I did not get the chance to put together a new author interview for today, but I am posting our first author interview again. We didn’t have as many readers when I first started posting these, so this is for those of you who have recently joined us!
This author interview is with Paul Yeulett. He is the author of Jesus and His Enemies. The original interview was posted January 2014 (so some of the info will be slightly out-dated).
- Question #1 – Tell us a little bit about yourself: where you’re from, family, job, personal interests, unique hobbies, what do you do in your spare time, etc.
“I was born near Cambridge in the East of England, but now live in Shrewsbury in the west of England. I am married to Ruth and we have three children: Rebecca (9), Matthew (7) and Daniel (6). I have been pastor of Shrewsbury Evangelical Church since 2007. Hobbies, when I get round to them, include star-gazing, with the naked eye and by telescope; and also playing golf from an unmentionably high handicap.”
- Question #2 – When did you first want to write a book?
“I wanted to write a book when I was a child, and there were several abortive attempts before Jesus and His Enemies simply suggested itself: the various chapters fell into my lap like rain falling from the sky.”
- Question #3 – Which writers inspire you?
“Iain H Murray, Sinclair Ferguson, Stuart Olyott, John Murray, Dale Ralph Davies, William Hendrikson, among many others.”
- Question #4 – What book(s) are you reading now?
“I’m reading Jonathan Edwards’ History of Redemption , which is a thrilling panoramic oversight of the whole of history, and also Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood by David P. Setran and Chris A. Kiesl. We need to understand the pressures and influences that come upon people at that age, whether we are 18-30 or not.”
- Question #5 – What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
“If writing is something habitual to you and you can’t stop doing it, make sure you save everything you write. You never know when a good opportunity might come. Read as deeply and widely as possible. Cultivate a curious mind; don’t be afraid of unfamiliar words, concepts or ideas, but find out as much as you can about them.”
- Question #6 – How do you deal with writer’s block?
“By writing! It’s a bit like with praying; the way to get into a difficult activity is to actually begin to engage in it, haltingly at first, but if you have been called and equipped to do something you will be given the grace and capacity to continue.”
- Question #7 – Favorite sport to watch? Why?
“Cricket. It’s the national English sport and it’s epic, even though England have just been walloped by the Aussies.”
- Question #8 – Do you have a favorite food?
“Indian food, moderately spicy and with onion bhajis and raitha sauce!”
- Question #9 – Which do you like better: Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia? Why?
“Lord of the Rings for its sheer and massive bulk – it’s a world of its own, rich, wide and deep. Tolkien was a master of language as well as literature.”
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Paul Yeulett is the pastor of Shrewsbury Evangelical Church in Shrewsbury, England. He graduated from Highland Theological College and is ordained in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales. Previously he studied mathematics at Newcastle University and taught high-school math. Want to learn more about Paul? Visit his church’s website: http://www.shrewsburyevangelicalchurch.org. The main features of this website are the online audio sermons: there are currently over 400 of them.
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