Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

Today's Read On features three very distinctive voices, Adjoa Andoh on being the voice of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Derek Jacobi on bringing characters to life off the page and we get a masterclass in narration from Martin Jarvis. All that plus some new books available in audio from RNIB.

The Bridgerton books are available from RNIB in accessible formats, but how do you make the TV version accessible? Robert Kirkwood takes a deep dive into the world of Audio Description with Liz Gutman, head Audio Description writer at IDC and finds out if writing 'that scene' make Liz feel like a romance novelist! And, as always, we find some new books in the RNIB Library. Liz's podcast is available here

This week we chat to Kirsten Miller, author of The Change, about her new book, a gripping and deeply moving novel of bravery, friendship and standing up against censorship, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books. Plus we find some new books in the RNIB library.

This week, bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, talks about a novel rooted in the author's own family history about a trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect, plus Amelia Hilton chats to blind author and world traveller, Tony Giles. All that plus some new books in the RNIB Library.

A Reality Show Double Bill - In today's episode we hear from Love Island star and disability campaigner Tasha Ghouri about her novel, 'Hits Different' plus from Race Across the World we get some audiobook recommendations from Trish Sail. All that plus we listen to four brand new RNIB Talking Books.

Recorded on location at the Boswell Book Festival, this week Kirsty Logan tells us about 'The Unfamiliar: A Queer Motherhood Memoir', journalist and author Xinran Xue uncovers 'The Book of Secrets: A Personal History of Betrayal in Red China', Nigel Toon tells us 'How AI thinks' and we end with Vivian French with 'Bibi and the Box of Fairy Tales!' All that plus some brand new audiobooks that are also in the Talking Books library.

Three authors today who all recorded the audio versions of their books, Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant champions quality over consumption in his book 'Less', John Niven talks about his heart-breaking and sometimes hilarious memoir 'Oh, Brother' and Christian Lewis takes us around the UK coastline in 'Finding Hildasay'.Plus we find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.

More authors from the Boswell Book Festival this week including Catherine Coldstream on her book Cloistered: My Years As a Nun and two great but very different poetry collections with Jackie Kay's Mayday and Donna Ashworth's Wild Hope. Plus, away from the festival, we get the books of your life from Yoto Carnegie Medal Winner Joseph Coelho and find new books available in the RNIB Library.

A show chiefly in the Scottish dialect this week as we head to the Boswell Book Festival to talk to writer, broadcaster and language activist Billy Kay about his book Born in Kyle; poet, Scots language and mental-health advocate Len Pennie reads us some Poyums and we hear from the prolific author and now Knight of the Realm, Sir Alexander McCall Smith, plus, in the spirit of the festival, we find some memoirs in the RNIB library.

Our final two Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Shortlisted authors join us this week, Nathanael Lessore with Steady For This and Sophie Cameron with Away with Words. Plus we discover some new books entering the Talking Books library.

More Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlisted authors on the show this week. Zillah Bethell on The Song Walker, Tia Fisher on Crossing the Line and Nicola Davies talks about Choose Love. Plus some new books in the RNIB library.

To commemorate D-Day we’ve taken a journey into the RNIB Library to listen to some great history books about the Normandy landings and beyond.

In today's show we feature two authors on the shortlist for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho tells us how Greek myth inspired his book 'The Boy Lost in the Maze', and Hiba Noor Khan tells us the lesser known story of how the Great Mosque in Paris helped the Jewish community in World War Two in 'Safiyyah's War'

On today's show we listen to the brand new thriller The Deadly Spark from debut novelist Roxie Key, plus following on from last week's climate chat we turn to non-fiction and Mark Lynas' book Our Final Warning. All that plus four brand new audiobooks available from the RNIB Library.

Today we take a deep dive into climate fiction with Greg Mosse and his books The Coming Darkness and The Coming Storm plus we find some brand new audio books that are also available from RNIB.

As we start gearing up for this year's Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, we listen back to four previous winners with four very different books ... Elizabeth Acevedo, Tanya Landman, Geraldine McCaughrean and Ruta Sepetys.

In today's show we hear the Books of My Life from both Nero debut novel winner Michael Magee and Booker shortlisted Sarah Bernstein. We also chat to C.J. Tudor about the Gathering, The Drift and more, plus find new books in the RNIB library.

