Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

As RNIB Connect Radio turns 20, Read On this week looks back at some of the first authors, narrators and looks behind the scenes we've had on the show. Actor Allan Tall talks about preparing a Christopher Brookmyre book for narration and being thrown from his horse during the filming of Braveheart. Author Alan Bissett joins Robert Kirkwood after narrating his book, The Incredible Adam Spark. And former manager of the Talking Book Studios, Ian Turner, talks about all the famous narrators who recorded books exclusively for RNIB. Plus, as always, we find four new gems in the library

This week author M.A. Kuzniar joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about her bestseller Midnight in Everwood, a magical retelling of The Nutcracker, and her brand-new book, Upon a Frosted Star where The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake. We also find some new gems in the RNIB Talking Books library.

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.