Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

Afleveringen

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  494: Stories of Love 18.09.2026 57min

  This week on Read On, we're celebrating love in all its complicated forms.Robert Kirkwood chats to Fiona Lucas about her deeply emotional novel Always and Only You, a story of love, secrets and second chances. Then Jenny Ashcroft joins us to talk about The Echoes of Love, an epic historical romance set in Crete, where a young love story is tested by war, loyalty and betrayal. And finally, Yael van der Wouden discusses her acclaimed debut The Safekeep, an unsettling tale of desire, obsession, secrets and revenge.Plus, as always, we head to the RNIB Library to discover some brand new books.
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  493: Val McDermid and Jo Sharp, plus RNIB Talk and Support Book Clubs 11.09.2026 57min

  This week on Read On, Robert Kirkwood watches Jo Sharp and her wife Val McDermid record the introduction to the brand new book in the Darkland Tales series, This Door of the Seas at the Canongate studios in Edinburgh and chats with them about the book. We also chat about Book Club Day UK - September the 11th - by finding out about RNIB's Talk and Support book clubs from both a club member and a volunteer facilitator.All that plus some new books in the RNIB library.
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  492: Damian Barr, Amanda Barrie and Percival Everett 04.09.2026 57min

  In today's Read On we talk to Damian Barr about his novel The Two Roberts and we hear from Coronation Street and Carry On actress Amanda Barrie about her memoir I'm Still Here - My 90 Years and we find a link between those two books. We also find some new books in the RNIB Library and get a Books Of My Life from the winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Percival Everett.
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  491: Crime Books 28.08.2026 57min

  This week on Read On we investigate some different styles of crime. Anita Frank discusses her WW1 historical fiction murder mystery thriller, The Good Liars, we get cosy with Josie Lloyd in Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency, and from the archive a listen back to the creator of Inspector Morse, Colin Dexter.Plus we find new books in the RNIB Library.
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  490: The RHS Sandringham Talking Books Garden with Lynda La Plante, Richard Osman and more 21.08.2026 57min

  Today we revisit the RHS Sandringham Flower Show to hear about RNIB's Talking Books Garden. With Toby Davey we hear from the people behind it, some visitor reactions, and hear exclusive audio recorded for the garden from Richard Osman and Lynda La Plante
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  489: Gavin Francis, Stephen McGinty & Darren McGarvey - Boswell Book Festival 14.08.2026 57min

  This episode of Read On contains subject matter that some listeners may find upsetting.Today Robert Kirkwood is recording on location at the Boswell Book Festival with Gavin Francis on The Unfragile Mind - Making Sense of Mental Health, Stephen McGinty on One Morning in March - Dunblane and the Shooting that Changed Britain and Darren McGarvey on Trauma Industrial Complex - The Dangers of Oversharing in a Digital World.Plus in the spirt of Boswell, we find some new biographies in the RNIB Library
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  488: History Books with Lucy Worsley, Kate Williams plus Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen 07.08.2026 57min

  Today on Read On we revisit some favourite historians with Lucy Worsley on Jane Austen, Kate Williams on Rival Queens plus Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen on the history of libraries.Plus we find some new books in the RNIB Library
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  487: Dame Harriet Walter & Dougie Donnelly - Boswell Book Festival 31.07.2026 57min

  Two very different authors this week on Read On, although with one thing in common, they both narrated the audio versions of the books they were speaking about at the Boswell Book Festival. Dougie Donnelly tells Robert Kirkwood about Recorded Highlights - My Life in Sport, and Dame Harriet Walter gives new scenes to some of Shakespeare's female characters in She Speaks!Plus we find some fiction and biography in the RNIB Library.
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  486: Inspired by Shakespeare 24.07.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, three very different authors all inspired by Shakespeare, Michael Morpurgo on his Shakespeare retellings, Nydia Hetherington on her book about the witch from the Tempest, Sycorax and Bernard Cornwell on William's brother, Richard Shakespeare, in his book Fools and Mortals.All that plus new books in the RNIB Library.
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  485: Frances Wilson - Electric Spark & Adam Hart - Operation Pimento - Boswell Book Festival 17.07.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, two biographical tales recorded at the Boswell Book Festival. Robert Kirkwood talks to Frances Wilson about Electric Spark - The Enigma of Muriel Spark, and author Adam Hart about Operation Pimento: My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape.Plus we have some new books in the RNIB Library
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  484: Summer Books 10.07.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, three summer themed books, One Girl One Summer with Isabel Ashdown, Hot Girl Summer with Sophie Gravia and Summer on a Sunny Island with Sue Moorcroft. All that plus some new books in the RNIB Library.
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  483: Bec Manser - Wildheart 03.07.2026 57min

