From The Guardian 27th September 2009
It is a book about Christmas but there’s not a manger, virgin birth or angel in sight.
Buoyed by the success of their campaign which proclaimed There’s Probably No God, Now Stop Worrying on the side of London buses, some of Britain’s most prominent atheists have come together to publish a book for the festive season.
The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas features contributions on the theme of Christmas and God by scientists Richard Dawkins, Simon Singh and Adam Rutherford, agony aunt Claire Rayner, pop star Simon Le Bon, illusionist Derren Brown and Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker.
Due for publication this Friday, the book is already ranked at number 40 in the chart compiled by online retailer Amazon and could be a surprise bestseller.
Brooker asks whether a notional God would have a sense of humour, while there also chapters on the Hadron Collider and A Guide to Turning Your Home Into A Festive Something That Is So Bright It Can Be Seen From Space.
Writer Ariane Sherine, who masterminded and launched the atheist bus campaign on a Guardian Comment is Free post, said she was daunted by the idea of writing a book by herself, so enlisted the help of friends and supporters. “Virtually all the comedians I know are atheists and Richard Dawkins was very involved with the bus campaign,” she said.
Half of the profit will be donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust, the charity that deals with HIV issues. “Given some of the comments the Pope made earlier this year about condoms and Aids, we thought it was appropriate,” Sherine said.
She denies the book is anti-Christmas: “I wanted to make it clear that it’s a friendly, quite a happy book. I’ve sent it to some of my religious friends. The book is not just about being atheist – there’s a chapter on how to get on with relatives and ideas for party games.”
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