Search results for: 'short short'
- Catherine Reynolds
- 8 Jun 2018
Long Story Short: Why We're Living
Happiness. Safety. Significance. Three things society tells us we’re living for, but what do they all ...
Andy Frost's plans for 2019
We caught up with Andy Frost about how the last year has been, especially since the publication of his book Long Story ...
God’s Story – why it’s bigger than our personal narrative
‘So, what’s your story?’ I love asking that question.
We use stories to find meaning and purpose. The way we respond to that question reveals something of the story we are living with our lives. In a moment, we choose where our story begins and quickly edit the headlines into an ...
Be kind to yourself
We all struggle. We all hurt. We all fail. We all make mistakes.
What matters is how we respond when we face difficulty and ...
A chat with Peter Graystone
Our author Peter Graystone is on our blog today as part of our month-long exploration of More Ways To Read The Bible. We’ll be looking at books that consider different ways you can engage with ...
When doodles become designs -- illustrations for Out of the Silence by Terry Waite
Terry Waite’s Out of the Silence was illustrated by his friend Jenny Coles. One simple drawing led to her drawing all of the pictures in his book. Here, she discusses how that evolved and what the process was ...
5 Questions for Andy Frost
We recently caught up with Andy Frost, author of Long Story Short. He had lots to say about writing, narratives, and looking at a bigger picture beyond our own ...
A Hero in God’s Eyes
We're into the #SPCKBookClub!
Mankind has reinvented its heroes of old slaying dragons into superheroes facing alien invasions. We often have our own versions of a hero we look up to. Maybe it’s your favourite celebrity or social activist. Maybe even your mum or dad. And as Christians, we often have Biblical heroes we admire like Queen ...
Art that helps through grief
John Bell, author of The Last Journey, chats with us about the inspiration behind ...
The Wisdom of Dr Dawn Harper on Fitness Day
Dr Dawn Harper is on our blog for Fitness Day, sharing her wisdom about the benefits of regular exercise. We all have to find the fitness that works well with us and makes us feel motivated. When we find what we enjoy, we look forward to our ...
Wave of Light - Baby Loss Awareness Week
It was only two years ago that I found the Wave of Light on Facebook. Now in its sixteenth year, on the 15th of October women who have miscarried are encouraged to light a candle to commemorate their lost ones, posting their photos on social media with the hashtag #WaveofLight. I joined in, lighting a single stubby candle in honour of my four, ...
6 Questions for John Bowker
We chatted with John Bowker recently about his new book Religion Hurts, which publishes 18 ...
Rev Dr Mark Davidson's reflections on Remembrance Sunday
Rev Dr Mark Davidson, author of War Cries, is on our blog today for Remembrance ...
Andrew Adam on the inspiration behind his new book
Andrew Adam, author of Thomas Cochrane and the Dragon Throne, chats with us about his inspiration for writing his new book, which publishes 15 ...
What motivates us to do missionary work?
When you would like to work as a missionary, how do you get started and how can you stay involved?
April Holden, who co-wrote They Called Us Love with Deborah Meroff, writes about her personal missionary experience and offers advice for getting involved with organisations like Operation ...
Books change the way we look at life
Sarah Meyrick shares her thoughts about writing her upcoming novel The Restless ...
6 Questions for Kenneth Stevens
We caught up with Kenneth Stevens, author of Winter Tales, about writing and his plans for ...
5 Questions for Tim Dowley
We caught up with Tim Dowley about his new book Christian ...
The deeply personal nature of poetry
Terry Waite’s new book Travels with a Primate will publish in February 2019. He’s on our blog to discuss Out of the Silence, his deeply moving and personal collection of poetry and ...
Five non-fiction books – International Book Giving Day
With international book giving day taking place today, this entirely volunteer-based initiative is aimed at giving awareness and sharing the love of books. Originating in the UK, volunteers and book lovers alike join in on the yearly celebration worldwide by giving the gift of books to others with the hope of instilling in them an affinity and ...
