Rachel
Favourite book
It’s not a fun read, but Shuggie Bain (Douglas Stuart), winner of this year’s Booker Prize, is a compelling exploration of social policy and poverty, addiction and love in 1980s Glasgow.
Favourite film
Selma: I re-watched it with my children this summer and saw the fight for civil rights through new eyes.
Favourite TV show
The Downing Street news conferences – not exactly ‘favourite’ but couldn’t stop watching!
Paul
Favourite podcast
The Bugle (could say Talking Politics, should say Faith in Politics, but an Andy Zaltzman pun-run makes my day)
New favourite hobby
Dog walking and using the phrase ‘you are on mute’
Favourite read
Roo
Favourite YouTube channel
Earth Church (weekly reflections from the Lectionary, with an ecological focus)
New skill
Soundproofing installation (love your neighbour as yourself)
Favourite headline
Greta Thunberg changes Twitter name to Sharon after quizshow error (reminds me not to take myself too seriously while taking what I do very seriously)
Steve
Favourite TV show
After Life (WARNING: certainly not for everyone – but made me cry)
Favourite headline
Faith leaders including the former Archbishop of Canterbury call on Boris Johnson to guarantee the rights of lone children stuck in migrant camps to seek refuge in the UK (the fight goes on!)
Favourite night out
Come From Away at the Phoenix Theatre (technically it came to the UK in 2019 but I found it this year – brilliant!)
Simeon
Favourite book
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel – what better way to escape 2020 than to immerse yourself in a world of crises, disease, plotting, flawed leaders and difficult relations with mainland Europe?
Favourite campaigner
Marcus Rashford has done an amazing job of using his influence and experience to prompt not one, but two significant government U-turns around the important issue of school holiday hunger. He also achieved the arguably greater feat of getting my kids interested in something connected to my work!
Rodney
Favourite book
Looking for Alaska – explores the experience of loss, grief and death, and how we get through it really well.
Favourite podcast
Ways to Change the World – very interesting and thought-provoking listening to guests talk about their ideas
New hobby
Cooking!
Lucy
Favourite TV show
I’m loving His Dark Materials at the moment. It’s getting me through the dark winter Sunday evenings.
Favourite read
The Investing in Change report about how much private money is invested in nuclear weapons – my favourite not because it’s good news but because there are loads of actions you can take to make a difference.
Favourite song
Phoebe Bridger’s cover of Silent Night intercut with the 7 O’Clock News is a cracking Christmassy one.
Hannah
Favourite book
Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men is a toolkit of knowledge for tackling gender bias and an impowering read.
Favourite podcast
Poetry Unbound by On Being was a moment of soulfulness for me during lockdown, to remember how creativity can lift and calm the soul.
Favourite place
The rewilded quarry near my house was a great place to watch the ferns go through their seasonal cycle – one of the benefits of being in the same place from winter to summer during lockdown!
Meg
New hobby
Killer Sudoku has being an embarrassingly large part of my life (I challenge anyone else to a timed competition)
Favourite TV show
Not particularly high brow at all, but I discovered The Office during lockdown (very late to the part on that one), and The Crown.
Favourite book
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro. Not a reading book as such but a really beautiful book of prayer that’s seen me well through the twists and turns of this year!
Steve
Favourite headline
Nuclear weapons treaty: Campaigners hail new era for nuclear disarmament – self-explanatory, I think!