Rnib Talking Books

It's Catherine Cookson Week on RNIB Connect Radio and all week we're celebrating one of the UKs best loved authors and thanking the Catherine Cookson Charitable trust for their continued support of RNIB and the Talking Books service. Today playwright Tom Kelly chats about the musical Tom and Catherine, which charts Catherine Cookson and her husband's 50 year marriage.

This week we’ll be using our little grey cells to investigate some new developments in classic crime... Sophie Hannah tells us why Hercule Poirot is working with a new partner, and her publisher talks about how the collaboration came about. Lynn Shepherd discusses adding crime scenes to stories inspired by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.   And Red finds the book in The Library that made me want to be a crime writer. Join the conversation by emailing readonair@rnib.org.uk

This week we’re going transatlantic with some great contemporary tales from America. Tessa Fontaine tells us about running away to join the circus, in her memoir ‘The Electric Woman’. Paul Birchard recounts the remarkable story of ‘The Boy Who Played With Fusion’. And Deborah Harkness talks about transforming ‘A Discovery of Witches’ from best-selling books to primetime TV. Join the conversation on readonair@rnib.org.uk

A listen to Roald Dahl at the Talking Books studios from 1986, introducing and narrating his first children's book, 'James and the Giant Peach'.

Today we’re raising the stakes and opening some books on betting. Debut author Martin Nathan discusses writing and playing poker with blind friends. Biographer Anthony Holden delves into the history of poker and its importance in his life. Victoria Coren-Mitchell shares her confessions of a poker player and what it’s like to win a million. And racehorse owner Alan Pickering discusses a life spent with sight loss and pensions. 

Our blind and partially sighted Book Group discuss a book with sight loss at its core, The Rules of Seeing by Joe Heap. Please note there are some small SPOILERS in this episode but as its a book that has been just released we avoided talking about its later chapters ... at least while the mics were still on! 

This month the book group discuss the winner of the Man Booker Prize from 2011, The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. What will our group of blind and partially sighted book lovers think about it as they listen to the RNIB Talking Book version?

This month our blind and partially sighted readers discuss Autumn by Ali Smith, shortlisted for the 2017 Booker Prize.  Please note this show contains SPOILERS for the book.

SPOILER WARNING! Don't listen unless you've read the book! Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. This month our blind and partially sighted book group discuss Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. What did they think?

In this episode our blind and partially sighted book group discuss Margaret Atwood's The Haidmaid's Tale, and we're joined by new member Lillian. What will they think this month?

This month the group discuss J.L. Carr's A Moth in the Country. A damaged survivor of the First World War, Tom Birkin finds refuge in the quiet village church of Oxgodby where he is to spend the summer uncovering a huge medieval wall-painting. Immersed in the peace and beauty of the countryside and the unchanging rhythms of village life he experiences a sense of renewal and belief in the future. What will our group of blind and partially sighted readers think?

This month the group discuss a book voted as 'the best book about Britain'. Do they agree with that, and did they enjoy it? Join our group of blind and partially sighted readers in the Book Group.

Join the conversation with a real group of blind and partially sighted book lovers and Talking Book users.  This month the book group discuss Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Join our brand new book group as they talk about reading with sight loss, missing print books, and the Talking Books that have inspired and delighted them.

Michael Palin talks to Robert Kirkwood about forgetting lines and supporting RNIB, Anthony Horowitz tells us the books of his life and Colonel Chris Hadfield talks about his books for children and grown ups. Plus we revist both Adjoa Andoh and Dame Judi Dench.  Get in touch by emailing readonair@rnib.org.uk

Today Penguin Random House UK has launched a new partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) by signing up to two of the charity’s programmes - RNIB Bookshare and Talking Books. Red Szell and Robert Kirkwood discuss some titles ... and please note, all of the titles won't be immediately available but will be added to RNIB's collection over a number of months. Read more at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/media/news/2018/august/penguin-random-house-launches-partnership-with-the-rnib--making-/#wdhLbbOXyHm5y2sA.99

Lissa Evans chats about her books 'Old Baggage' and Wed Wabbit, Anthony McGowan narrates his own books for RNIB and Sam West on narrating new versions of 'The House of Cards' trilogy.

Red Szell chats to Moira Forsyth about her book 'A Message from the Other Side' and about her work at publisher Sandstone Press. Bernard Cornwell chats to Robert Kirkwood about Sharpe, the Black Prince and listening to audio books in the car. And we chat to Huw Parmenter, who recently narrated 'The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder' by Sarah J Harris, about his work as an actor and preparing a book for narration.

We explore a new book inspired by the author's own sight-loss journey, 'The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree'. We chat to its author Paola Peretti and go behind the scenes with its publisher, translator and audio book narrator. We also have another great review from blind author N.B. Dixon and explore the Summer reading Challenge from RNIB.

We devote a whole show to a brand new book with sight loss at its core, 'The Rules of Seeing' by Joe Heap. We talk to its author Joe Heap, its narrator Cariad Lloyd and hand the book to our Connect Radio Book Group to get their verdict.