For two decades, the writer Rhidian Brook has been a contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day: the “God-slot” on the Today programme that is loved by some and criticised others.

An extract of his new book, Godbothering: Thoughts, 2000-2020 (SPCK), is published in this week’s Church Times.

At the Church Times Festival of Faith and Literature last month, he spoke to Bishop John Pritchard about what it’s like being a Thought for the Day contributor: how he comes up with ideas, how to avoid being platitudinous, and what the presenters make of it, among other things. 

“You want to make people think and sit up, but you don’t want to harangue people either,” he said. “I try and think of my more cantankerous atheistic or agnostic friends, who may be driving to work or shaving or whatever it is, and think ‘Ok, how do I hold their attention?”

Listen to the conversation on this week’s podcast.

Rhidian Brook’s novels include The Aftermath (Reading Groups, 3 October 2014) and The Killing of Butterfly Joe (Books 10 August 2018).

Click the play button above to listen to this podcast. You can also listen to the Church Times Podcast on the Church Times app for iPhone and iPad, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and most other podcast platforms.