RNIB Talking Books - Read On

Today we're taking some books into the Garden. Ruth Scurr tells us about Napoleon: A Life in Gardens and Shadows, Monty Don tells us about sensory gardening and Victoria Bennett discusses All My Wild Mothers: Motherhood, loss and an apothecary garden. All that plus we've got some new books on all things gardening in the RNIB Library.

Today we set sail with author Caroline James and hear all about her new book, The Cruise Club, plus we dive into her background and back catalogue.  We get some self-help recommendations from the team at the Happy Hour and find some new books in the RNIB Library.

Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by journalist and author Clémence Michallon from her home in New York, as we explore Our Last Resort, the brand new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.

Charlotte Butterfield joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about The Sister Switch, the brand new hilarious, emotional and thought-provoking book club read about twin sisters who make a bet to switch lives for a week We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.

"The Light of Day" by Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky, tells the story of Roger Butler, a man who came out as gay in the British press in 1960, before the decriminalization of homosexuality. The book explores Butler's life, his activism, and his later struggles with blindness and isolation.  Plus Blind Poet Dave Steele and filmmaker Matt Hopkins discuss 'The Film I'll Never See' and we get some book recommendations from poet and Carnegie Shortlisted author Matt Goodfellow.

Author Dame Stella Rimington has died at the age of 90. As the first female director of MI5 she poured years of lived experience into her spy novels featuring both Liz Carlyle and Manon Tyler. She spoke to RNIB Connect Radio's Read On show about her latest novel, her career and her membership to RNIB Talking Books. For that full interview you can download Read On episode number 420 from wherever you get your podcasts, just search for RNIB Read On

Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by Alis Hawkins as we explore 'The Oxford Mysteries' with her books A Bitter Remedy and The Skeleton Army, plus we explore her past series on 'The Teifi Valley Coroner' with blind protagonist Harry Probert-Lloyd.

In today's final visit to Dumfries House and the Boswell Book Festival we get out in nature as we forage for Free Food with Mo Wilde and find the Wilderness Cure, we go to Bird School with Adam Nicolson and we travel behind the former Iron Curtain with Charlie English and the CIA Book Club. Plus we'll find some new books in the RNIB Library.

In today's Read On we hear from Andrew O'Hagan after his keynote address on humour, sponsored by RNIB Connect Radio, and discuss his book Caledonian Road which is set to become a recurring series on Netflix.  Former News at Ten host John Suchet goes In Search of Beethoven in his latest book about the composer, plus in the sprit of Boswell we find some new biography and memoir in the RNIB Library. 

In today's edition of Read On, we're once again on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Wayne Sleep OBE about his book, Just Different, artist Juano Diaz tells us about Slum Boy, his heart-breaking memoir that he insisted be available in audio and comedian Dom Joly becomes The Conspiracy Tourist and asks if Finland really exists.  We step away from the festival for some book recommendations from author Clare Furniss and find new memoir and biography in the RNIB Library.

In today's edition of Read On, we're on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Hollywood Icon Rupert Everett about his book, The American No, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author Gelong Thubten tells us about his Handbook for Hard Times and comedian Helen Lederer tells us about her memoir, Not That I'm Bitter. Plus in the spirit of the festival we find some new biographies in the RNIB Library.

Today we travel to the Isle of Skye with Sue Moorcroft as the third volume of her best selling Skye Sisters Trilogy is released. Plus we find some new books entering the RNIB Library.

Our final Carnegie Medal for Writing show with winner of the Shadowing Award Nathanael Lessore for King of Nothing and winner of this year's Medal for Writing, Margaret McDonald on Glasgow Boys. Plus we take a swift visit to the RNIB Library to find some brand new books.

Today on Read On we're continuing our interviews with authors on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. This week Kelly McCaughrain on Little Bang and Matt Goodfellow on The Final Year, plus we find some new audiobooks out now and available from RNIB Library.

Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day Of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness.  He was a great supporter of RNIB Talking Books, visiting the studios many times to record messages and raise awareness, and even to record a small non-fiction tale he wrote for us as part of a fundraising effort to re-archive our old tape recordings to a digital format. On one visit, Robert Kirkwood grabbed him for a chat about his books and his dangerous research trips and to ask why he supported RNIB. 

