My lovely friend (and award-winning teacher) Kylie Sturgess has kindly written some teaching notes for The Young Atheist’s Handbook, which you can download at the end of this post. In Kylie’s own words: As both a teacher and a writer, I’m often asked by friends and readers to recommend books that will help them learn more about atheism. People seem to be particularly keen on books that talk directly about the challenges that people growing up in religious communities face – especially if they are stories which question the traditions… Read more Teaching Notes →
It’s been nearly six months since I finished my book and I haven’t really been able to write since. I’ve sat down many a time at my desk and found the tap that had flowed so gushingly last summer, blocked and barely dripping. I’ve spent the last couple of days surrounded by other writers and I have been inspired by them and their stories. I have felt driven to write, yet I find I cannot. I cannot write of Holly and Michael, kindred spirits I have encountered far from home,… Read more I cannot write →
A friend of mine I spoke to on the phone last night pointed out that this time next week, I will be a published author. My book will be in shops and people I’ve never met before will be able to read what is ultimately an incredibly personal story. A book that started out as a straightforward factual “handbook” for people new to atheism has, for what I now think are very good reasons, ended up as a personal narrative of how and why I came to reject the religion… Read more And so it begins… →
This was going to be the third of a series of short video “Lessons from The Young Atheist’s Handbook” but since it’s Valentine’s Day, I’m putting out now. The animation is by the incredibly talented Jack Kenny and the music is by my wonderful friend Jack Challoner.
This is the first in a series of short video “Lessons from The Young Atheist’s Handbook” I’ll be putting online over the next few weeks as the book goes on sale. The animation is by the incredibly talented Jack Kenny and the music is by my wonderful friend Jack Challoner.
People keep asking me “how come your book’s being published in Australia first?” The answer is simple: the lovely Australian Henry Rosenbloom, was the first person to not only say he liked the idea of my book, but also to put his money where his mouth is and agree to publish it. I owe a huge debt to Henry and am delighted to be travelling to Australia to help launch the book – I hope other Australians will respond to it as positively and generously as Henry did. I’ll be… Read more Australia, here I come! →
The lovely organisers of the Perth Writers Festival have invited me to speak at three events next month: 25th Feb – Has Multiculturalism Failed? 25th Feb – Living a Good… Read more Perth Writers Festival →
It feels like my life has been revolving around “The Young Atheist’s Handbook” since I first conceived of it, back in the spring of 2009. It hasn’t taken this long to write, but it has taken this length of time for it to go from an idea to a real, physical book (although I have yet to hold an actual printed copy in my hands). I know I’ve been lucky and that it can take much longer for a writer to have his or her first book published, but it… Read more The Year of the Book →
A few years ago, I helped make a bunch of films intended for use in GCSE Science lessons. I was reminded of their existence when a friend of mine stumbled across them on the internet. Below is one about Nuclear Fission which I particularly like (although I’d probably have made it, and the others, differently if I had had editorial control). You can see the whole collection here.