“I enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read.” PHILIP PULLMAN

“A novel that probes any number of aggressive varieties of moralism, while testing the reader’s own moral alertness for rigour, realism and generosity. An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative.” ROWAN WILLIAMS

“An irresistibly readable, thoughtful and characteristically witty examination of the quandaries and compromises faced by the Church of England in an era of decline . . . I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers.” MIRANDA SEYMOUR

As a woman in the early 1980s, Clarissa Phipps is unable to pursue her priestly vocation. Instead, she joins the BBC, where she is sent to interview the artist Seward Wemlock about the panels he is painting for an ancient Cheshire church.

“A serious and important writer” ROSE TREMAIN

Thirty years on, now rector of that same church, she chances upon Brian, the chief bell-ringer and husband of her closest friend, fondling fifteen-year-old David. David claims they are in love, but Clarissa is obliged to act. Will she choose friendship or conscience, sympathy or her duty of care?

The fallout from that choice forces her to reflect on past concerns over Wemlock’s relationship with his teenage models. Had she heeded the whispers at the time, how many lives – her own included – would have turned out differently?

The Choice is a rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, questioning whether it’s possible, let alone prudent, to separate the art from the artist, which reaches to the heart of the contemporary culture wars. Richly comic and deeply compassionate, it is a remarkable synthesis of the sacred and profane.

“At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene. Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti’s own masterpiece to date” AMANDA CRAIG

A visual celebration of Christmas, from religious beginnings to festive cultural touchstones – a book to treasure

This book is a unique and groundbreaking visual celebration of Christmas, a joyous religious and cultural occasion observed by billions of people around the world. The origins of Christmas are in the Christian observance of the birth of Christ on 25 December and, since the early 20th century, it has become a secular holiday with a myriad decorations, rituals, and themes.

Key themes covered include advent and the nativity; the Christmas tree and holiday decorations; gift giving and carol singing; classic Christmas films; and festive music. This extraordinary book showcases a broad spectrum of global festive traditions from many different cultures, such as fried chicken eaten for Christmas dinner, surfing Santas, and shoes filled with carrots.

A collection of more than 200 rich and evocative images, paintings, books, prints, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and photography, thoughtfully paired to highlight similarities and contrasts between them, the works included feature a diverse range of both lesser-known and iconic artists, including Sandro Botticelli, Grandma Moses, Beatrix Potter, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and many more.

These significant works cover festive topics such as Advent; the Christmas tree and holiday decorations; gift giving and carol singing; and classic Christmas films and music. Essays by Sam Bilton, Dolph Gotelli and David Trigg explore traditional festive food and drink, Santa Claus throughout history, and the religious origins of Christmas.

In  The Christmas Book, the significant artistic and cultural influence of Christmas throughout history is explored through a wide range of beautiful and significant artworks and images from across the ages and six continents, creating the ultimate cultural companion to the festive season.

“I enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read” PHILIP PULLMAN

“[Arditti] has given us a novel very much for our time, good enough to be for all time, too” The Scotsman

“An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative” ROWAN WILLIAMS

“The perfect combination of matters ecclesiastical and artistic” Financial Times

“Bursting with intellectual richness and joyously acidic dialogue” The Spectator

“A compelling read” Observer

” I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers” MIRANDA SEYMOUR

“An intelligent and entertaining novel that handles lightly problems of great moral weight” Guardian

As a woman in the early 1980s, Clarissa Phipps is unable to pursue her priestly vocation. Instead, she joins the BBC, where she is sent to interview the artist Seward Wemlock about the panels he is painting for an ancient Cheshire church.

“A serious and important writer” ROSE TREMAIN

“Arditti has delivered a complex moral fable with skill and aplomb” Mail on Sunday

Thirty years on, now rector of that same church, she chances upon Brian, the chief bell-ringer and husband of her closest friend, fondling fifteen-year-old David. David claims they are in love, but Clarissa is obliged to act. Will she choose friendship or conscience, sympathy or her duty of care?

The fallout from that choice forces her to reflect on past concerns over Wemlock’s relationship with his teenage models. Had she heeded the whispers at the time, how many lives – her own included – would have turned out differently?

The Choice is a rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, questioning whether it’s possible, let alone prudent, to separate the art from the artist, which reaches to the heart of the contemporary culture wars. Richly comic and deeply compassionate, it is a remarkable synthesis of the sacred and profane.

“At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene. Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti’s own masterpiece to date” AMANDA CRAIG