Rnib Talking Books

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 tram track in the city with a Tunnock's sign in the background

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 (starts at 43.00)

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 inform on us for generations to come in 'Footprints'.  And we return to Varsha Shah for the Books of Your Life. 

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 chat at the awards. And we speak to the 2022 winner on the excitement of winning - and the Books of Their Life!

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 'Guard Your Heart'. And we return to Katya Balen for the Books of Your Life.

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 The Big Jubilee Read. And we return to Sarah, Duchess of York, for the Books of Your Life.

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 old job at Blind Veterans UK,  Emma Soames edits her mother's diaries for Mary Churchill's War, Giles Milton has some Fascinating Footnotes from History,  Frank Skinner and Denise Mina talk about retracing Johnson and Boswell's Grand Tour of Scotland,  Lady Glenconner talks about her depiction in The Crown and narrating an audiobook at 89, and we return to Keith Brymer Jones for the books of his life.

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'. And we return to Julian Sedgwick for The Books of Your Life.

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 a man who lost his sight when his brother shot him in the eye with an arrow! And we return to Fiona Scott-Barrett for the Books of Your Life.

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 Hate U Give'.  Lou Kuenzler tells us how she approached writing a story aimed at giving early years readers a better understanding of sight loss.  And we return to LD Lapinski for the Books of Your Life.

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 Goldie introduces us to her blind detective and reveals how he was inspired by both her husband and Agatha Christie! And we return to Louise Hare for the Books of Your Life.

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 Orr Munro for the Books of Your Life.

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 in tune with Scandinavian crime fiction.

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 big novel for the RNIB. And we return to Erica James for the Books of Your Life

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 the Books of Your Life.