- authise authise
- 21 Feb 2019
Michael Cassidy - My Life and Times: Part 1
Alongside the African Enterprise, I (like SPCK) am committed to reaching people and discipling them by books and Christian literature - Michael Cassidy's book publishes ...
- authise authise
- 19 Mar 2019
Terry Waite on prison reform and rehabilitation - part 1
Terry Waite is an Anglican humanitarian and author. In the 1980s, he worked as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy, travelling to the Middle East and negotiating the release of hostages, when he himself was taken as a hostage. Since his release from captivity he has worked extensively with prisoners and is a supporter of SPCK’s ...
- authise authise
- 22 Mar 2019
How can Christians make a difference?
Today, we're reflecting on an extract from Rowan Williams' Being Disciples: Essentials of the Christian life.
How can Christians make a difference and how can we work together for the 'common good' in society?
...
- authise authise
- 26 Mar 2019
Terry Waite on prison reform and rehabilitation - part 2
Terry Waite is an Anglican humanitarian and author. In the 1980s, he worked as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s special envoy, travelling to the Middle East and negotiating the release of hostages, when he himself was taken as a hostage. Since his release from captivity he has worked extensively with prisoners and is a supporter of SPCK’s ...
- authise authise
- 3 Apr 2019
Schools assemblies can be fun!
Do you remember your school assemblies? I do, and how I wish I would forget some of them! We had one teacher, who would insist on taking Monday morning assemblies. Sure, you might think that he should be applauded for stepping up and taking on the task that no one else wanted.
But you would be ...
- authise authise
- 5 Apr 2019
Prayer Experiment Activity
What do you think of when you think of prayer? For a lot of people, it brings up images of being told to sit still and close their eyes while someone else ‘says a prayer’; or of reciting words from a page.
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, author of The Prayer Experiment series, teaches a fun prayer experiment to try with your ...
- authise authise
- 8 Apr 2019
Who Cares About HIV?
For World Health Day, Who Cares About HIV? author, Paul Kybird, explains the new book, the challenges of those living with HIV, and their engagement with pastoral ...
- authise authise
- 12 Apr 2019
Very Brief Histories Event
The Very Brief History series is a collection of short, accessible introductions on histories, legacies, and movements that have shaped the world written by industry experts. Our event on Saturday features four speakers uncovering the lives of Thomas More, Immanuel Kant, Byzantine Christianity, and Julian of Norwich.
...
- authise authise
- 3 May 2019
Spanning the Decades: 1960s
Sarah Meyrick's fourth Spanning the Decades post for her new book The Restless Wave, available for pre-order ...
- authise authise
- 16 May 2019
The Road to 'The Meaning of Life'
Alister McGrath chats with us about his new book Richard Dawkins, C.S. Lewis and the Meaning of ...
- authise authise
- 20 May 2019
Dementia from the Inside
Louise Morse discusses her book with Dr Jennifer Bute, Dementia from the Inside, for Dementia Action ...
- authise authise
- 8 Jul 2019
Christian Summer Festivals
Three of the top Christian Summer Festivals to look out for this Summer, many of which are featuring SPCK authors. Find out more in the following blog ...
- authise authise
- 12 Jul 2019
How literacy reduces reoffending - the impact of Diffusion books
In an evening spent with Olympic rower Debbie Flood we find out how reading in prisons can help reduce reoffending. Debbie Flood experienced this impact first-hand in her role as prison ...
- authise authise
- 12 Aug 2019
Mark Oakley on Greenbelt Festival and the Poet George Herbert
We catch up with Mark Oakley to find out more about his appearance at Greenbelt Festival. We also hear about his admiration for two great poets, one of which he reflects upon in his upcoming book, My Sour-Sweet ...
- authise authise
- 5 Sept 2019
Church Communications and the 'four Ms'
What are church communications? and why is it important that churches adapt their communications to their own culture and context? In this extract from Mark Crosby's So Everyone Can Hear he explains the importance of the communication process and why the 'four Ms' provide the basis for the 'what' and 'why' of church ...
