Rnib Talking Books

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.

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 year's theme is Scotland’s Stories. The audio version of the Book Week Scotland Book is always produced by RNIB, with many of the stories being recorded at home by the authors. Today's show is a small selection of those tales. For the whole audiobook or ebook click HERE 

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 book ever to be on the shortlist.

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 speak to storyteller Renita Boyle, and bookshop diarist Shaun Bythell. Plus a trio of female Scottish writers, Olga Wojtas on Maria Blane's Prefect, Lynne McEwan on Dead Man Deep and In Dark Water plus recent guest on the show Elissa Soave on her debut Ginger and Me.

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 was published I put together this little biography combining the two times she joined me on air, and the picture accompanying this tribute is Dame Hilary in the RNIB Talking Book studios proudly displaying her 2009 Booker Prize.

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 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.