Rnib Talking Books

Out now is Ava Glass’s second book in the Alia Emma series, The Traitor. Ava joins us to talk about her background as a journalist in America and with MI5 and MI6 in the UK and how it all shaped her main character. We also hear some new books in the RNIB Talking Books Library.

As RNIB Connect Radio turns 20, Read On this week looks at books of the same vintage.  2003 was a great year for books with bestsellers including Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, The DaVinci Code and even The Atkins Diet. Robert Kirkwood picks five books from 2003 available from the Talking Books library, and we chat to authors Lynne Truss (Eats, Shoots and Leaves), Mark Haddow (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time) and Bill Bryson (A Short History of Nearly Everything). Plus, as always, we find some new gems in the library.

This week Robert Kirkwood is joined again by Charlotte Levin, who was last on the show with her debut novel, 'If I can't Have You' which was released at the height of lockdown. Now a few years later, Charlotte is back to discuss a gripping, darkly comic tale of searing loss, coercive control and the consequences of taking the wrong path, her new novel 'If I Let You Go' ... and also to blame Robert for her new, full blown, audiobook addiction Plus we find four new gems in the Talking Books library.

A sporty feel in today's show as we chat to commentator Mike Ingham about his book 'After Extra Time and Penalties: Memories of a BBC Football Correspondent' and why he had to narrate the audio version. John Carlin tells us about his book 'Playing the Enemy' and the Rugby World Cup Final that united South Africa, plus we find some old and new books about sport in the RNIB Talking Books library.

In today's show, two extreme travellers. We hear about Royal Marine Commando Mick Dawson 'Rowing the Pacific' and his subsequent adventure with ex-marine Sparky Sparkes, who was not only a rowing novice, but also blind. Plus 25 years on, we revisit Chris Stewart, the eternal optimist. A man who flies to Spain, sees a peasant farm on the wrong side of the river and, with scarcely a second thought, hands over a cash deposit, as documented in 'Driving Over Lemons' Plus we find four new gems in the Talking Books Library.

In today's show we've been banged up! We hear the real life story about a prisoner of war escaping jail and execution as his cell was destroyed in the Dresden bombings, Rachel Kushner tells Robert Kirkwood about her jail novel, The Mars Room, and real life prisoner Erwin James talks about learning Braille in jail. We'll also find four new gems in the Talking Books Library.

In today's show author Maggie Craig tells Robert Kirkwood about the six books in her Glasgow and Clydebank Sagas and the people and places that inspired them. She also talks about her non-fiction history books, a forgotten hero, and gives us the books of her life. Plus we find some brand new titles entering the Talking Book library.

On today's show Cathy Bramley tells us about old fears, happy endings and new beginnings in The Summer that Changed Us, Monty Don tells Robert Kirkwood about his French Garden Journey, we find some new books generously donated to the RNIB Talking Books Library by some top UK audio publishers and end the show with some self-help books for summer.

Today is the second part of Robert Kirkwood's interview with broadcaster and author Selina Mills about her brand-new book 'Life Unseen: A Story of Blindness', today looking at technology, education and asking, 'What is Blindness?' We also find four new gems in the Talking Books Library.

In today's show we have the first part of an interview with broadcaster and author Selina Mills about her brand-new book 'Life Unseen: A Story of Blindness' a personal and unsentimental historical quest through the lives, stories and achievements of blind people. We also find some new books in the RNIB library and get the books of your life from film-maker Antony Baxter.

Joe Haddow is a super-fan of all forms of art. He is on a mission to show everyone how art can be found in so many different places, and created by so many different people. Robert Kirkwood chats to Joe about this inspiring, friendly guide to art and why it matters.  Plus with Lynne Livingston of RNIB we find four great new gems in the Talking Book Library.

In today's show we talk to three very different narrators. Joan Walker talks to us about other publications recorded at the studios, Tam Dean Burn tells Robert Kirkwood how he became the voice of Irvine Welsh and Stephanie Ellyne talks about one the hardest books she has ever narrated. Plus we hear about some books available from RNIB in the Summer Reading Challenge and also some new books entering the RNIB library with Lynne Livingston.

Today Amelia Hilton chats to author Elodie Harper about her Wolf Den Trilogy, we get the books of your life from Louise Finch, hear some new books in the RNIB Library and find out the winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for writing.

Today we chat to the three remaining authors on the Yoto Carnegie Shortlist. Katya Balen on the sweet but turbulent, 'The Light in Everything', Louise Finch gets us caught in a time loop with 'The Eternal Return of Clara Hart' and Sita Brahmachari finds light in the tragedy and trauma of 'When Shadows Fall'. Plus with Lynne Livingston, we find some new books in the RNIB Library.

This week we listen to two more books shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal.  Forget everything you've been told about Medusa as author Jessie Burton flips the script in this astonishing retelling of Greek myth. Plus a powerful and heart-rending exploration of a teenager's journey through grief, rage and getting caught in the criminal justice system in the book Needle from author Patrice Lawrence. Plus with Lynne Livingston we find some new gems in the RNIB Talking Book Library.

In our first show featuring the shortlisted authors for this year's Yoto Carnegie Medal, Manon Steffan Ros talks about writing and translating 'The Blue Book of Nebo' and Ruta Sepetys takes us to Romania in her chilling book, 'I Must Betray You'.  Plus with Lynne Livingston we find out what's new in the RNIB Library.

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. Plus, with Lynne Livingston, we look for some non-fiction books in the Talking Books library.

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 festival we find four new biographies in the Talking Books Library.

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 gems in the RNIB Talking Books Library.

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