5 light-hearted books to read this Christmas
How will you be spending the Christmas holidays? Many of us will be unwinding by spending time with family and friends. These lighthearted books are perfect for sharing with the whole family. Many of these books are also included in our Christmas promotion, helping you to save the ...
- Emma Collins
- 3 Dec 2019
SPCK's AGM and Inaugural Annual Lecture
SPCK supporters ponder the mysteries of the Middle East with Terry Waite and Andrew White at SPCK’s inaugural Annual ...
- Emma Collins
- 28 May 2020
Tears, Locked Doors and Doubt - an extract from God and the Pandemic
Today sees the publication of Tom Wright's new book God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and its Aftermath. In this extract from the book Tom Wright draws parallels between the tears, locked doors and doubt that are present in the Gospel of John with the tears, locked doors and doubt that we are experiencing ...
- Emma Collins
- 10 Jul 2020
Love Means Love: Same-sex Relationships and the Bible
Last month saw the publication of Love Means Love by David Runcorn. Prior to publication we sent out review copies of the book to a number of individuals who we thought would be interested in reading it. In this blog post you will find a review from Emma, a supporter of the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England. She tells us what it ...
- Emma Collins
- 1 Dec 2020
SPCK’s AGM – An Annual Gathering in Exceptional Times
On 19th November 2020, our AGM took place via Zoom. Find out more about the event in this blog ...
- Emma Collins
- 12 Feb 2021
Celebrating the launch of homegroups.org.uk
Today we're launching Home Groups! The largest source of free, high quality, curated small group material on the Internet. Find out more about this exciting new website in this blog ...
- Emma Collins
- 10 Jun 2021
What makes all-age worship so difficult?
In this adapted extract from Worship for Everyone, Nick and Becky Drake address the challenges of all-age worship, and suggest practical steps to help overcome ...
- Laura Barry
- 11 Oct 2023
Arun Arora speaking at Living Well Conference on the 4th November
Arun Arora, author of Stick With Love, will be speaking at Living Well Conference on Sat, 4 ...
- Laura Barry
- 29 Jan 2024
The Best Self-Help Books to Brighten Your January
Looking for best self-care books to support your mental health? Here, we round up our top ten books about mental health, anxiety, depression, stress, and personal growth. ...
- Laura Barry
- 30 Jan 2024
Our Bestselling Lent & Easter Books for Children
Explore our bestselling Lent and Easter books for children. Add our favourite Easter books to your basket - perfect for entertaining little ones this Easter! ...
- Laura Barry
- 24 May 2024
SPCK Authors Speaking at Big Church Day Out!
SPCK Authors Speaking at The Big Church Festival are Joshua Luke Smith, Paul Kerensa, Dai Woolridge, Sarah Yardley and Cath ...
- Laura Barry
- 25 Nov 2024
Guest Post: SPCK Author Natalie Collins
SPCK Author Natalie Collins writes about the importance of ending men's violence against women on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against ...
- Laura Barry
- 26 Feb 2025
World Book Day 2025: Costume Inspiration for Kids & Parents
Struggling to find the perfect World Book Day 2025 costume? Discover creative, easy, and fun book character costume ideas to bring your favourite stories to ...
- Laura Barry
- 12 Jan 2026
Guest Post: Why Belovedness Matters More Than Resolutions This New Year
In her heartfelt guest post, Rachael Newham, author of Beloved is Where We Begin, invites readers to embrace gentleness and God’s love in the New Year instead of chasing unrealistic ...
Which story do you live for?
On Thursday 21 June, we published Long Story Short by Andy Frost.
His book considers three narratives that we use to shape the trajectory of our lives. Do we live for our own happiness, our own personal safety, or recognition and success, the mark we leave on the world?
We ran a poll on Twitter and asked our followers which ...
What story is your life telling?
By Leila Jennings
‘Narrative is the central function … of the human mind. We turn everything into a story in order to make sense of life.’ - James Bryan Smith
Andy Frost’s new book, Long Story Short, provides insight into the narratives that we use to define our path in life. Many of us see life as the pursuit of ...
