Editor Carody Culver and author Tom Doig join Dylan Bird to discuss the new Griffith Review edition 86, Leaps in Faith, which delves into the world of doomsday preppers from all walks of life and the unexpected connections that link them.

Often convinced that major social collapse is inevitable, preppers take concrete, practical steps to prepare. While prepping is far more nuanced and common than the typical clichés, some preppers still embody the quirkiness that often characterises their faith.

As Tom explains, prepping itself can be seen as a form of faith—a source of certainty when everything else feels unstable. For many, survival plans offer a sense of control in an unpredictable world.

Leaps in Faith challenges readers to look beyond the ‘weird or kooky’ aspects of prepping and recognise the universal human need for security and belief, a way to anchor ourselves when things go wrong.

Carody observed, “There are always sceptics, but there are so many ways in which your faith in a particular idea or version of events can become some kind of bedrock.”