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Before I Die Again: The Autobiography of the Founder of the Samaritans
Before I Die Again
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Chad Varah
15 books2 followersReverend Prebendary Edward Chad Varah, CH, CBE (12 November 1911 – 8 November 2007) was a British Anglican priest. He is best remembered as the founder of The Samaritans, established in 1953 as the world's first crisis hotline organisation, offering non-religious telephone support to those contemplating suicide.
Chad Varah is considered a pioneer of talking therapies.
Despite having no formal psychiatric qualifications, he initiated this form of support, based on his wider experience in the church, and through establishing the Samaritans service.
He found that if a distressed individual could be given time and be listened to, without judgement, they could start to find a way through even the most difficult feelings.
Suicide was illegal in 1950s Britain, making the discussion of related thoughts and fears incredibly difficult for individuals. Chad Varah’s ground-breaking approach to resolving this contributed immeasurably to fundamental changes in the law and attitudes towards this difficult subject.
Moreover, Chad’s role in creating an international network of charities to help people in emotional distress and at risk of suicide worldwide, means that it is no exaggeration to say that global society owes him its collective thanks.
He was also closely associated with the founding of the comic The Eagle by fellow clergyman Marcus Morris in 1950. He supplemented his income by working as a scriptwriter for The Eagle and its sister publications Girl, Robin and Swift until 1961. He used his scientific education to be "Scientific and Astronautical Consultant" (as Varah put it) to Dan Dare.
Chad Varah is considered a pioneer of talking therapies.
Despite having no formal psychiatric qualifications, he initiated this form of support, based on his wider experience in the church, and through establishing the Samaritans service.
He found that if a distressed individual could be given time and be listened to, without judgement, they could start to find a way through even the most difficult feelings.
Suicide was illegal in 1950s Britain, making the discussion of related thoughts and fears incredibly difficult for individuals. Chad Varah’s ground-breaking approach to resolving this contributed immeasurably to fundamental changes in the law and attitudes towards this difficult subject.
Moreover, Chad’s role in creating an international network of charities to help people in emotional distress and at risk of suicide worldwide, means that it is no exaggeration to say that global society owes him its collective thanks.
He was also closely associated with the founding of the comic The Eagle by fellow clergyman Marcus Morris in 1950. He supplemented his income by working as a scriptwriter for The Eagle and its sister publications Girl, Robin and Swift until 1961. He used his scientific education to be "Scientific and Astronautical Consultant" (as Varah put it) to Dan Dare.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
April 9, 2026
This is 80-year old Varah’s telling of his life with a focus on how he came to set up and run the Samaritans. The book spans several decades of massive social and cultural change from 1911 when he was born to the early 1990s when this was written. He talks about his early life, which seems to be driven by circumstance and opportunity and then, into his adulthood, which is driven by conviction and calling and his life begins to take shape around a clear and urgent purpose: to recognise the damaging culture of stigma, taboo, and secrecy around sex, drug addiction, homosexuality, and suicide, and shine a light on them.
He stands out in his recognition that something in the status quo wasn’t right - that it was constructed and therefore could be changed - and then his motivation and determination to act on it. It’s probably difficult now to fully appreciate now how radical that was. His account also shows that the founding of the Samaritans wasn’t as a fully-formed polished idea but as something practical and necessary that grew as an answer to human need as he encountered it.
The book is surprisingly readable: his voice is direct, anecdotal, and self-confident. He does not dwell on self-analysis and introspection (which is surprising given how much thinking he did around listening and caring for others). Some of his, by modern standards, less appealing attitudes and anecdotes reflect the era he lived in, but I think he voluntarily reveals himself as an unapologetically mixed bag. Still, he created something of enormous value - an undeniable good - even if the methods and language around it have developed considerably.
He stands out in his recognition that something in the status quo wasn’t right - that it was constructed and therefore could be changed - and then his motivation and determination to act on it. It’s probably difficult now to fully appreciate now how radical that was. His account also shows that the founding of the Samaritans wasn’t as a fully-formed polished idea but as something practical and necessary that grew as an answer to human need as he encountered it.
The book is surprisingly readable: his voice is direct, anecdotal, and self-confident. He does not dwell on self-analysis and introspection (which is surprising given how much thinking he did around listening and caring for others). Some of his, by modern standards, less appealing attitudes and anecdotes reflect the era he lived in, but I think he voluntarily reveals himself as an unapologetically mixed bag. Still, he created something of enormous value - an undeniable good - even if the methods and language around it have developed considerably.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review