HOW GRANTCHESTER CAME TO BE...

The rural vicar with a quirky side-line in super-sleuthing actually started life in a series of short stories called The Grantchester Mysteries, written by James Runcie, right. James had already been writing novels, alongside his career as a documentary-maker and BBC producer, when he decided on the eve of his 50th birthday to write a crime novel where he could create a loveable returning character. That character turned out to be Sidney Chambers, vicar of the village of Grantchester, who was totally inspired by James’s father, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.

While James’s dad wasn’t a crimesolver himself, his experience let James into the world of clerical life and he insists Sidney Chambers was a fictionalised version of his father,

‘I think my father would have been bemused, amused and intrigued’

with all his love of humanity, ability to think the best of people and endless cheerfulness. No wonder then that after writing six stand-alone Grantchester mysteries, last year James went back to explore his main character’s early years in a prequel called The Road to Grantchester, featuring Sidney’s war years, his decision to become a clergyman and his curacy. Talking about what his dad would have made of the success of the character his son created in his image, James said, “I think he would have been bemused – and amused. I don’t for a minute think that he would ever say he was proud of me, but I hope he would at least be secretly intrigued.”

■ The Road to Grantchester by James Runcie is out now, rrp £14.99. To find out more about James Runcie and his books visit www.jamesruncie.com