Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB
RNIB Connect Radio
A weekly show all about audiobooks recorded at the RNIB Talking Book studios.
We talk to your favourite authors and narrators, along with reviews and news about new audiobooks.
Presented and produced by Robert Kirkwood, you'll find a new episode here every Friday at 1pm plus bonus content such as longer uncut interviews and episodes of our occasional extra show, The Book Group.
Talking Books is a free service from RNIB giving access to over 40,000 fiction and non fiction books for adults and children. Find out more by searching for RNIB Library.
Get involved and join the conversation by emailing radio@rnib.org.uk or find Robert on Twitter @Talking_Books
Other great podcast channels from RNIB Connect Radio
Connect - Our main channel with news, features and articles on sight loss.
Conversations - Blind and partially sighted people speaking about a wide range of topics.
Tech Talk - Technology for blind and partially sighted people.
Sport - See sport differently.
The Happy Hour - Mental health, mindfulness, and overall wellbeing.
Tracks of My Life - Take a journey through our guest's life.
Support - Other podcasts from RNIB.
TV Guide - Daily audio TV listings
We talk to your favourite authors and narrators, along with reviews and news about new audiobooks.
Presented and produced by Robert Kirkwood, you'll find a new episode here every Friday at 1pm plus bonus content such as longer uncut interviews and episodes of our occasional extra show, The Book Group.
Talking Books is a free service from RNIB giving access to over 40,000 fiction and non fiction books for adults and children. Find out more by searching for RNIB Library.
Get involved and join the conversation by emailing radio@rnib.org.uk or find Robert on Twitter @Talking_Books
Other great podcast channels from RNIB Connect Radio
Connect - Our main channel with news, features and articles on sight loss.
Conversations - Blind and partially sighted people speaking about a wide range of topics.
Tech Talk - Technology for blind and partially sighted people.
Sport - See sport differently.
The Happy Hour - Mental health, mindfulness, and overall wellbeing.
Tracks of My Life - Take a journey through our guest's life.
Support - Other podcasts from RNIB.
TV Guide - Daily audio TV listings
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 31, 2019 • 58min
121: Roz Watkins, Jon McGregor and a Game of Thrones
Roz Watkins explores the dark side of the Peak District in her new detective thriller 'Dead Man's Daughter'. (Starts at 1.17)
Robert Kirkwood meets the man who provides audio description for the Game of Thrones TV series. (18.27)
N B Dixon reviews a medieval fantasy that's become her book of the year so far. (28.51)
Jon McGregor discusses his haunting novel 'Reservoir 13'. (33.43)
Then a return to Roz Watkins for the books of her life. (48.43)
May 24, 2019 • 58min
120: Lee Child and Lucie Whitehouse
This week we’re joined by one of the world’s best selling authors.
Lee Child discusses his hugely successful Jack Reacher series, and shares some surprising insights. (Starts at 1.03)
Lucie Whitehouse introduces her new thriller ‘Critical Incidents’, and a link to Lee Child. (Starts at 34.50)
And we return to Lee Child for the Books of his Life. (Starts at 48.30)
May 17, 2019 • 58min
119: Live at the Boswell Book Festival (2019)
A packed show recorded on location at the Boswell Book Festival 2019, with …
Eric Motley on his journey from Alabama to the White House via Scotland in 'Madison Park: A Place of Hope' (Starts at 1.34)
Susan Calman on her #calmanifesto of kindness, 'Sunny Side Up' (10.00)
Federico Varese on 'Mafia Life' (16.00)
Vivian French on writing, illustration and the Boswell Children's Festival (19.18)
Ben MacIntyre on 'The Spy and the Traitor' (23.00)
Kate Williams on sightloss in Tudor times and 'Rival Queens' (31.36)
Rowena Murray on writer George Mackay Brown and composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, both of whom inspired by Orkney (35.55)
Chris Brookmyre and Mark Billingham on crime writing and playing Glastonbury (42.27)
And a return to Eric Motley for the Books of his Life (52.00)
Presented by Robert Kirkwood - Red Szell will be back next week.
May 10, 2019 • 58min
118: Best of Boswell Book Festival
Robert Kirkwood goes through the archive to find some of the best interviews from previous Boswell Book Festivals as he looks forward to this year's event.