A Chat with Editor Tony Collins
19 August is World Humanitarian Day. Our Editor Tony Collins blogs about our upcoming book They Called Us Love and the inspiration behind ...
A Chat with Cole Moreton
Today is National Maritime Day. Cole Moreton’s forthcoming book The Light Keeper is set in London and The South Downs. Here, he chats with us about his writing and the setting of his new ...
Work that we're called to do
Barbara Fox chats with us about the genesis of her new book Midwife of Borneo, in which she tells the story of the life and work of Wendy Grey ...
Faith carries us through hardship
We all want to contribute to something that is bigger than ourselves. We all want to make a difference in the lives of the people around us. When we serve people who need our help, we might be putting our own lives at risk.
They Called Us Love is the story of a woman whose call to service was bigger than her own personal struggle. April’s ...
- authise authise
- 13 Mar 2019
How to recognise abuse
Our author and Gender Justice Specialist Natalie Collins explores ways to recognise signs of abuse, and what we can do to better understand the ...
- authise authise
- 3 Jul 2019
Christian Resources Together (CRT) Awards 2019
SPCK books shortlisted for Christian Resources Together ...
- authise authise
- 30 Aug 2019
Measuring success in the Church - do the numbers count?
How do we measure success in the Church? Should we even be using the word 'success'? Are churches failing if they're not growing? And do numbers really count? Vicars are often faced with questions such as these and long-standing minister Alan Bartlett knows all about these challenges. Alan has been an Anglican priest for 25 years and is now working ...
- authise authise
- 4 Sept 2019
Launching A Better Ambition by Tim Farron
Much was going on in the House of Commons on Tuesday 3rd September. In the evening of an eventful day in parliament the press launch for Tim Farron's autobiography, A Better Ambition was taking ...
- authise authise
- 12 Sept 2019
New for September 2019
6 New books for September 2019. From autobiographies to anthologies there's something for everyone, so grab a hot drink and embrace the benefits of hygge with a new read for Autumn ...
- Emma Collins
- 16 Oct 2019
Our first Catholic catalogue!
We're delighted to announce that our first Catholic catalogue has arrived! At SPCK we go beyond denominational labels and divisions, and aim to support all Christians in their exploration of their own faith. For this reason, we have gathered for the first time in one catalogue a substantial number of our titles by, for or about Catholics. We're ...
- Emma Collins
- 8 Nov 2019
The most unlikely art critic in the history of TV
SPCK’s Publishing Director, Philip Law, tells us about what it was like working with the late Sr Wendy Beckett. Not long before she died she agreed to compile a list of her all-time favourite paintings, the result is recently published Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings. Sample pages from this exciting new art book are available to view ...
- Emma Collins
- 6 Nov 2019
New for November 2019
With the clocks going back an hour and the weather getting a lot colder there's no matter time to treat yourself to a new book or two to see you through the Winter months. November sees the publication of a great selection of books. New books include the biography on cricketer and bishop David Sheppard and Rupert Shortt's rebuttal on Richard ...
- Emma Collins
- 12 Nov 2019
Meaningful Gifts for Christmas
Our Christmas store has arrived! and it's complete with gift guides to help you find that perfect present. Whether it's the latest children's book from comedian Paul Kerensa or a new journal inspired by the popular listography books, there's something for everyone, all available on our Christmas store ...
- Emma Collins
- 15 Nov 2019
How many of Sister Wendy's favourite paintings have you seen?
How many of Sister Wendy's favourite paintings have you seen in real life? Many paintings from the recently published Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings are hanging up inside the National Gallery. We decided to visit the gallery to see how many we could ...
- Emma Collins
- 20 Nov 2019
Does Richard Dawkins even agree with himself?
In his latest book Outgrowing God, Richard Dawkins tries to show that all religious belief is intellectually nonsensical and thus highly damaging in practice. In this extract from Rupert Shortt's rebuttal, Outgrowing Dawkins, Rupert presents his argument for why he thinks Dawkins's focus has not always been on ...
