Converts

“McDonagh writes scintillating, witty, probing intellectual history that is also extremely moving.”—Jackie Wullschläger, Financial TimesA Financial Times Book of the Year 2025“It is absorbing to read the vividly described cultural setting of the lives that Melanie McDonagh explores.”—Christopher Howse, Telegraph“A rich and rewarding study: elegant in style, humane in its judgments, and alive to the multiplicity of paths that led modern Britons to Rome.”—Paula Byrne, Sunday Times“Thoughtful [with] vivid biographical storytelling.”—Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian“Groundbreaking.”—Mary Kenny, Irish Independent“Authoritative and … entertaining.”—John Banville, Irish TimesA Tablet Book of the Year 2025“[The book] does justice to its cast of characters [and] demonstrates not only why the floodgates opened for a few decades, but also why the stream has never quite dried up.”—Dan Hitchens, New Statesman“Melanie McDonagh addresses a wave of conversions among the artists and intellectuals of the previous century, and incidentally sheds some light on our own time.”—Valerie Stivers, UnHerd“‘One of the joys of a Catholic life is to recognise the little sparks of good everywhere,’ wrote Waugh… . McDonagh has not just recognised these sparks, she has illuminated them with a compassionate wisdom that will surely have more heads and hearts heading for Rome.”—Rory Knight Bruce, The Field“Absorbing.”—Francis Wilson, Spectator“Lively and absorbing.”—The Standard“Wonderful.”—Levi Roach, The Tablet“Superbly researched and argued… . [McDonagh] has illuminated [these converts] with a compassionate wisdom that will surely have more heads and hearts heading for Rome.”—Rory Knight Bruce, The Field“Converts displays a commendable breadth of research. The chapters are concise, and the language is crisp… . [An] engagingly written book.”—David Gibney, Position Papers“McDonagh has written a highly readable book based on solid research. It is a book both to enjoy and from which to learn many fascinating details about some of the most interesting figures of the time.”—Richard Harries, Church Times“This is a sprightly and learned study of a modern British cultural phenomenon which over seventy years or so helped to restore Catholicism to a central place in national life after four centuries. Melanie McDonagh presents her formidably varied cast of characters to us with imaginative sympathy for the emotional strengths and interesting array of weaknesses that ushered them into a new home in the Catholic Church.”—Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity“This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and chock-full of fascinating people. McDonagh brings a totally new perspective on these well-trodden biographies.”—Stephen Bullivant, author of Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America“A lively treatment of a rich topic, vigorously and trenchantly written. McDonagh has put her finger on a strong current within British intellectual and artistic life, not previously identified or explored.”—Eamon Duffy, author of The Stripping of the Altars

Melanie McDonagh is a journalist who has written extensively about religion and ideas for the Spectator, The Times, and the Daily Telegraph. She is writer at large for the Evening Standard, and she has a doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge.