And in despair I bowed my head,

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;

‘For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.’

Recently I was in Ipswich, staying with relatives. Late one afternoon, whilst my partner went for a nap, I strapped our baby daughter into her buggy and went for a wander around the neighbourhood.

I'm unexpectedly reminded, in the wake of the recent attacks in Paris, of Shapour Bakhtiar.

I reviewed The Nightmare, Rodney Ascher's terrifying new documentary about the experiences of those suffering from sleep paralysis, for the Quietus.

You may well have noticed we've a new book in the works. As mentioned earlier, Congregation of Innocents takes its inspiration from the late great Shirley Jackson who passed away fifty years ago this year.

One writer who is a fan of Jackson's work, and has in the past provided an introduction to a selection of her stories, is the also great Patrick McGrath.