Faith, fun and real-life heroes: Paul Kerensa on writing for a new generation

Christian comedian and writer Paul Kerensa is best known for his work on TV shows like Miranda and Not Going Out, as well as his stand-up comedy and a range of books of adults and children. In his latest project is the Fantastically Faithful series, Paul brings to life true stories of inspiring Christians throughout history – from Harriet Tubman to Jesse Owens – in a way that’s engaging, exciting and faith-filled for children aged 7 to 11.

We caught up with Paul to talk about storytelling, YouTubers, the importance of reading, and what these stories can offer to boys and girls growing up in a very different world to previous generations.

What was the genesis behind this new project Paul?

Well, it wasn’t on my radar initially. The publisher came to me, actually. They said – “We want some books about historical Christian heroes for kids, aged 7 to 11. Could you do it in a fun, humorous way? Tell their story, end each chapter with a little thinking point, a Bible verse and a quote and a little prayer and have some fun along the way.” And I said yes.

These stories really are packed with drama and challenge. What kind of heroes did you want to spotlight?

I wanted them to feel real. Not just “heroic” in a Marvel sense – though some of them are very brave – but real people who had fears, setbacks, doubts, and still did amazing things because of their faith. The publisher gave me a brief: eight people per book, roughly 50/50 male and female, a mix of nationalities. So we’ve got people like Corrie ten Boom, who hid Jewish refugees from the Nazis; Jesse Owens, who stood up to racism on the Olympic stage; Harriet Tubman, escaping slavery and rescuing others. These are people with courage, conviction, faith – and incredible stories to tell.

You want kids turning the page not because they should, but because they’re genuinely enjoying it

Some of the names are familiar – Wilberforce, Martin Luther King – but others maybe less so?

Yes! That was intentional. I didn’t want them all to be household names. Take someone like John Harper – he was a chaplain on the Titanic. Most people haven’t heard of him, but when the ship was going down, he was urging people who didn’t know God to take the lifeboats because that way they’d have longer to find God. In the end he was literally evangelising in the freezing water. It’s an amazing story. But if he hadn’t been on the Titanic, we might never have heard of him. That makes his legacy even more poignant, I think.

Do you have a personal favourite among the stories?

It changes all the time! But one that stands out is Corrie ten Boom. Her story has three acts: the hiding place, the concentration camp, and then, after the war, going around churches talking about forgiveness. And then this guard – someone who helped kill her sister – comes up and asks her for forgiveness. And she has to decide whether to shake his hand. I mean, wow. That’s next-level! Any one of those stages would be a huge story in itself, and she lived all three.

You’ve mentioned humour – and there are a lot of laughs in the books. Was it important to make it fun, as well as faithful?

Oh yes. These are heavy stories – war, slavery, injustice – so I wanted to find the lighter moments too. Not to make fun of the story, but to make it enjoyable for children to read. You want kids turning the page not because they should, but because they’re genuinely enjoying it.

The books focus on figures from history – why not modern-day influencers or contemporary Christians?

Great question. I think partly because it’s easier to tell the story of someone whose life has run its course. You can see the shape of it. And partly because today’s media landscape is so fragmented. Everyone’s got their own niche influencer or corner of YouTube. Ten years ago someone said to me, “The only person everyone’s heard of is Bruce Forsyth.” And now kids don’t know who he is! Things move so fast.

Also, let’s be honest, it’s hard to find good modern role models sometimes. There are so many toxic influencers out there. Andrew Tate’s just one – for every one of him, there’s a dozen others. You chop off one head of the Hydra and eight more grow back. So we need voices going the other way. These books are my small attempt to add a bit of light and faith and hope back into the mix.

That brings us neatly to the idea of influence. Do you think historical figures still have power to influence kids today?

Absolutely. Maybe even more so because their stories have weight. Corrie ten Boom hiding Jews in the Nazi era is of a different order to someone putting a silly hat on and going viral on TikTok. Kids notice that. They might not say it in those terms, but they sense when something’s real, when it matters.

And we’re not saying these books will stop them from scrolling YouTube. But they add a different kind of voice to their world. They plant seeds. They show other ways to live, other things to admire.

I’m not saying these books will stop them scrolling – but they add a different kind of voice. They show other things to admire.

Do you worry about kids – especially boys – being drawn into unhelpful ideas of masculinity online?

Very much so. I’ve got kids myself. And it’s everywhere – this idea that to be a man is to be dominant, aggressive, always winning. That’s not the picture you get from Jesus, is it? Or from the men in these books.

The men in these stories, they’re not out for themselves. They’re lifting others up. They care about justice, community, faith. Jesse Owens stood tall against Hitler’s racism. Martin Luther King spoke truth at great personal cost. That’s strength.

So these stories offer a different vision of what it means to be a man?

Exactly. And not just for boys. We’ve made sure the books are always 50/50 male and female, and I think it’s vital that boys read stories about strong, faithful women too. It resists that narrative that women are just there to support men, or look pretty. Someone like Harriet Tubman or Wangari Maathai – they were smuggling people to freedom, planting millions of trees, fighting injustice. They weren’t waiting for permission. They were doing it because it was right.

So yes, there’s a message here about what masculinity can look like – but also about what humanity can look like, when people live with faith and courage.

Read more:

Fiction as a faith‑builder: How Christian parents can use stories in discipleship

Christian fiction for children is very mixed. Here’s how to find books that will delight your children

Some of these stories feel almost cinematic – you could imagine them as films?

Totally. They’re true stories, but they read like adventure tales and some of them have been made into films. Harriet Tubman with the underground railroad. Corrie ten Boom in a Nazi camp, smuggling in a Bible. You almost couldn’t make them up.

And that’s another thing for kids – they’re getting great stories. I’d love it if these books help children read more, full stop. Reading fires the imagination in a way scrolling never can. If they pick up a book instead of a screen, even once in a while, that’s a win.

Reading fires the imagination in a way scrolling never can.

Is that part of the challenge – to help children develop a habit of reading in such a distracted world?

Definitely. I mean, I’m guilty of it too – I’ll think, “Why haven’t I read more this week?” and realise I’ve spent too much time on Instagram. So if these books help children keep the reading habit, that’s brilliant.

And again, it’s not just about these books. Any book that fills a young life with stories, ideas, faith, hope – that’s good stuff. Because there’s enough noise out there that isn’t.

Final question: what’s your hope for a child who reads these books?

That they find a story that sticks with them. That they see faith as real and alive, not dry or boring. That they learn that being faithful doesn’t mean being perfect – but it does mean being brave sometimes, and loving people well.

And maybe, one day, they’ll find themselves in a tough moment and remember something Harriet or Corrie or Jesse did. And they’ll think, “If they could do that, maybe I can do this.”

That’s the goal.

The Fantastically Faithful series by Paul Kerensa is published by SPCK. Book 1 and Book 2 are available now, with Book 3 coming in 2026.