Rnib Talking Books

This week Paulina Kuchorew talks to Meik Wiking about his book, My Hygge Home, Robert Kirkwood talks to Professor Richard Wiseman about fear, magic and smiling, Amelia Hilton reviews Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton and we get the books of your life from Booker shortlisted author Percival Everett

On today's show we get some healthy book recommendations from the RNIB Talking Books Library, hear the Books of Your Life from Booker shortlisted author Claire Keegan, listen to Candida McWilliam's 'What to Look for in Winter - A Memoir in Blindness' and there's some news for RNIB Library members.

On today's Read On we remember Fay Weldon and play her interview with Robert Kirkwood from the RNIB Talking Book Studios. We review Richard Osman's 'The Bullet that Missed', talk to Jonathan Dimbleby about 'Destiny in the Desert' and hear the Books of Your Life from twice Booker shortlisted author NoViolet Bulawayo.

'Tune in Tomorrow' is a funny, thrilling and mysterious adventure into the world of alternate reality television. We speak to both author Randee Dawn and narrator Rebecca LaChance about 'The Curious, Calamitous, Cockamamie Story Of Starr Weatherby And The Greatest Mythic Reality Show Ever'

A compilation of the times we escaped the studio and got out and about, featuring Nigel Havers, Kate Williams, George Dunn, Eric Motley, Bill Clegg KC and a complete history of Boswell and his eponymous festival.

Timmy Mallet joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about the best gifts to give for Christmas and about how his late brother with Down's Syndrome was the inspiration for an epic journey detailed in his book, 'Utterly Brilliant, My Life's Journey', plus we hear from Noddy Holder about his acting career and how the Slade song 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was recorded.

In the 300th episode of Read On we listen back to the three most popular interviews as judged by podcast downloads, comedian Limmy, travel writer and historian Bill Bryson. Plus there are honourable mentions from Nigella Lawson, Alan Bennett, a small story about RNIB Talking Books from Joanna Lumley, and a cameo from a past host of the show.

Fiona Lucas deals with memory loss and hope for lost love in 'Never Forget You' Amelia Henley tells us an emotional story about love and second chances in 'From Now On' Plus Robert Kirkwood finds some Christmas reads in the RNIB Library.

Robert Kirkwood listens back to some winners of the Booker Prize including George Saunders, Richard Flanagan, Eleanor Catton and Marlon James, plus we have the Books of Your Life from this year's winner, Shehan Karunatilaka.

Alan Garner joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about the origin of his Booker Shortlisted book, Treacle Walker. Plus we listen back to an interview with J.O. Morgan after he recorded his Costa poetry winning book, 'Assurances' exclusively for RNIB Talking Books.

Author Jan Grue talks to Paulina Kuchorew about his autobiography 'I Live a Life Like Yours' now available in an English translation as an audiobook, Melanie Reid discusses her book, 'The World I fell Out Of', Amelia Hilton finds out about a new sustainable bookshop in the borders, And as the hype builds for the world cup, Robert Kirkwood finds some RNIB Talking Books for the armchair sportsman.

Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading that takes place across the country, this year taking place from the 14th to the 20th of November. Every year, Scottish Book Trust ask people to share stories as part of our 'Your Stories' campaign and feature all the stories on their website. They then include a handful of our favourites in a free book for Book Week Scotland. This year's theme is Scotland’s Stories. The audio version of the Book Week Scotland Book is always produced by RNIB, with many of the stories being recorded at home by the authors. Today's show is a small selection of those tales. For the whole audiobook or ebook click HERE 

Jenny Ashcroft tells Robert Kirkwood about her most personal novel to date, The Echoes of Love, Elizabeth Strout tells Toby Davey about Booker shortlisted Oh William!, and after his passing Robert listens back to the only time his Dad was on the show, proudly talking about the replica printing press he conceived to celebrate Robert Burns' Kilmarnock Edition. 

Helen Fields talks to Robert Kirkwood about 'The Last Girl to Die' a haunting mystery set on the ancient ocean-battered Isle of Mull.  And as we experience political turmoil, we listen back to Red Szell's chat with John Bew about his biography of Atlee, 'Citizen Clem'

All That's Left Unsaid is an "unmissable and compelling" debut novel from Tracy Lien, subject to a nine way auction in the UK and USA, she joins Robert Kirkwood to chat about her book and explains the model minority. Also today, we hear from the familiar voice of narrator Garrick Hagon, actor, producer and X-Wing Pilot!

Robert Kirkwood interviews Shehan Karunatilaka about his Booker winning book The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida ... and off screen had a grey beard off!

We talk to four of the six Booker shortlisted authors (with the other two coming soon) Percival Everett with The Trees, in which a violent history refuses to be buried. NoViolet Bulawayo with her re-telling of Animal Farm, Glory. Shehan Karunatilaka with his murder mystery The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida And Claire Keegan with Small Things Like These, which is aptly titled as it's the shortest book ever to be on the shortlist.

In a packed show recorded on location at the Wigtown Book Festival, Robert Kirkwood chats to a whole host of writers, including three very different historians, Nick Jubber on the Fairy Tellers, Alex von Tunzelmann on toppled statues in Fallen Idols and Estelle Paranque on Fire, Blood and Gold - the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. There are some Wigtown natives ... we speak to storyteller Renita Boyle, and bookshop diarist Shaun Bythell. Plus a trio of female Scottish writers, Olga Wojtas on Maria Blane's Prefect, Lynne McEwan on Dead Man Deep and In Dark Water plus recent guest on the show Elissa Soave on her debut Ginger and Me.

Josie Lloyd chats to Robert Kirkwood about her books The Cancer Ladies Running Club, Come Together and her new book, Lifesaving for Beginners plus fresh from the Booker Shortlist announcement we hear from head judge Neil MacGregor.

Dame Hilary Mantel, author of the Wolf Hall trilogy, has died aged 70 A statement from her publisher reads, "We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel. Our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald. This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work." When The Mirror and the Light was published I put together this little biography combining the two times she joined me on air, and the picture accompanying this tribute is Dame Hilary in the RNIB Talking Book studios proudly displaying her 2009 Booker Prize.