Before I Die Again: The Autobiography of the Founder of the Samaritans

by Chad Varah

Before I Die Again

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Reverend 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.