The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu has written a new book about Advent. He talks to Chris Bond about faith, the importance of God and his love for the people of Yorkshire.

Dr John Sentamu turns and points to a large oil painting on the wall behind him of one of his predecessors. “In 1962, that man over there, Michael Ramsey, said ‘we are looking forward to the day when a black African will come to this country and tell us of the wonders of God.’ So when I was inaugurated I quoted him and said ‘and here I am...’”That was 14 years ago, during which time the Ugandan-born cleric has endeared himself to the British public and become an adopted Yorkshireman like no other. And when it was announced last year that he was retiring in June 2020, the news prompted a wave of heartfelt tributes.Since his enthronement in 2005, Dr Sentamu has immersed himself in his work – from a six-month pilgrimage to every corner of the Diocese of York, to using his influence to drive forward the One Yorkshire devolution campaign.Unconventional and informal at times, the archbishop has that uncanny knack of being able to reflect the emotions of ordinary people (what today’s politicians wouldn’t give for some of his stardust).Today, he’s sitting in the Drawing Room at Bishopthorpe Palace, the Archbishop of York’s official residence, to discuss his new book – Wake Up to Advent! It’s the first time he’s written his own Advent book having endorsed others previously. “I reached the stage where I said ‘this is going to be my last advent’ (as archbishop) and thought it’s high time I put pen to paper,” he says. The book is characterised by readings and personal stories from his own remarkable life. “Whether someone is a churchgoer or not I hope there is still a message that they need to wake up to the world as we’ve got it. There’s a lot of mess, not only in the world but in our own lives, and there’s a possibility to feed on things that will help us to be truly human. We need to grow our friendships and relationships and our inter-dependence, so the message of the book I hope is for everybody.”And Dr Sentamu believes this message still has relevance in the