Peter Stanford
A writer and journalist who explores the complexities of faith, ethics, and flawed humanity with nuance and deep compassion.
Born 1961 (age 65)·English writer, editor, journalist and presenter·Birthday: November 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Peter Stanford has carved out a unique space as a guide to the moral and spiritual questions that often confound modern life. A former editor of the Catholic Herald, he moved beyond institutional reporting to become a biographer of saints, sinners, and reformers. His work is characterized by a refusal to simplify, whether he's examining the paradoxical life of the prison campaigner Lord Longford or the legacy of the Devil in Christian thought. Stanford's voice is that of a curious, empathetic outsider-insider, committed to his faith but unafraid of its difficult histories. This perspective fuels his parallel life as director of the Longford Trust, where he translates his intellectual focus on redemption into practical support for prisoners pursuing education. He is, in essence, a public thinker who believes understanding our flaws is the first step toward building a more just society.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Peter was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His biography 'The Outcasts' Journey: Francis of Assisi' was shortlisted for the Whitbread Biography Award.
- The film 'Longford,' based on his biography of the peer, won a BAFTA for Best Single Drama.
- Served as the editor of the Catholic Herald, shaping religious journalism in the UK during the 1990s.
- Founded and directs the Longford Trust, which awards scholarships to prisoners and ex-offenders.
- Is a regular contributor and presenter for BBC Radio 4 on programs concerning religion and ethics.
Did You Know?
He is the chair of the board of trustees for the charity Aspire, which works with homeless people.
Stanford wrote a biography of the medieval female pope, Pope Joan, separating myth from possible history.
He presented the BBC Two documentary 'The Bible's Buried Secrets' exploring archaeology and scripture.
Before journalism, he worked as a financial journalist for the Investor's Chronicle.
“Faith is about the questions, not the final answers.”