- Emma Collins
- 14 Feb 2020
Your Own Call Less Ordinary
What next after university? In this extract from Rich Wilson's A Call Less Ordinary he shares his experience of coming to the end of his time at university and how it was around this time that he became aware of God's ...
- authise authise
- 30 Mar 2020
Vincent van Gogh The Bedroom - A Reflection from Sister Wendy Beckett
Today is the birthday of Vincent van Gogh, a post-impressionist painter who is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. A few of SPCK's books reference van Gogh. One of which is Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings. In this blog post you will find an extract from the book where Sister Wendy reflects upon van Gogh's ...
- Emma Collins
- 8 Apr 2020
SPCK Authors at Spring Harvest Home
From 13th to 17th April Spring Harvest will be delivered direct to your living room via a free online conference on YouTube. Many SPCK authors are taking part in Spring Harvest Home and you will be able to find out more about them in this blog post. You will also find here the latest edition of SPCK Today which is a special Spring Harvest edition. ...
- Emma Collins
- 24 Apr 2020
Oh God, help - an extract from Godbothering
Why bother with God? Do you know what matters in life? What are the limits of kindness? Why doesn’t God intervene? What are you worth? For twenty years, bestselling novelist Rhidian Brook has pondered such questions on Radio 4's Thought for the Day. 100 of his thoughts have been recently published in his book Godbothering. We're sharing ...
- Emma Collins
- 24 May 2021
Robots, AI and human uniqueness: learning what not to fear
In the run-up to tonight’s Panorama episode on artificial intelligence, we’re sharing an extract from The Robot Will See You ...
- Emma Collins
- 12 Jul 2021
Australian Christian Book Of The Year
Jesus Through Muslim Eyes by Richard Shumack has been shortlisted for the 2021 Australian Christian Book of the Year Award! Find out more in this blog ...
- Emma Collins
- 23 Aug 2021
2021 CRT Awards
Find out in this blog post which SPCK books have been shortlisted for the 2021 CRT ...
- Laura Barry
- 4 Oct 2021
SPCK Group Press Release 4 October 2021
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the Catholic Bible School today announces the merger of the Catholic Bible School into SPCK’s range of publishing and ministry activities, strengthening further SPCK’s offering to the Roman Catholic ...
- Emma Collins
- 1 Sept 2022
CRT Awards 2022
Find out in this blog post which books from the SPCK Group have been shortlisted for the 2022 CRT ...
- Laura Barry
- 16 May 2023
The Company of Heaven Catherine Fox Blog Tour
Join Catherine Fox, author of Company of Heaven - the fifth book in the beloved Lindchester Chronicles series, on her fabulous blog tour taking place on the 18th- 26th of ...
- Laura Barry
- 3 Aug 2023
CRT Awards 2023
Find out in this blog post which THREE our books have been shortlisted for the 2023 Christian Resources Together ...
- Laura Barry
- 22 Apr 2024
Celebrate Earth Day With 7 Earth-Friendly Reads For Kids
Today is Earth Day! Celebrate Earth Day with your child or grandchild with 7 inspiring fiction and nonfiction books all about the Earth and the environment. These captivating books will inspire kids to make god's world a cleaner and more beautiful place to ...
- Laura Barry
- 30 May 2024
SPCK Authors At St Andrews Literature Festival
St Andrews Bookshop will be hosting their first ever annual Christian literature festival! We're thrilled that several of our authors will be speaking at the ...
- Laura Barry
- 18 Mar 2025
SPCK Shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2025 British Book Awards
SPCK is honoured to be shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the 2025 British Book Awards, reflecting our commitment to publishing Great Christian books and inspiring readers ...
- Laura Barry
- 2 Sept 2025
SPCK Shortlisted in Three Categories at the CRT Awards 2025!
SPCK Publishing is honoured to be shortlisted in three categories at the CRT Awards 2025, celebrating Discovering Christianity by Rowan Williams and The Girl from Montego Bay by Rose ...








