Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

In the second of two Boswell Book Festival shows, Robert Kirkwood talks to Michael Morpurgo about 'The Boy Who Would Be King' and why we should leave Roald Dhal books alone, Esme Young from Sewing Bee goes 'Behind the Seams', Val McDermid says why her books '1979' and '1989' were written due to Covid, and Andrew Cotter decides which one of his labs, Olive or Mabel, would make the better guide dog....

In the first of two Boswell Book Festival shows, Robert Kirkwood talks to Boswell expert Gordon Turnbull about Boswell's travel writing, takes a journey through history, nature and the people of a Bulgarian valley with Katba Kassabova and her book Elixir and talks to reluctant TV stars Giles and Mary from Gogglebox about the peaks and troughs of county life. Plus, in the spirit of the Boswell fest...

At seven months pregnant, Victoria Bennett was looking forward to new motherhood and all that was to come. But when the telephone rang, the news she received changed everything. In today's episode we chat to Victoria Bennett about her memoir All My Wild Mothers, the story of how sometimes life grows, not in spite of what is broken, but because of it. Plus with Lynne Livingston we find three new ge...

In today's show we hear about the history of coronations with author Lucinda Gosling, hear some books by, and about, King Charles, and talk to Baroness Glenconner about her book Lady in Waiting - My Life in the Shadow of the Crown. Plus Lynne Livingston will be along with her round up of some new books entering the Talking Books Library

There are so many books entering the RNIB Talking Book Library at the moment it can be hard to keep up, so with help from audio publisher Dominic Gribben from Hachette, senior audio manager at Orion, Paul Stark and Lynne Livingston from RNIB Library, Robert Kirkwood takes a deep dive to find some new gems.

The Invisible Pen and The Power of Words - two fascinating worlds of writing and speaking.  Marcia Layton Turner has written over 30 books, and her work has appeared in major publications such as The New York Times and USA Today. She will share her secrets on how to bring someone else's story to life, the importance of trust and communication in the ghostwriting process, and how to maintain authen...

Robert Kirkwood talks to debut author Ryan Love about the brand new 'warm hug' of a book, Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out Plus we listen back to a chat with an author and presenter listed in The Independent's list of most influential gay people, Neil McGregor

From the sinking of the Titanic, Great Britain's Great War and the importance of preserving historical audio this show explores great works of history available from RNIB Talking Books, and even the history of RNIB itself. 

From the 166 voices in Lincoln in the Bardo, the dramatisation of a selection of 2000AD comics, or the multiple voices in The Golden Compass, today we explore the world of audiobooks that feature multiple voice actors.  Featuring interviews with author George Saunders and head of audio production at Penguin Random House, Chris Thompson, join us as we dive into the world of multi-voice audiobooks a...

This week, let's explore the fascinating world of translating books. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of language and the art of transforming literary works from one tongue to another. Nicola Smalley chats about her work translating Norwegian and Swedish into English and instead of a 'books of your life' she gives us three favourites she's translated. Plus we listen back to how 'The Distan...

Today's show features a celebration of, and a chat with, one of the most distinctive and prolific voices in the RNIB Talking Books library, who first recorded for RNIB around 60 years ago, Gabriel Woolf. 

From All Quiet on the Western Front, to 12 Years a Slave, and possibly returning to All Quiet on the Western Front, many winners of the Best Picture Oscar have been based on books. Robert Kirkwood grabs some popcorn and explores which of those books including Forest Gump, Silence of the Lambs, Gone with the Wind and the Godfather, amongst many others, are available in the RNIB Talking Books librar...

This week blind author Ami Turnbull tells the Tech Talk team how she wrote her book 'More!', we talk to children's author Laura Ellen Anderson about Amelia Fang and being a previous World Book Day Book author and we hear all 13 titles that blind and partially sighted children can get for free on this year's World Book Day.

On today's show Robert Kirkwood chats to Catherine Simpson about her memoir One Body: A Retrospective and how anyone can pick up a free audio copy on World Book Night.  Rosanna Amaka weaves together the realities of war and the pain of first love in the brand new book 'Rose and the Burma Sky'. We also get some more healthy book recommendations from Paulina Kuchorew and Barry Snell talks to someone...

In today's show we talk to C.K. McDonnell about his series of books, The Stranger Times, including the brand new book 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' and also the "increasingly inaccurately titled" Dublin Trilogy.

In today's episode we hear from author Jon Gingerich about his book The Appetite Factory, and how he raced to finish the book as his eyesight failed. We chat to our friends at Tech Talk about the new batch of AI narrators that are reading commercially available audiobooks. And we chat to a proper human narrator and voice of everything from Daleks to Peppa Pig's grandpa via Parker in Thunderbirds,...

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.