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
Feb 15, 2019 • 11min
Andrea Levy - The Long Song
At Read On and RNIB Talking Books we were saddened to hear of the death of British author Andrea Levy at the age of 62.In 2010 the Long Song was nominated for the Booker Prize, and at the time she joined Robert Kirkwood down to line to talk about the book.
Feb 15, 2019 • 58min
106: Limmy, Joanna Toye, Sophie Hannah and more
On this week’s Read On we’ve got some brand new books to share
Joanna Toye considers romance, retail and air raids in her novel ‘A Store at War’.
Comedian Limmy gets surprisingly down-to-earth and very funny in his autobiography. (Starts at 17.40)
Crime novelist Sophie Hannah considers holding a grudge. (Starts at 38.10)
And, with a nod to Valentine’s Day, Red reviews Sally Rooney’s millennial love story - ’Normal People'. (Starts at 43.20)
Feb 8, 2019 • 58min
105: Travel with Jason Roberts, Jasper Winn, John Keay and China Vision.
Jason Roberts talks to Red Szell about his biography of the blind traveller James Holman (Starts at 1.00)
Jasper Winn on his sea kayak adventure documented in his book 'Paddle, A Long Way Around Ireland' (Starts at 28.00)
John Keay chats to Robert Kirkwood about his books China, and Eccentric Travellers. (Starts at 38.00)
Chris McMillan talks about China Vision and the importance of literacy (starts at 43.00)
Feb 1, 2019 • 58min
104: Juliet Stevenson, Janice Galloway, Bart Van Es and more.
In a packed Read On this week:Winner of the Costa Book of the year, Bart Van Es. (Starts at 1.45)Juliet Stevenson shares her passion for narrating Talking Books, and reveals the one that got away. (Starts at 12.00)Janice Galloway extolls the virtues of short stories. (Starts at 27.20)NB Dixon explores a medieval revolt through a hidden gem in the Library. (Starts at 37.55)Angus McDonald introduces us to a tale of love and blindness in The First World War. (Starts at 43.00)Then a return to Juliet Stevenson for The Books of Her Life. (Starts at 46.30)
Feb 1, 2019 • 20min
Limmy - Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny
After recording the audio version of his autobiography at the RNIB Talking Book studios in Glasgow, Brian Limond, better known as Limmy, chats to Robert Kirkwood about mental health, Yoker, book tours and Twitch ... and he turns the weans against us.
Jan 25, 2019 • 58min
103: Costa Book Awards with Bart Van Es, Hilary McKay and J. O. Morgan
This week we’ve got a trio of Costa Prize winners
Costa Book of the Year winner Bart van Es introduces us to his biography of ‘The Cut-out Girl’. (Starts at 2.00)
Hilary McKay reveals which real-life character inspired her children’s book ‘The Skylark’s War’. (Starts at 22.30)
And poet J O Morgan considers the 4-minute warning in his cold-war epic ‘Assurances’. (Starts at 39.00)
Jan 18, 2019 • 58min
102: Lucy Foley, Guy Kennaway and June Whitfield
Lucy Foley takes us to the wilds of Scotland in her brand new thriller ‘The Hunting Party’. (Starts at 1.20)
Guy Kennaway discusses assisted dying in his forthcoming memoir ‘Time to Go’. (Starts at 19.20)
And we say farewell to June Whitfield and look back at her contribution to the RNIB Library. (Starts at 40.30)
Jan 11, 2019 • 58min
101: Stuart Turton, Candy Gourlay and Professor Richard Wiseman
This week we’re kicking off the New Year with a look ahead to the Costa Book Awards….
Stuart Turton mixes murder, mayhem and sci-fi in his dazzling debut: ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’. (starts at 1 min 20 secs)
Professor Richard Wiseman examines why we like to scare ourselves with spine-chilling stories. (starts at 21 mins)
And Candy Gourlay takes the long view of colonialism and gender politics in her gripping adventure story: ‘Bone Talk’. (starts at 32 mins in)
Please note, in order to keep this podcast feed as navigable as possible, especially with screen readers, we've decided not to post individual features, just the whole show. Let us know if you have any objections or strong feelings about this at readonair@rnib.org.uk or find me on Twitter @Talking_Books
Thanks.
Jan 4, 2019 • 58min
100: Episode 100 - Red Szell and Robert Kirkwood look back at 2018 and beyond.
A retrospective of some interviews from the past year and beyond, including Red's first appearance on Read On with Robert at Wigtown in 2015, Anthony Horowitz on Fleming, Gail Honeyman on Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Andy Secombe on narrating, recording with Spike Milligan, Nevermoor with Jessica Townsend and mountaineering with Chris Bonnington.
Dec 21, 2018 • 58min
99: Nigella Lawson, Sue Moorcroft and A Song of Ice and Fire
Nigella Lawson on the new version of 'How To Eat', Sue Moorcroft on her Christmas books and we listen to some Game of Thrones companion books.
