X-Book

Bringing in the Sheaves

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Richard Coles narrates this witty account of life as a parish priest and Radio 4 broadcaster.

After a life of sex and drugs and the Communards - brilliantly recounted in the highly acclaimed first volume of his memoirs FATHOMLESS RICHES - the Reverend Richard Coles went on to devote his life to God and Christianity. He is also a much-loved broadcaster, presenting SATURDAY LIVE on Radio 4 and giving us regular reason to PAUSE FOR THOUGHT on Radio 2.

What is life like for the parson in Britain today? For centuries the Church calendar - and the Church minister - gave character and personality to British life. Today, however, as the shape of the year has become less distinct and faith no longer as privileged or persuasive, that figure has become far more marginal.

In BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, Reverend Coles answers this question. From his ordination during the season of Petertide, through Advent and Christmas to Lent and Easter, he gives us a unique insight into his daily experience in the ministry, with all the joy, drama, difficulty and humour which life - and indeed death - serves up in varying measures.

Written with extraordinary charm and erudition, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES features a multitude of characters and events from parish life against a backdrop of the Christian calendar.

(p) 2016 Orion Publishing Group

Critics Review

Others mapping the daily clerical grind might hold forth on divine transcendence and immanence, on our fallen natures and need of grace. Not so Richard Coles ... Bringing in the Sheaves is an invitation to see the world as he does: the ultimate in the intimate - after all, what other way is there?
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Bringing in the Sheaves is another lively and perceptive collection of anecdotes and insights derived from his recent experience of juggling daily life as a parish priest with his curious hinterland of burgeoning celebrity. Coles is a witty and likable raconteur
GUARDIAN
Coles draws on his 11 years in the clergy, with all the humour, quirky characters and incidents that life - and death - serve up
MAIL ON SUNDAY EVENT MAGAZINE
There is much to teach us and inspire us as well as to entertain and make us laugh
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND NEWSPAPER
His life story is intriguing - pop star to Anglican vicar - but it is his insights into the church's present situation, Christian belief and above all human encounters that are honest, sometimes funny and occasionally revelatory
THE SPECTATOR Books of the Year
An entertaining mix of the sacred and the secular, the gossipy and ritualistic grandeur that attempts to give the reader a feel of the texture of the life of a vicar
THE HERALD MAGAZINE
It's a vision of contemporary Anglicanism as seen through a particular, perhaps slightly glitterballed perspective. I enjoyed it even though I'm an atheist
THE HERALD MAGAZINE
Richly associative and absorbing
RADIO TIMES
A series of often hilarious vignettes
SAGA
It is a delightful compilation of thoughts, memories and incidents, all told with his signature humanity and humour
CHOICE
Coles offers an engaging portrait of the lived Christian life in a way that speaks openly and intriguingly to both cradle Anglicans and cagey agnostics
CHURCH TIMES
Screamingly funny
THE LADY
Charming ... This is a book to keep on the arm of your chair and browse through
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Great riches, spiritual and worldly, and an honest perspective on humanity
THE LADY
Author The Reverend Richard Coles
Narrator Richard Coles
Duration 7 hours and 51 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781409157885
Format x-book®
Publisher Orion
Genre Anglican and Episcopalian Churches, Autobiography: arts and entertainment, Autobiography: religious and spiritual, Memoirs, Religion: general
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag and the x-book®

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.