  Today on Read On we hear from half spooky, half sparkly debut author Bec Manser on her debut novel Wildheart and we ask about RNIB's involvement in sensitivity reading around a blind character in the book, Amelia Hilton explores some books about myth and legend, we get a whoop of joy from Carnegie Medal winner Beth O'Brien and find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
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  482: Gordon Buchanan at the Boswell Book Festival 26.06.2026 1u 2min

  Today on Read On we hear a full talk, sponsored by RNIB Connect Radio, from the Boswell Book Festival. Natural history cameraman Gordon Buchanan is in conversation with Robert Dawson Scott live on stage as he discusses his book In the Hide - How the Natural World Saved my Life, and how dangerous animals were not the only thing he was hiding from.NB The podcast version of this is a slightly longer edit than the one broadcast on RNIB Connect Radio
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  Beth O'Brien wins the Carnegie Medal for Writing (and the Shadower's Award!) 23.06.2026 7min

  Visually Impaired author Beth O'Brien has won the Carnegie Medal for Writing, the most prestigious award for authors of children's and young adult books.Wolf Siren reimagines Little Red Riding Hood as a girl with vision impairment, and the audiobook, recorded at the RNIB Talking Book studios, even has a narrator with vision impairment.Beth has been a frequent flyer on our Read On programme, her last visit being just two weeks ago, but here she is telling Robert Kirkwood about her sight condition and her award-winning book, Wolf Siren
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  481: Penny Lancaster at the Boswell Book Festival 19.06.2026 57min

  Today on Read On we hear a talk from the Boswell Book Festival with Vice President of RNIB Penny Lancaster, on her book Someone Like Me. She chats to Janet Smith live on stage about surviving childhood as a dyslexic and being the tallest pupil in the room, about her job as a Special Constable, about her charity work and much more.Image shows: Penny speaking during her panel and making Janet laugh. She's sitting on the right in front of a green banner with "Boswell Book Festival" branding. 
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  480: Beth O'Brien - Wolf Siren and Feather Vane - Carnegie Medal for Writing and Scottish Book Trust 12.06.2026 57min

  Today on Read On we talk to partially sighted author Beth O'Brien about her Carnegie Shortlisted book Wolf Siren and her brand new book Feather Vane, and about a recent tour she was on with Scottish Book Trust called Inclusive Stories.We also hear about Monsterland from Nicolas Jubber and get a double Books of My Life from both Beth and Signa Rudovica from Scottish Book Trust.
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  479: J.P. Rose - Birdie - Carnegie Medal for Writing 05.06.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, Robert Kirkwood talks to J.P. Rose about her Carnegie shortlisted book Birdie, plus they chat about her alter-ego Jacqui Rose and her best selling gangland thrillers, including collaborations with Martina Cole, and back to the world of children's fiction with her Paddock Grove series.Plus we'll find new books in the RNIB Library.
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  478: Jason Reynolds - Twenty-four Seconds from Now - Carnegie Medal for Writing 29.05.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, Robert Kirkwood talks to Jason Reynolds about his Carnegie Shortlisted book, Twenty-four Seconds from Now, a tender, sweet, wholesome piece of fiction discussing how to approach first sex, how to respect women, how to be gentle, how to make it about love. It shows us a refreshingly different side to male sexuality.We also listen back to Eric Motley on Madison - A Place of Hope and find new books in the RNIB Library.
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  477: Katya Baylen - Ghostlines - Carnegie Medal for Writing 22.05.2026 57min

  Today on Read On, a former Carnegie Medal winner, Katya Baylen, discusses this year's shortlisted title, Ghostlines and we talk about her very own Braille copy of October, October. We also find some new books in the RNIB Library.
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  476: Tia Fisher - Not Going to Plan - Carnegie Medal for Writing 15.05.2026 57min

  Today we talk to Tia Fisher about her Carnegie shortlisted book, Not Going to Plan, a powerful verse novel about sexual consent, unplanned pregnancy and the breaking of taboos.We also find some new books in the RNIB Library.