Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB

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

Episodes

October 17, 2025 57 mins
In an episode recorded on location at the Wigtown Book Festival, Robert Kirkwood talks to Louise Minchin about 'Isolation Island', a novel inspired by both Agatha Christie and her time on I'm A Celeb, and to historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett about her book 'The Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham' plus we find new books in the RNIB Library.
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With the Booker shortlist released recently we look at who is up for the prize this year, and listen to some past winners including Shehan Karunatilaka, Paul Lynch, Douglas Stewart, Margaret Atwood & Bernardine Evaristo plus some book recommendations from last year's winner, Sam Harvey.
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Today we chat to poet and author Elspeth Wilson about her debut novel, These Mortal Bodies, a gripping and atmospheric dark academia novel about toxic female friendships and obsession. Plus we find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
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September 26, 2025 57 mins
This week Robert Kirkwood is joined by Ali Harris as they discuss her new novel, This Wasn't Meant to Happen, a book described to be for anyone who has ever lost, longed, or held on when letting go felt impossible.

Content Warning - This book, and therefore this episode, deals with child loss and stillbirth.
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Looking forward to this year's Wigtown Book Festival by listening to chats with Graham McRae Burnett, Stuart Kelly, Alex von Tunzelmann, Henry Manse, Paula Hawkins and Maggie O'Farrell.

Plus we find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
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Three authors who write in very different genres all wrapped up in the one package. Lisa Timoney writes family drama, Kate Storey writes books about books, and Naomi Williams writes psychological thrillers, but they are all the same person.

As The Forgotten Book Club is released I talk to Lisa/Kate/Naomi about all her personas and why she keeps them separate.

Plus as always we find new books in the RNIB Libra...
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September 5, 2025 57 mins
Today we're taking some books into the Garden. Ruth Scurr tells us about Napoleon: A Life in Gardens and Shadows, Monty Don tells us about sensory gardening and Victoria Bennett discusses All My Wild Mothers: Motherhood, loss and an apothecary garden. All that plus we've got some new books on all things gardening in the RNIB Library.
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August 29, 2025 57 mins
Today we set sail with author Caroline James and hear all about her new book, The Cruise Club, plus we dive into her background and back catalogue. 

We get some self-help recommendations from the team at the Happy Hour and find some new books in the RNIB Library.
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Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by journalist and author Clémence Michallon from her home in New York, as we explore Our Last Resort, the brand new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant

We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
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Charlotte Butterfield joins Robert Kirkwood to talk about The Sister Switch, the brand new hilarious, emotional and thought-provoking book club read about twin sisters who make a bet to switch lives for a week

We also find some brand new books in the RNIB Library.
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"The Light of Day" by Christopher Stephens and Louise Radnofsky, tells the story of Roger Butler, a man who came out as gay in the British press in 1960, before the decriminalization of homosexuality. The book explores Butler's life, his activism, and his later struggles with blindness and isolation. 

Plus Blind Poet Dave Steele and filmmaker Matt Hopkins discuss 'The Film I'll Never See' and we get some book recommen...
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Author Dame Stella Rimington has died at the age of 90. As the first female director of MI5 she poured years of lived experience into her spy novels featuring both Liz Carlyle and Manon Tyler. She spoke to RNIB Connect Radio's Read On show about her latest novel, her career and her membership to RNIB Talking Books.

For that full interview you can download Read On episode number 420 from wherever you get your po...
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Today Robert Kirkwood is joined by Alis Hawkins as we explore 'The Oxford Mysteries' with her books A Bitter Remedy and The Skeleton Army, plus we explore her past series on 'The Teifi Valley Coroner' with blind protagonist Harry Probert-Lloyd.
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In today's final visit to Dumfries House and the Boswell Book Festival we get out in nature as we forage for Free Food with Mo Wilde and find the Wilderness Cure, we go to Bird School with Adam Nicolson and we travel behind the former Iron Curtain with Charlie English and the CIA Book Club.

Plus we'll find some new books in the RNIB Library.
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In today's Read On we hear from Andrew O'Hagan after his keynote address on humour, sponsored by RNIB Connect Radio, and discuss his book Caledonian Road which is set to become a recurring series on Netflix. 

Former News at Ten host John Suchet goes In Search of Beethoven in his latest book about the composer, plus in the sprit of Boswell we find some new biography and memoir in the RNIB Library. 
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In today's edition of Read On, we're once again on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival.

Robert Kirkwood chats to Wayne Sleep OBE about his book, Just Different, artist Juano Diaz tells us about Slum Boy, his heart-breaking memoir that he insisted be available in audio and comedian Dom Joly becomes The Conspiracy Tourist and asks if Finland really exists. 

We step away from the fest...
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In today's edition of Read On, we're on location at Dumfries House at this year's Boswell Book Festival.
Robert Kirkwood chats to Hollywood Icon Rupert Everett about his book, The American No, Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author Gelong Thubten tells us about his Handbook for Hard Times and comedian Helen Lederer tells us about her memoir, Not That I'm Bitter. Plus in the spirit of the festival we find some new bio...
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Today we travel to the Isle of Skye with Sue Moorcroft as the third volume of her best selling Skye Sisters Trilogy is released. Plus we find some new books entering the RNIB Library.
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Our final Carnegie Medal for Writing show with winner of the Shadowing Award Nathanael Lessore for King of Nothing and winner of this year's Medal for Writing, Margaret McDonald on Glasgow Boys.

Plus we take a swift visit to the RNIB Library to find some brand new books.
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Today on Read On we're continuing our interviews with authors on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. This week Kelly McCaughrain on Little Bang and Matt Goodfellow on The Final Year, plus we find some new audiobooks out now and available from RNIB Library.
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