Rhidian Brook in conversation

An in-conversation evening with authors Rhidian Brook and Colin Heber-Percy as they discuss Rhidian’s new book, NOTES ON AN EXECUTION: Lenten reflections on the last days of Jesus.

Both Rhidian and Colin will be signing copies of their books afterwards.

Thursday 12th February,  7-8.30pm
, at St Peter’s Church, Hammersmith.

Hosted by EVERYBODY READS, the independent book shop at 6 Chiswick High Rd., Chiswick, London W4 1TH.

Tickets £5 in advance only (includes refreshments). Available in-store, by phone or online with Eventbrite.

NOTES ON AN EXECUTION, Rhidian Brook

Experience Holy Week as if for the first time… first hand. Bestselling novelist and broadcaster Rhidian Brook invites you to step back into the story of Holy Week and see it unfold as if you were there. Told as a series of vivid, real-time eyewitness reports, Notes on an Execution takes you from Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem to his execution and beyond, without the cushion of hindsight. You stand among the crowds and disciples, experiencing each moment with all its original tension, shock and surprise – full of the confusion and hope felt by those who first encountered Jesus. A moving final reflection explores what Easter means for us today, with thoughtful questions for personal meditation or group discussion. Rooted in biblical accounts and historical insight, Notes on an Execution brings fresh life to a story that has shaped the world for two thousand years. Perfect for Lent reading, small groups or personal devotion, it will help you see the story you thought you knew with new eyes… and feel its urgency and wonder afresh.

Rhidian Brook is an award-winning writer. His first novel ‘The Testimony of Taliesin Jones’ (1996) won several prizes including the Somerset Maugham Award and was adapted for a film starring Jonathan Pryce. His third novel, ‘The Aftermath’ (2013) was an international bestseller and translated into 25 languages; the film adaptation starred Keira Knightley. He wrote the BBC drama, ‘Mr Harvey Lights A Candle’, starring Timothy Spall; was a writer on Silent Witness; and wrote the original screenplay of the Pathe film Africa United. He has adapted his most recent novel – ‘The Killing of Butterfly Joe’ (2018) – for film. He has been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought For The Day for 25 years. A collection of his Thoughts, entitled ‘Godbothering’, was published in March 2020. His latest book – ‘Notes on an Execution’ – retells the story of the last days of Jesus. He is currently writing a novel inspired by the year he spent living in Jerusalem. 

LOST IN THE FOREST, Colin Heber-Percy

This book is a hymn to getting lost. Drawing on his experience as a troubled schoolboy, a burnt-out screenwriter at the BBC, an ‘awkward’ priest in the Church of England, Colin Heber-Percy reflects on the value of not belonging. We all share a desire to belong. There’s reassurance and safety in knowing who we are and where we fit in. But at significant moments in our lives – a new job, new school or an unexpected change of circumstances – or just in the ruts and routines of everyday life, we can experience a sense of not belonging, of dislocation, of being lost in a forest. But, there is another way to approach these uneasy moments. Rather than fearing the forest, Colin discovers great value and creativity there. Join parish priest Colin Heber-Percy in an invitation to get lost – to lose the labels society and institutions use to box us in – and to relish the liberation of losing our way in the world. Blending anecdotes from parish life, with philosophy, literature and tales from his local Savernake Forest, Colin argues that there is an overlooked richness, a spirituality and a freedom to be found outside the boundary lines our culture sets for us. Lost in the Forest is a gentle, funny, and life-affirming trail of crumbs through the woods…

Rev Dr Colin Heber-Percy  is the parish priest for the villages around Savernake Forest, as well as a screenwriter and author. His screenwriting work has won many awards and been shown all over the world. He has a PHD in medieval metaphysics and has lectured on spirituality, faith, film and fiction. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children.