Marcus Brigstocke at Durham Book Festival 2011

The sudden and tragic loss of his best friend James, who was in his thirties, changed the way that Marcus Brigstocke felt about the world. It didn’t stop him being an atheist – if anything it increased his suspicion that we are, in fact, alone in the universe. But it did make him think. Who could he talk to now that James was gone? Based on his award-winning Edinburgh and West End show of the same name, his new book, God Collar, explores religion, our need for it, his lack of it, the myths surrounding it and the bits that he whole-heartedly disagrees with within it. God Collar is a scathing look at modern faith that will leave you both laughing out loud and examining your own beliefs in equal measure. Marcus Brigstocke is one of the UK’s favourite comedians. He regularly appears on television and radio and at festivals around the country. Chaired by Simon James, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Durham University.