RNIB Connect Radio
Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB
A weekly show all about audiobooks recorded at the RNIB Talking Book studios. We talk to your favourite authors and narrators, along with reviews and news about new audiobooks. Presented and produced by Robert Kirkwood, you'll find a new episode here every Friday at 1pm plus bonus content such as longer uncut interviews and episodes of our occasional extra show, The Book Group. Talking Books is a free service from RNIB giving access to over 40,000 fiction and non fiction books for adults and children. Find out more by searching for RNIB Library. Get involved and join the conversation by emaili...
Where to listen?
Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soonPodcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts
Episodes
439: Caroline James - The Cruise Club 29.08.2025 57:45
Today we set sail with author Caroline James and hear all about her new book, The Cruise Club, plus we dive into her background and back catalogue. We get some self-help recommendations from the team at the Happy Hour and find some new books in the RNIB Library.
438: Clémence Michallon - Our Last Resort 22.08.2025 57:45
Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by journalist and author Clémence Michallon from her home in New York, as we explore Our Last Resort, the brand new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
437: Charlotte Butterfield - The Sister Switch 15.08.2025 57:44
Charlotte Butterfield joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about The Sister Switch, the brand new hilarious, emotional and thought-provoking book club read about twin sisters who make a bet to switch lives for a week We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
436: Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky - The Light of Day - plus Dave Steele, Matt Hopkins and Matt Goodfellow 08.08.2025 57:44
"The Light of Day" by Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky, tells the story of Roger Butler, a man who came out as gay in the British press in 1960, before the decriminalization of homosexuality. The book explores Butler's life, his activism, and his later struggles with blindness and isolation. Plus Blind Poet Dave Steele and filmmaker Matt Hopkins discuss 'The Film I'll Never See' and we g...
Author Dame Stella Rimington dies aged 90 05.08.2025 5:02
Author Dame Stella Rimington has died at the age of 90. As the first female director of MI5 she poured years of lived experience into her spy novels featuring both Liz Carlyle and Manon Tyler. She spoke to RNIB Connect Radio's Read On show about her latest novel, her career and her membership to RNIB Talking Books. For that full interview you can download Read On episode number 420 from wherever y...
435: Alis Hawkins - The Oxford Mysteries 01.08.2025 57:44
Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by Alis Hawkins as we explore 'The Oxford Mysteries' with her books A Bitter Remedy and The Skeleton Army, plus we explore her past series on 'The Teifi Valley Coroner' with blind protagonist Harry Probert-Lloyd.
434: Charlie English, Mo Wilde and Adam Nicholson - Boswell Book Festival 25.07.2025 57:45
In today's final visit to Dumfries House and the Boswell Book Festival we get out in nature as we forage for Free Food with Mo Wilde and find the Wilderness Cure, we go to Bird School with Adam Nicolson and we travel behind the former Iron Curtain with Charlie English and the CIA Book Club. Plus we'll find some new books in the RNIB Library.
433: Andrew O'Hagan and John Suchet - Boswell Book Festival 18.07.2025 57:45
In today's Read On we hear from Andrew O'Hagan after his keynote address on humour, sponsored by RNIB Connect Radio, and discuss his book Caledonian Road which is set to become a recurring series on Netflix. Former News at Ten host John Suchet goes In Search of Beethoven in his latest book about the composer, plus in the sprit of Boswell we find some new biography and memoir in the RNIB Library.
432: Wayne Sleep, Juano Diaz and Dom Joly - Boswell Book Festival 11.07.2025 57:45
In today's edition of Read On, we're once again on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Wayne Sleep OBE about his book, Just Different, artist Juano Diaz tells us about Slum Boy, his heart-breaking memoir that he insisted be available in audio and comedian Dom Joly becomes The Conspiracy Tourist and asks if Finland really exists. We step away f...
431: Rupert Everett, Gelong Thubten and Helen Lederer - Boswell Book Festival 04.07.2025 57:45
In today's edition of Read On, we're on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood chats to Hollywood Icon Rupert Everett about his book, The American No, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author Gelong Thubten tells us about his Handbook for Hard Times and comedian Helen Lederer tells us about her memoir, Not That I'm Bitter. Plus in the spirit of the fes...
