Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

This week we're celebrating The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We hear about ‘Her Heart For a Compass’. Robert Kirkwood discovers some Crown jewels in the RNIB Library. Onjali Q Rauf takes us on a right royal adventure as ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class' struggles to keep a royal appointment. Hannah Tausz celebrates some of the great reads from across The Commonwealth among the 70 titles selected for...

Robert Kirkwood takes us to Dumfries House in Ayrshire for the Boswell Book Festival, the world's only festival of biography and memoir.  We hear from Keith Brymer Jones, host of the Great Pottery Throwdown and author of Boy in a China Shop,  Katherine McInnes tells us about the Snow Widows left behind by Scott's ill-fated South Pole mission,  Andrew O'Hagan talks about his book Mayflies and his o...

The first of our Yoto Carnegie Medal specials! Julian Sedgwick blends prose and manga to revisiting the aftermath of the Fukishima nuclear catastrophe in 'Tsunami Girl'. Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock tackles teen issues in her series of short stories 'Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town'. Manjeet Man explores the things we have in common, no matter where we come from, through her verse novel 'The Crossing...

This week, we’re focussing on blind authors: Fiona Scott-Barrett charts the journey of her book ‘The Exit Facility’ from first concept to fully accessible print and audiobook. 84-year-old debut author Jill Fry describes  what life was like for her as a low-vision child in her memoir ‘Born Too Soon’. Blind crime writer Mark Hardie shares some of the tricks of his trade. I dust off a gem written by...

Ahead of the Yoto Carnegie Medal, we will be considering how children’s books approach some of the more sensitive topics life has to offer:  LD Lapinski takes us to a dark place in the final adventure with her Strangeworlds Travel Agency Kwame Alexander gets poetic as he considers bereavement in his novel 'Rebound'. Angie Thomas  addresses gun violence and racism in her breath-taking debut 'The Ha...

We’re investigating some novels inspired by the Golden Age of Crime-writing: Louise Hare takes us onboard the Queen Mary for a transatlantic cruise with a side-order of murder, in her new book 'Miss Aldridge Regrets'. Stuart Turton blends Agatha Christie, Cluedo, Groundhog Day and Quantum Leap then lets the murder and mayhem fizz, in his dazzling debut 'The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle'. Vicki Go...

This week we’ve got a crime scene special: Former CSI T Orr Munro reveals how her work in the field informed her debut thriller 'Breakneck Point'. Graeme Macrae Burnet discusses the  real crime memoir that inspired him to write 'His Bloody Project'. Emma Flint re-examines the evidence in one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history in her novel ‘Little Deaths’.  And we return to T...

World War II may be over for the shop girls of Marlow’s, but as their creator Joanna Toye tells us, post-war Britain still has its battles, in 'Wedding Bells for the Victory Girls'. Children’s author Jane Clarke helps us celebrate Easter with some try-this-at-home experiments and an ostrich egg. And narrator Becky Wright reveals some of the highs and lows of her recording career.

This week there is a musical note to proceedings: As Bob Dylan turns 80, Spencer Leigh takes us back down some of the many routes taken by this most mercurial of musicians. We catch up with the Bookshop Band and hear how they condense tomes into tunes. Is it a book or an album?  Well both actually; Laura Barnett discusses her multimedia novel 'Greatest Hits'. And Penny Melville-Brown helps us get...

Dr Ranj Singh will talk us through his new book  ‘Brain Power’. A group of RNIB Talking Book narrators including Steve Hodson will be sharing some favourite titles. And Professor Richard Wiseman will discuss the psychology of fear, and share a tip that is guaranteed to make you smile. 

This week we’ve got a Mother’s Day special:  Erica James examines the shift in family dynamics that occurs when children grow up and start acting like parents, in her new novel 'Mothers and Daughters'. Alex Hyde talks to Hannah Tausz about her debut novel 'Violets', a story of motherhood set at the end of World War II.    Juliet Stevenson reveals why she likes nothing better than narrating a great...

Sophie Haydock introduces us to the four women who dared to model for controversial Austrian artist Egon Schiele in 'The Flames'. Top actor Adjoa Andoh looks back on the long and varied list of books that she has brought to life as an RNIB narrator. Best-selling author Mark Sullivan retells the story of an extraordinary escape from Ukraine during World War II.  And we return to Sophie Haydock for...

Cathy Bramley explores the regenerative power of friendship and laughter in her new novel 'The Summer that Changed Us'. RNIB Publishing Relationships Manager Richard Holmes opens his Library to share some of the books that he has been enjoying. The Former Director of the British Museum reveals the inspiration behind A History of the World in 100 Objects. And we return to Cathy Bramley for the Book...

