Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

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 y...

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 bo...

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 spe...

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 wa...

Red Szell chats to Joseph Coelho about becoming the new children's laureate, we listen back to a live interview with John Gordon Sinclair with Robert Kirkwood on stage at the Edinburgh Book Festival and as the Booker shortlist is released we hear from former winner Bernardine Evaristo with the books of her life.

Philip Reeve, author of Mortal Engines, tells us all about his new book Utterly Dark and the Heart of the Wild plus we listen back to the Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour Jamboree with Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Riddell, Pamela Butchart and Cressida Cowell.

Another listen back to some stand ups, comedy performers and funny people who've popped up over the years, this time with Julian Clary, Helen Lederer, Eddie Izzard, Cariad Lloyd, Richard Herring and Limmy.

A listen back to some funny people who've popped up on Read On, featuring Robin Ince, Susan Calman, Tony Hawks, Michael Palin, Jo Brand and Phill Jupitus.

Lexie Elliot joins Robert Kirkwood to discuss her psychological thriller, How To Kill Your Best Friend. We travel back in time to discover the origins of a hidden gem in the Talking Books library, the specially commissioned book series, Elsewhere.  Plus Juliet Stevenson talks to Red Szell about narrating for RNIB.

Bruce Horak is the first blind actor with a lead role in Star Trek. He talks to Robert Kirkwood about his life, from losing his sight as a toddler to cancer, through his career as an artist and performer, to stepping onto the bridge of the Enterprise. We also learn about Marcus Berkmann's book Set Phasers to Stun, and hear books narrated by William Shatner and the late Nichelle Nichols.

Elissa Soave tells Robert Kirkwood about her debut novel Ginger and Me, actor turned author Ross Armstrong takes Red Szell to a luxury private island in his murderous new thriller The Getaway and Robert asks some Talking Book narrators about what keeps them coming back. Picture shows the cover of Ginger and Me by Elissa Soave. Orange text on a black and white photo of a young lady balancing on a t...

In Red Szell's last show as presenter, Robert Kirkwood takes Red back through some of his favourite interviews with John LeCarre, Natalie Haynes, Lucy Scott and Al Petrie, Jessica Townsend and more. 

Frances Liardet explores old wounds and new beginnings in the follow-up to her international bestseller 'We Must be Brave' . Rebecca Stott transports us back to derelict London, 100 years after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, in her new novel 'Dark Earth'. And we return to Frances Liardet for the Books of Your Life.

Jason Roberts talks to Red Szell about his biography of the blind traveller James Holman (Starts at 1.00) Jasper Winn on his sea kayak adventure documented in his book 'Paddle, A Long Way Around Ireland'  (Starts at 28.00) John Keay chats to Robert Kirkwood about his books China, and Eccentric Travellers.  (Starts at 38.00) Chris McMillan talks about China Vision and the importance of literacy (st...

This week we'll be considering some of the less savoury consequences of human civilization:  Ruta Sepetys takes us behind the Iron Curtain and back to Ceausescu’s Romania, in her gripping new novel 'I Must Betray You'. We visit the slums of modern day India through the pages of Varsha Shah’s dazzling debut 'Ajay and the Mumbai Sun'.   David Farrier  considers how the items that we discard will inf...

This week we're coming from The British Library, and the award ceremony for this year’s Yoto Carnegie Medal. Yusef Salaam tells us about his experience as a member of the Exonerated Five and how it fed into 'Punching the Air'. We go back to 2021 winner, Jason Reynolds, who examines the walk home from school in 'Look Both Ways'. Lynne Livingstone, Manjeet Mann and Derek Atta stop by for a quick cha...

A Thriller Special! Scott Kershaw reveals how a spate of dog-nappings inspired his chilling high-concept thriller ‘The Game’. Femi Kayode transports us to Nigeria for his tense thriller, ‘Lightseekers’. CJ Tudor tells us how an innocent game with her daughter morphed into her creepy debut 'The Chalk Man'. And we return to Scott Kershaw for the Books of His Life.

This week we will be taking a look at more of the books short-listed for this year’s Yoto Carnegie Medal. Katya Balen helps us find some inner-city wilderness and ponders our possessions in 'October, October'. Phil Earle takes us to London during the blitz, where a gorilla changes the life of an angry boy in 'When the Sky Falls'. Sue Divin looks to bridge sectarian divides in her Derry-based debut...