In today's episode, we talk to two more authors on the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist, Luke Palmer on his book Play and Brian Conaghan on Treacle Town, plus we find some new books out now and available from the RNIB Library.

In today's episode, we talk to two authors on the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist, Blessing Musariri on her book All That It Ever Meant and Clare Furniss on The Things We Leave Behind, plus we find some new books out now and available from the RNIB Library.

A mix of fiction and non-fiction in today's show as Becky C Brynolf tells us about her debut I Found A Body in which an influencer gets mixed up in a murder investigation.  We also hear from writer and savant Daniel Tammet about Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum, delving into the extraordinary lives of nine neurodivergent men and women from around the globe, including blind academic Amanda in Australia. All that plus some new books in the RNIB Library.

Winner of the National Book Award and now the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, James is a subversive reimagining of “Huckleberry Finn” told from the perspective of Jim, Huck's enslaved companion on the raft ride. Percival Everett tells Robert Kirkwood about the book and reveals he read Huck Finn too many times in the research! We also hear about the science behind James Bond's gadgets and Agatha Christie's poisons with Kathryn Harkup and find some new books in the RNIB Library.

As I'm off recording at Dumfries House at the moment, here's selection of interviews from past Boswell Book Festival events including Lady Anne Glenconner, founder of Private Eye Richard Ingrams, biographer Ben McIntyre, Winston Churchill's granddaughter Emma Soames, Andrew Cotter with Olive and Mabel, and we're Cloistered with Catherine Coldstream.

On this week's Read On, Robert Kirkwood chats to Celia Silvani about her debut novel Baby Teeth, a cautionary tale about how vulnerable, isolated people can be lured into toxic communities and the catastrophic consequences this can have.  Trigger Warning: This interview contains discussions and references to pregnancy and infertility. There is also a scene of pregnancy loss in the book.

This week on Read On a captivating chat with Beth O'Brien, visually impaired author of new HarperCollins Children's Book 'Wolf Siren', which also has a visually impaired narrator. Beth talks about her writing, watching the narration process and her passion project, 'Disabled Tales.'

Stella Rimington was the first female director general of MI5 and brings true authenticity to her books about spying and espionage. She talks to Robert Kirkwood about her career, her Liz Carlyle books and her imagined end, plus her two new Manon Tyler books. Dame Rimington also talks about how her failing eyesight due to AMD is affecting her ability to write. And for episode 420, we also find some influential musical biographies in the RNIB Library.

This week in Read On, author Nydia Hetherington tells us how living with a chronic yet hidden illness inspired her to write the untold story of Shakespeare's witch, Sycorax and also her debut novel, A Girl Made of Air. She also tells us how many spoons it took to narrate the audio version herself.  

Emma is sick. Just not in the way you thought.  In today's Read On - The Audiobook Show, we're mixing a thriller with a hidden disability in Chris Bridges debut novel Sick To Death.  Plus we find some brand new books the RNIB Library, one written and read by actor, Brian Cox.

In this week's Read On - The Audiobook Show we chat to debut novelist Kate Kemp about murder and intrigue on Warrah Place, a sweltering Australian suburban cul-de-sac, in her novel The Grape Vine. We also hear from Mark McCree and Simon Savidge from Share the Vision, a coalition of UK organisations that work together to improve the quality, availability and accessibility of library services for visually impaired and print disabled people. And talking of accessible libraries, we'll find new books entering the RNIB Talking Books Library.

In today's Read On we enter the world of DC Ffion Morgan and DS Leo Brady with author Clare Mackintosh with the release of the third book in the series, Other People's Houses. We also listen back to earlier books from Clare and find some brand new books in the Talking Books library.

In today's show we chat to blind broadcaster, social media creator and author, Lucy Edwards, about her books Blind Not Broken and Ella Jones vs The Sun Stealer, and about her campaigns for equality and becoming an RNIB ambassador. We also find some brand new books entering the Talking Books library.