We interview Lord Jeffrey Archer as he records a special introduction to his book Traitors Gate exclusively for RNIB Talking Books, plus as her book 'Nobody Does it Better than Me: The Story of Alma' is recorded for the library, Robert Kirkwood chats to Dr Lin Berwick MBE.

In today's show we talk to Leeanne O'Donnell about spirit and matter, love and lust, and reality and magic, all in her book Sparks of Bright Matter. We also look forward to the Boswell Book Festival with Gordon Turnbull and find new books in the RNIB Library.

Read On this week features Chioma Okereke with her coming of age audio book Water Baby set in the floating slum of Makoko in Lagos. We hear about The Trees: A Novel by Percival Everett and find new books entering the RNIB Library.

In today's show we're re-joined by Louise Hare as she tells us about the sequel to Miss Aldridge Regrets, Harlem After Midnight. Plus we delve into the archive to talk to Sara Collins about The Confessions of Frannie Langton, and find some brand new audiobooks that are also available from RNIB Talking Books.

This week Robert Kirkwood talks to former military policeman and former Met Detective, Neil Lancaster about the latest DS Max Craigie Book, The Devil You Know and how his career influenced his writing. Plus we find some brand new books out now and entering the Talking Books library.

In today’s show we listen to some books about music and musicians. We chat to Beth and Ben of The Bookshop Band, talk to the author of Outlaw Blues, a 500 page biography of Bob Dylan and then get some book recommendations from former Never Mind the Buzzcocks team captain, Phill Jupitus. Plus we find some brand new gems in the Talking Books library.

In today's show we feature all four category winners in the first ever Nero Book Awards, First up we listen to a clip from the Non-Fiction winning book Strong Female Character by Fern Brady We have a long chat with Michael Magee about his Debut Fiction winning book, Close to Home We listen to a clip from The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, the Children’s Fiction winner Then, from the Booker Prize shows, we chat to the Fiction winner Paul Murray about The Bee Sting Then (after a swift last minute edit) we reveal the overall winner.

In today's show we celebrate World Book Day with Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson, Betsy Griffin and find out about the free £1 from RNIB.

In today's show we dive into the murky world of romance fraud with Becky Holmes and her book Keanu Reeves is Not In Love With You which she narrated herself. Plus we find some brand new books in the Talking Books library.

The First Man to Time Travel is the debut sci-fi comedy novel from Alex Leam. He tells Robert Kirkwood about the book, his inspirations and reading the audio version. Plus, staying in the sci-fi theme, we listen back to how Jeff Wayne turned War of the Worlds into a best selling album. All that plus some brand new books in the RNIB Library.

In today's show Alistair Lee, Australia’s only blind Voice Over Artist, talks to Amelia Hilton about his career so far. We also listen back to Keith Brymer Jones from The Great Pottery Throw Down talk about his book, Boy in A China Shop and find some new books in the RNIB Library. The picture is of King, Alistair Lee's guide dog.

This week Lynda Marron chats to Robert Kirkwood about her book Last Chance in Paris, a funny, moving, above all life-affirming story of a make-or-break trip to Paris by an Irish couple following a tragedy. Plus we find some brand new audiobooks donated to the RNIB library.

In today's show we re-visit some Boswell Book Festival favourites and chat to Frank Skinner, Denise Mina, Nigel Havers, Giles and Mary from Gogglebox and Winston Churchill's granddaughter, Emma Soames. Plus we find some brand new books in the RNIB Talking Books library.

This week Mari Hannah joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about her brand new Kate Daniels thriller, The Longest Goodbye, a book she didn't want to write. Also among some new books entering the Talking Books library we find one written and read by Cliff Richard and one that goes behind the scene of the Disney plus show, Welcome to Wrexham.

This week Robert Kirkwood is joined by Hester Musson to discuss her gothic, historical debut thriller about power and corruption, The Beholders.Plus, as always, we find some new gems in the RNIB library.

Read On this week has more of the best interviews of 2023 with Joe Haddow, Charlotte Levin, Victoria Bennett, Carnegie Winner Manon Steffan Ros, and a round up of new books for January

We listen back to some interviews from last year including Randee Dawn on Tune in Tomorrow, C.K. McDonnell on The Stranger Times, Catherine Simpson on One Body and hear from narrator Gabriel Woolf.Plus we find some brand new books for January.

