Rnib Talking Books

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.