430: Sue Moorcroft - The Skye Sisters Trilogy 27.06.2025 57:44
Today we travel to the Isle of Skye with Sue Moorcroft as the third volume of her best selling Skye Sisters Trilogy is released. Plus we find some new books entering the RNIB Library.
429: Margaret McDonald & Nathanael Lessore - Carnegie Medal for Writing 20.06.2025 57:45
Our final Carnegie Medal for Writing show with winner of the Shadowing Award Nathanael Lessore for King of Nothing and winner of this year's Medal for Writing, Margaret McDonald on Glasgow Boys. Plus we take a swift visit to the RNIB Library to find some brand new books.
428: Kelly McCaughrain & Matt Goodfellow - Carnegie Medal for Writing 13.06.2025 57:45
Today on Read On we're continuing our interviews with authors on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. This week Kelly McCaughrain on Little Bang and Matt Goodfellow on The Final Year, plus we find some new audiobooks out now and available from RNIB Library.
Frederick Forsyth at the RNIB Studios 10.06.2025 12:39
Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day Of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness. He was a great supporter of RNIB Talking Books, visiting the studios many times to record messages and raise awareness, and even to record a small non-fiction tale he wrote for us as part of a fundraising effort to re-archive our old tape recordings to a digital format. On one visit, Robert Ki...
427: Brian Conaghan & Luke Palmer - Carnegie Medal for Writing 06.06.2025 57:45
In today's episode, we talk to two more authors on the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist, Luke Palmer on his book Play and Brian Conaghan on Treacle Town, plus we find some new books out now and available from the RNIB Library.
426: Blessing Musariri & Clare Furniss - Carnegie Medal for Writing 30.05.2025 57:44
In today's episode, we talk to two authors on the Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist, Blessing Musariri on her book All That It Ever Meant and Clare Furniss on The Things We Leave Behind, plus we find some new books out now and available from the RNIB Library.
425: Becky C Brynolf and Daniel Tammet 23.05.2025 57:45
A mix of fiction and non-fiction in today's show as Becky C Brynolf tells us about her debut I Found A Body in which an influencer gets mixed up in a murder investigation. We also hear from writer and savant Daniel Tammet about Nine Minds: Inner Lives on the Spectrum, delving into the extraordinary lives of nine neurodivergent men and women from around the globe, including blind academic Amanda i...
424: Percival Everett on James - Winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for fiction 16.05.2025 57:45
Winner of the National Book Award and now the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, James is a subversive reimagining of “Huckleberry Finn” told from the perspective of Jim, Huck's enslaved companion on the raft ride. Percival Everett tells Robert Kirkwood about the book and reveals he read Huck Finn too many times in the research! We also hear about the science behind James Bond's gadgets and Agatha Christ...
423: Boswell Book Festival Interview Special 09.05.2025 57:45
As I'm off recording at Dumfries House at the moment, here's selection of interviews from past Boswell Book Festival events including Lady Anne Glenconner, founder of Private Eye Richard Ingrams, biographer Ben McIntyre, Winston Churchill's granddaughter Emma Soames, Andrew Cotter with Olive and Mabel, and we're Cloistered with Catherine Coldstream.
422: Celia Silvani - Baby Teeth 02.05.2025 57:44
On this week's Read On, Robert Kirkwood chats to Celia Silvani about her debut novel Baby Teeth, a cautionary tale about how vulnerable, isolated people can be lured into toxic communities and the catastrophic consequences this can have. Trigger Warning: This interview contains discussions and references to pregnancy and infertility. There is also a scene of pregnancy loss in the book.
421: Beth O'Brien - Wolf Siren 25.04.2025 57:44
This week on Read On a captivating chat with Beth O'Brien, visually impaired author of new HarperCollins Children’s Book 'Wolf Siren', which also has a visually impaired narrator. Beth talks about her writing, watching the narration process and her passion project, 'Disabled Tales.'
420: Dame Stella Rimington - The Hidden Hand 18.04.2025 57:44
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...
419: Nydia Hetherington - Sycorax & A Girl Made of Air 11.04.2025 57:44
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.
418: Chris Bridges - Sick to Death 04.04.2025 57:45
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.
417: Kate Kemp - The Grapevine plus Share The Vision 28.03.2025 57:44
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 vi...
Similar podcasts
Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.