For Ruth Gledhill, who left the Times in 2014 after many years as its religious affairs correspondent, journalism was not her first love: as a child growing up in Jamaica, she wanted to become a priest. Told that this was impossible for a girl in those days, she then discovered her love of bold newspaper headlines – and has never looked back.

Soon enough, she combined her religious vocation and her journalism. In this edition of our A-Z of Things Unseen, she recalls one of the hardest days ever at the office and how it affected reporting on one of the world’s faiths for years to come.

Now working on the religious news website, Christian Today, she also has some advice to young journalists who want to walk in her footsteps – and its nature may come as a surprise.

The A-Z of Things Unseen invites a different speaker each week to reflect on a concept or idea of their own choice. Some of the choices are clearly spiritual, others quite off-the-wall. Speakers come from all of the UK’s main faiths, and we hear from some serious doubters too.