lovely quote here from our very own Aude, and great plug from our very Church House Bookshop ‘It’s younger people seeking some sort of spirituality’: UK Bible sales reach record high | Christianity | The Guardian share.google/J4rMYSZNJGfj...

Strong agree. Have tried to resist my industry's creeping use of the term, which turns books into produce - authors are artists, not factories.

This is the year we 'take up the tale'. 'Merlin's Isle: A Journey in Words and Music', with Malcolm Guite and the St Martin's Voices, is at Temple Church in London on 17th February. It will be stunning. If you haven't got your tickets yet, you can do so here. canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk/events

By the way, Canterbury Press is 40 this year. I'm going to petition for a bouncy castle in the office to celebrate. SCM Press is much older - over a century old, but its age is somewhat lost in the mists of time. Any and all information gratefully received.

Back at it, for 2026, which is shaping up to be an excellent year. Here is a very small slice of what's coming with @canterburypress.bsky.social

Errr...no sorry WHAT? 🏏⚱️#TheAshes

I accidentally just shouted 'Alexa' at a candle instead of blowing it out, and if that's not some kind of modern day parable, I don't know what is.

Just seen the new Knives Out. Fun film but the way all the action comes to a sudden pause, and we all have to wait for a while as Father Judd quietly prays over the phone with Louise is probably the most unexpected and exquisite and profound movie moment I've come across all year. Beautiful.

Jofra Archer's batting average for the Ashes as a whole is currently 33, second only to Joe Root. He's one of only 5 England players to score 50+ in an innings this series. In short, he's doing an excellent job bailing the (so-called) specialist batters out. Cheering and depressing in equal measure.

🚨🚨🚨Order by midday TODAY, 18th Dec, for Christmas delivery! chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk And if you miss the deadline, tickets for Malcolm Guite x St Martin's Voices on 17th Feb, at the Temple Church, London, would make a lovely present... Tickets here: canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk/events

Abject. Dismal. 🏏⚱️

Coverage in Bookbrunch earlier this week of the upcoming 40th Birthday of Canterbury Press, and the lovely, elegant, new logo for the imprint.