In today's show we hear about the new thriller from Mari Hannah, Her Sister's Killer, the latest in the Stone and Oliver series. We also pay tribute to narrator Steve Hodson and hear from Nero book of the year Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst

A familiar and warm voice to listeners of RNIB Talking Books, and audiobook and radio drama listeners everywhere, Steve Hodson, has passed away at 77.  We listen back to him telling us how he became a narrator, hear some stories and listen to a clip of one of his favourite books. Photo of Steve. He has salt and pepper tousled hair and is staring to the side with an intense gaze. His soft white dress shirt is open and relaxed at the collar. 

In today's show a chat with World Book Day author Tom Palmer about his books on sport, history and his travels for research, plus we find out about the free books you can get this World Book Day from RNIB.

In today's show two category winners from the Nero Book Awards, Children's Fiction winner Liz Hyder on her book The Twelve, and Adam S Leslie with his Fiction category winning folk-horror, Lost in the Garden.

A short extract from my interview with Lucy Edwards about her new book Ella Jones Vs the Sun Stealer and about being an RNIB Ambassador. Full interview coming soon.

We're loved up this Valentines Day on Read On. In Penguin Books 90th year, Robert Kirkwood chats to author Joanna Toye about the second book in the heart-warming, romantic, and uplifting world war two series about community, friendship and books, A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop. And as this show is going out on Valentine's Day we find some new romance in the RNIB Library.

Another comedian compilation as we hear from stand-ups Jo Caulfield and Richard Herring and comedic actor, audiobook narrator and Neil from The Young Ones, Nigel Planer. Plus we find some brand new books in the RNIB Library

This week on Read On, Robert Kirkwood chats to Rachel Kushner about her book Creation Lake, which is a taut, dazzling story of espionage and intrigue and beneath lies a tale of a woman caught in the crossfire between the past and the future. Thanks to The Booker Foundation it's available to borrow from RNIB in both audio and Braille. Plus we find some new audiobooks out now and also in the RNIB Library.

Today we're joined by award winning Australian novelist Charlotte Wood who chats about her book Stone Yard Devotional, in which a women 'unsubscribes' from her life in the city to live in isolation with nuns, and a lot of mice! We'll also hear some new books in the RNIB Library

In today's show Robert Kirkwood has a long chat with Yael van der Woulden about her debut novel, The Safekeep, an exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge.  We hear from Bart van Es about The Cutout Girl and find new books in the RNIB Library.

In today's Read On Robert Kirkwood chats to author and narrator A.J. West about his books The Betrayal of Thomas True and The Spirit Engineer and why he didn't narrate them, but also about the book he is narrating, Death in the Sauna. Plus we find some new books in the RNIB Library.

In our second look back at 2024, Momfluencers clash in Jesse Q. Sutanto's book You Will Never Be Me, Gregg Mosse tells us about The Coming Storm, we have a Hot Girl Summer with Sophie Gravia, Kirsten Miller tells us about Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, Jo Piazza has A Sicilian Inheritance and we go Orbital with Booker winner Samantha Harvey.

In today's round up of the first half of 2024 we hear from Hiba Noor Khan and Sophia's War, we visit Harlem After Midnight with author Louise Hare, Michael McGee stays Close to Home, Becky Holmes tells us Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You, Lynda Marron has a Last Chance in Paris and we talk about The Beholders with Hester Musson.

In today's festive show we have a new chat with one of Britain's best loved children's authors, Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE, about retelling the bard's work for a modern audience in his Tales from Shakespeare and we get to bring in games in the form of live D&D shows in the RNIB Library, and we find some festive and not so festive brand new audiobooks.

What would you do if you walk down the aisle and find the wrong man waiting for you? And no-one else sees anything wrong? This week a return visit from Fiona Lucas with her deeply emotional story of love, secrets and second chances, Always and Only You. Plus we find four brand new books in the RNIB Library.

This week we chat to Anita Frank about the Sunday Times bestselling WW1 historical fiction murder mystery thriller, The Good Liars. Plus we find some brand new audio out now and also available from RNIB.

In today's 400th episode of Read On – The Audiobook Show, Robert Kirkwood chats to Anne Michaels about her book ‘Held', which last week was the winner of the $100K Giller Prize in Canada. The audio version of the book, which was also Booker shortlisted in the UK, is narrated by the author and she tells us why she was the only person for the job. We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library and have a very quick look back over 400 episodes.