Don't Forget We're Here Forever

A book of rare quality: Lamorna Ash is not only a writer of exceptional grace and energy, but a movingly good, compassionate listener – to God and to others listening for God -- Rowan Williams, author of Tokens of Trust Beautiful as a piece of writing, beautiful too as a record of a soul wrestling in the present with what faith might be -- Francis Spufford, Booker Prize-longlisted author of Light Perpetual Humane, curious and unexpectedly moving, Lamorna Ash’s book is as much an account of the human condition as it is an investigation of faith. Quietly radical in its empathy, this is a book I have waited years and years to read, without even knowing it -- Seán Hewitt, author of All Down Darkness Wide In this elegantly written work of non-fiction, she travels around Britain to see how our young people turned back to religion, exploring everything from Quaker meetings to monastic communities on the Hebridean Isles. We read a lot of waffle about ""the youth today"", and what they do (or don’t) believe: Ash paints a fascinating, and more realistic, picture -- Lucy Thynne * Telegraph, The Best Books of 2025 * Radically empathetic, this is a reminder of the joy of collectivism and feeding the soul -- Lena de Casparis * Elle, The Cult Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2025 * Inspired by the abrupt embrace of religion by two friends, Lamorna Ash has investigated how many young people are now turning towards faith, not away from it. Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever takes in every facet of this, from youth festivals put on by evangelicals to monasteries on Scottish islands. Along the way, she touches on her own relationship to religion too -- Josiah Gogarty * GQ, The Most Anticipated Books of 2025 * Britain’s youngsters are turning to faith in surprising numbers. Ash embarks on a journey around Britain, from Evangelical youth festivals to Quaker meetings to a silent Jesuit retreat to find out why * Financial Times, What to Read in 2025 * A very persuasive and compelling account of the cultural shift happening right now in Britain and elsewhere with respect to religion, especially Christianity. As the book tells its story, there is also a shift from an open-minded curiosity about religion to a much more intense focus on religious practices like prayer and devotion, particularly in the context of compassion for the suffering of others, near and far. An excellent book -- Simon Critchley, author of On Mysticism Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever introduced me to a Christianity far richer and stranger than the faith I thought I knew. Lamorna Ash is the best of guides through our new spiritual landscape: clear-eyed, compassionate and truly wise. And, from the first page to the last, she writes like an angel -- Matt Rowland-Hill, author of Original Sins