On today's show we curl up with some Christmas TV, or at least the books that they came from. Julia Donaldson and Charlie Mackesy talk about turning very visual books into audiobooks, we hear about the science behind James Bond, and listen to books about both Doctor Who and Ghosts.

Another festive book on The Audiobook Show, this week Rachel Greenlaw tells Robert Kirkwood about her groundhog day inspired novel, One Christmas Morning. We also dive into the history of fairy tales and find some new listens in the RNIB Talking Books library.

In today's show Robert Kirkwood talks to Peter Swanson about his festive novella The Christmas Guest, and how the murder mystery at Christmas genre is unique to Britain. We also listen back to Tony Hawk's tennis adventure in Moldova and find some new books in the RNIB Library, one of which is written by Judy Dench.

In today's show a round up of some of the best science writing we've had on the show including Stephen and Jane Hawking, Chris Lintott, Marcus du Sautoy and The Boy Who Played with Fusion. Plus we find some new science books in the RNIB Library.

Winner of the Booker 2023, Paul Lynch. For the full interview head to episode 345.

In today's show we listen to some previous winners of the Booker, the youngest ever winner Eleanor Catton on The Luminaries, Marlon James on his winning book, A Brief History of Seven Killings plus last year's winner Shehan Karunatilaka with The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Plus we listen to some brand new books available in the RNIB Library.

In today's show we chat to Jonathan Escoffery about his debut novel, shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023, If I Survive You. We also find some new books in the talking books library and discover why Google recently held a conference on accessible publishing.

In today's show we talk to Paul Murray about the multiple narrators in the audio version of his Booker shortlisted book, The Bee Sting, plus we hear a clip from Western Lane by Chetna Maroo. We'll also hear about some new books entering the Talking Books library.

In today's episode we chat to two authors on the Booker Shortlist 2023. Paul Lynch takes us to a dystopian Ireland in Prophet Song and Sarah Bernstein spins a web of culpability and criminality in Study for Obedience.

In today's show Robert Kirkwood finds out about Rachel Hore’s captivating new novel of secrets, loss and betrayal - set on the beautiful Cornish coast during World War Two and the heady days of the 1960s, The Hidden Years.Plus we find four brand new books entering the Talking Books Library.

Three more authors interviewed at the Wigtown Book Festival in this week's show. Ex-BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones tells Robert Kirkwood about his memoir Ruskin Park, we go swashbuckling with Kate Mosse and her book The Ghost Ship, and we time travel with actor and writer Nigel Planer as he tells us about Jeremiah Bourne in Time.Plus we find some new books entering the Talking Books Library.

In a second visit this year to Wigtown, Robert Kirkwood talks to comedian Jo Caulfield about her moving memoir The Funny Thing About Death, we get poisons, monsters and some secret lairs in Kathryn Harkup's Superspy Science and we take a trip during the Italian Renaissance with Maggie O'Farrell and her book, The Marriage Proposal.All that plus four new gems in the Talking Books library, one of which is narrated by Meryl Streep!

This week Robert Kirkwood travels to Scotland's Book Town and talks to novelist Lynsey May about her debut book, Weak Teeth, Stuart Paterson reads his viral poem, Here's the Weather, historian Ruth Scurr talks about Napoleon: A Life told in Gardens and Shadow and author Louise Doughty talks about her brand new thriller, A Bird in Winter.Plus we find four new gems in the Talking Books Library.

As RNIB Connect Radio turns 20, Read On this week looks back at some of the first authors, narrators and looks behind the scenes we've had on the show.Actor Allan Tall talks about preparing a Christopher Brookmyre book for narration and being thrown from his horse during the filming of Braveheart.Author Alan Bissett joins Robert Kirkwood after narrating his book, The Incredible Adam Spark.And former manager of the Talking Book Studios, Ian Turner, talks about all the famous narrators who recorded books exclusively for RNIB.Plus, as always, we find four new gems in the library

This week author M.A. Kuzniar joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about her bestseller Midnight in Everwood, a magical retelling of The Nutcracker, and her brand-new book, Upon a Frosted Star where The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake. We also find some new gems in the RNIB Talking Books library.

Out now is Ava Glass’s second book in the Alia Emma series, The Traitor. Ava joins us to talk about her background as a journalist in America and with MI5 and MI6 in the UK and how it all shaped her main character. We also hear some new books in the RNIB Talking Books Library.