Welcome to The Good Father

Hello, my name is Sam.

I’m a father to a beautiful 18-month-old daughter, and the author of a book about emotional health.

The Good Father is where I bring those two things together. It’s a newsletter / podcast about how to enjoy being a dad more – which in turns helps you be better at it.

In my writing, reporting and interviewing I draw on twenty years of experience as a journalist covering psychology and mental health for some of the biggest publications in the world.

Alongside emotional health, I’m particularly passionate about child literacy which is another topics I return to frequently here.

My new posts are free, but by becoming a paid subscriber you gain access to The Good Father archive. Some of my most popular articles include:

• A year ago I became a first-time dad. Here are the things I wish someone had told me

• Can a generation of iPhone addicts raise non-addicted children?

• The difference between good and bad children’s books

• I asked my female friends how to be a good girl dad. This is what they told me

• A note for nervous expectant fathers

Some more on me

In my day job, I am a senior editor at British GQ. I also write for national newspapers on all sorts of topics. My work has included cover profiles, culture and book reviews and much more, but in recent years my focus has been on family, psychology and emotional health.

Last year I published my first book, a blend of memoir and psychology called Good Anger: How Rethinking Rage Can Change Our Lives (Bloomsbury, 2025). It was named an Independent Book of the Year, and featured in the Guardian, FT, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, iPaper and elsewhere.

I often appear in national and international media, on radio and podcasts and give live talks to discuss my work and its themes.

I live near London with my partner Jessie, our baby daughter Olive and our cat Joni.

I hope you enjoy The Good Father.