Gordon Turnbull tells Red Szell about the history of James Boswell. (Starts at 1.20)
Victor Gregg tells Robert the story behind his book Rifleman (Starts at 6.50)
Dame Judi Dench talks to Red about narrating books and her macular degeneration. (Starts at 18.10)
Guardian columnist and convicted murderer Erwin James talks about his book Redeemable (Starts at 22.30)
Bomber pilot George Dunn talks to Robert Kirkwood about his remarkable military service (Starts at 33.35)
Nigel Havers talks about his autobiography 'Playing With Fire' (Starts at 38.45)
And never heard before, Alexander McCall Smith gives Red Szell the books of his life (Starts at 49.00)
May 3, 2019 • 58min
117: Leah Hazard, Ian Skewis and Talking Book Tech
Leah Hazard delivers the truth about being a midwife to Robert Kirkwood with her new book ‘Hard Pushed’. (Contains material not suitable for family listening - Starts at 1.03)
Connect Radio’s Steven Scott introduces us to the latest tech for listening to books, and tells us what he’s been reading. (Starts at 15.42)
Red Szell reviews a dystopian classic written by an author better known for her crime fiction, The Children of Men by P.D. James. (Starts at 38.00)
And crime writer Ian Skewis returns to the show with the books of his life. (Starts at 48.25)
May 2, 2019 • 9min
How do you audio describe Game of Thrones?
Every Saturday during the run of the show, audio describer Neville Watchurst is in a booth at SKY, writing and recording the audio description for the brand new episodes of Game of Thrones.
How does he convey the action, how does he avoid giving spoilers, and how does he fit it all in? Robert Kirkwood finds out.
Every published book in George R. R. Martin's epic saga 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is available in Braille, giant print and audio from RNIB Library.
Apr 26, 2019 • 58min
116: Nicola Cornick, Bernard Cornwell and John Carlin
Nicola Cornick blends romance and social history in her new time-slip mystery ‘The Woman In the Lake’. (Starts at 1.02)
Bernard Cornwell appears on-stage to talk about Shakespeare’s past, and his novel ‘Fools and Mortals’. (Starts at 18.45)
John Carlin recalls how rugby played a pivotal part in the birth of The Rainbow Nation. (Starts at 29.45)
And a return to Nicola Cornick for the books of her life. (Starts at 49.07)
Apr 19, 2019 • 58min
115: Authors and Narrators Easter Holiday Special
Red Szell and Robert Kirkwood go through the Read On and Talking Books archive for some great interviews.
Narrators Kate Okello and Penelope Freeman tell Red about some favourites. (Starts at 1.00)
Will Self talks to Robert Kirkwood about his Booker shortlisted book Umbrella (Starts at 8.22)
Giles Abbot, the UK's only blind narrator, tells Red how he got started in the industry (Starts at 23.38)
Robert Kirkwood interviews comedienne and narrator Juliette Burton live on stage at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (Starts at 35.00)
And finally Red Szell talks to psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz about his book 'The Examined Life' (Starts at 42.22)
Apr 12, 2019 • 58min
114: Stella Duffy, Beth O'Leary and J.O. Morgan
In this week's show, Stella Duffy takes us to New Zealand during World War 2, in her continuation of Ngaio Marsh’s unfinished novel ‘Money In The Morgue’. (Starts at 1.05)
J O Morgan discusses turning his Costa Award-winning poem ‘Assurances’ into an RNIB Talking Book. (Starts at 23.40)
Debut author Beth O’Leary introduces us to ‘The Flatshare’, a love story with a twist. (Starts at 38.50)
And a return to Stella Duffy for the books of her life. (Starts at 50.00)
Apr 5, 2019 • 58min
113: The Creativity Code with Marcus du Sautoy and Talking Books technology
Marcus du Sautoy discusses whether artificial intelligence might soon think and write like we do. (Starts at 1.00)
Sidney Harbour reminisces on 50 years of repairing Talking Book machines. (Starts at 26.30)
Rosie O’Dowd tells us about life as an audiobook producer. (Starts at 40.20)
And a return to Marcus du Sautoy for the books of his life. (Starts at 50.00 )