This week we’re leafing back through the pages of historical non-fiction. Journalist and author John Carlin gives us a first-hand account of the day that South Africa had a Glimpse of Utopia Jeremy Paxman talks to Robert Kirkwood about 'Britain's Great War' Narrator Sherri Baines reveals how parliament tried to stop women getting the vote I receive a history lesson from the RNIB librarians. And Ka...

We’ll be celebrating World Book Day with Lynne Livingstone and taking a look at some of the wonderful stories on offer from The RNIB Library. Paulina Kuchorew goes in search of Practical Happiness with Pamela Gail Johnson, the founder of the Society of Happy People. Onjali Q Rauf shares a right royal adventure featuring The Boy at the Back of the Class. And Jenni Murray shares the books of her lif...

Dr Richard Firth-Godbehere explores 'A Human History of Emotions', and explains the role that emotions have played in shaping society. Sarah Stovell takes a wry look at the maxim that you should never criticise how 'Other Parents' bring up their kids.  We meet Regina Regan, the perfect candidate to narrate Mary Berry’s autobiography!  And we return to Dr Richard Firth-Godbehere for the Books of Yo...

We take a dystopian trip to the near future with partially sighted author Fiona Scott-Barrett. The former host of Woman’s Hour, Jenni Murray discusses her book 'A History of the World in 21 Women'. We meet Becky Wright, the RNIB narrator who proves that there’s life after death in The Archers. And we return to Fiona Scott-Barrett for the Books of Your Life.

To celebrate the announcement of the winner of the 2021 Costa Book of the Year Award this week, Read On will be looking back over some of the Costa highlights from previous years, including: Our interview with Hilary Mantel when ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ won Best Novel in 2013. Ali Smith discussing her novel ‘How to Be Both’. A review of Frances Hardinge’s brilliant story for Young adults ‘The Lie Tre...

In this, the second of our episodes on the Costa Book Awards, we introduce you to some of this year's winners. Claire Fuller, winner of the Novel Award, talks about 'Unsettled Ground' and the pitfalls of rural isolation.  Manjeet Mann, winner of the Children's Book Award, introduces us to Natalie and Sammy, two teenagers from different sides of the world, in 'The Crossing'. And John Preston, winne...

In this, the first of our episodes on the Costa Book Awards, we introduce you to some of this year's winners. Caleb Azumah Nelson, winner of the Debut Novel Award, introduces us to 'Open Water'. Hannah Lowe discusses the influence of teaching in an inner city school on her book 'The Kids', winner of the Poetry Award. We look back at last year's overall winner, Monique Roffey, with her enchanting t...

Maud Rowell urges us to see visual impairment differently in her new book 'Blindspot' Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger introduces us to 'The Woman at the Gates', the story of how Ukrainian resistance fighters tried to save their country from both Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany during World War II. Founder of the Happiness Institute, Meik Wiking, has some tips to brighten up the long winter nights. And we re...

This week a snowy special: Lucy Foley takes us to the Scottish Highlands in her chilling crime thriller ‘The Hunting Party’.  Robert introduces Red to a comedy classic set on the slopes of a Himalayan mountain.  Sir Chris Bonington shares some of his own, real life, tales from the snowy peaks. And we discover more about another cool customer at home in winter conditions – the robin.

We look back at the Best of Read On 2021, Part 2. Helen Fisher introduces us to a terrific time-travel story with a strong and positive link to sight loss. We’ll meet down-at-heel Victorian gum-shoe William Arrowood and his creator Mick Finlay. The Blind Poet Dave Steele gives us an exclusive preview of his new series of children’s stories in verse. We’ll hear how 81-year old Ann Rachlin built a h...

We bring you the Best of Read On 2021, Part 1. Costa Book of the Year Award winner Monique Roffey introduces us to The Mermaid of Black Conch. We’ll meet an extraordinary veteran of the First World War who flew a biplane to Darjeeling then set out to become the first man to conquer Everest. Kate Wilkinson takes us onto the London Underground and into the magical world of Edie and The Box of Flits....

We go back in time to uncover the untold history of the talking book and the roots of the RNIB Library. Robert Kirkwood gets a fascinating insight into the fragile history of libraries through the ages. CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Joseph Coelho discusses the vital role that libraries have played in his life.  Museum expert Rachel Morris tells Robert what she found in the boxes under he...