Suggestions for Lent reading

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which this year is 18 February. Below are some suggestions from among this year's Lent books.

You can order these from an independent bookseller, like One Tree Books in Petersfield, or St Olave's Bookshop in Chichester. Our Cathedral Shop has available some other Lent book titles from previous years.

You can also go online and register for The Everyday Faith app which will carry reflections for adults every Monday to Saturday throughout Lent, based on the booklet 'Draw Near'. And the Everyday Faith app will continue to offer content into the season of Easter and beyond

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2026 - 'Dancing to the Heartbeat of God' offers global reflections from across the worldwide Anglican Communion exploring many aspects of discipleship , with a forward by Archbishop Sarah Mullally.

'Draw Near' is the official Church of England booklet for Lent 2026. It invites us to develop a rhythm of life that in will help us grow in faith day by day, especially as we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s saving love at Easter. Each week a different contributor explores an activity central to Christian discipleship: worship, prayer, Scripture, communion, service to others and sharing the good news.

An imaginative approach to Lent is called 'Wardrobes and Rings' drawing on insights from the Oxford Inklings – a group of writers who reshaped Christian thought and storytelling in the twentieth century. With daily readings from C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as friends of the Inklings such as Dorothy Sayers and T.S. Eliot, Wardrobes and Rings explores a faith which inspires creativity, seriousness and joy.

'Meeting God in John: A Companion for Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Beyond' is by the respected writer and theologian David Ford. With a focus on the Passion narrative, this is an accessible introduction to the beauty of John's Gospel for newcomers as well as a source of new appreciation for those familiar with John, inviting us to explore the message of the Gospel over and over again.

See all our upcoming Lent, Holy Week and Easter services and events →