The Listening Books Podcast
For every kind of reader, but especially for fans of audiobooks. Join us for exclusive interviews with award-winning actors, narrators, authors, and familiar voices from the entertainment world as we discuss the books that have inspired them, shaped their careers, and stayed with them long after the final chapter. Discover new listens, behind-the-scenes stories, and unexpected literary favourites along the way. Listening Books is a UK charity providing an audiobook lending service for those who find it difficult to read or hold a book due to an illness, disability, learning difficulty or mental health condition. Find out more at www.listening-books.org.uk.
Episodes
Episode Three, Series 7 of the podcast is here! Nicola and Megan are joined by broadcaster, writer and economist Ed Balls. The former politician reflects on the books that have shaped him, from childhood classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Swallows and Amazons, to the life changing Testament of Youth. He also reflects on the role of memory and food in his writing, and offers some sage advice about the importance of ...
For episode two of The Listening Books Podcast Series 7, Nicola and Megan are joined by beloved radio presenter, screenwriter, and children's author Konnie Huq. Known to many children of the noughties as a presenter of Blue Peter, Konnie delves into the inspiration behind her Cookie book series, discusses updating classic fairy tales for modern readers, and shares which books she's currently...
The Listening Books Podcast is back with an all-new sound! Joining Nicola and Megan for the first episode of series 7 is Adam Buxton – British comedian, writer, actor, broadcaster and podcaster. They discuss the audiobooks he's listening to at the moment, his latest book, I Love You, Byeee, and how he wrote it with an audio-first approach, as well as his latest project, Successpod...
Leeanne O'Donnell is the author of Sparks of Bright Matter, a novel set in Georgian London and West Cork that follows the pursuits of scientist and alchemist, Peter Woulfe. In her thoughtful conversation with host Jessica Stone, she talks about what made Peter a subject of fascination to her, how her own near-sightedness inspired a beloved character's...
Louise Hare is the London-based author of This Lovely City and the Canary Club Mysteries. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, she talks about the second in that series, Harlem After Midnight—how the musical styles of ragtime and jazz support the story, how she creates a safe space for her main character, and how the ...
Becca Caddy is a writer and journalist who likes to explore the human side of technology, and her book Screen Time offers the information and guidance to help us take back a bit more control over our digital lives. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, Becca talks about why our language around technology is so important and how we can be more deliberate in our use of the technological tools available to...
Sierra Godfrey is the well-travelled author of A Very Typical Family and The Second Chance Hotel. In this joyful conversation with Jessica Stone, she talks about her first novel, her love for anything written or recommended by Marian Keyes, the nature of friendship, and even her meticulous system for tracking all the books...
Amy, Claire and Jessica each bring one 'old' book and one 'new' one to the table before Amy and Claire square off in Jess's ridiculously challenging literary game.
Books mentioned:
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A special festive episode discussing books that feature celebrations. Amy and Edward return for a final a face-off as Je...
Emily Woo Zeller is an American voice actress and audiobook narrator whose work has earned heaps of awards, including AudioFile's prestigious Golden Voice Award. You may have heard her reading fant...
Stephanie Cannon is an American voice actor, circus performer, and audiobook narrator living in England. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, she tells us what that's like, how walking on stilts complements reading in a box, which kinds of books she loves to narrate, and conversely which ones she'll take a pass on. We also discuss Kate Dylan's cyberpunk dystopian novel Mindwalker and its sequel Mindbreaker, b...
Jane McDowell is a talented actress and narrator with many credits to her name, including the
Polly Lee is an award winning
Bonnie Garmus is the author of Lessons in Chemistry, the bestselling novel about a chemist named Elizabeth Zott who becomes the host of a cooking show in the 1960s.&...
Gordon Griffin has narrated over 900 audiobooks and in 2017 received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth for his services to audiobooks. He tells us about that experience, how the industry has changed over the ye...
Annie Aldington has voiced hundreds of audiobooks, and among them are some of the most popular titles in the Listening Books collection, including novels by Dilly Court, Martina Cole, Katie Price, Aoife Walsh, and Kitty Neale. Here Annie tells us how she happened into audiobook narration, shares her secret tricks for conquering difficult accents, and reveals just how much fun peripheral characters can be.
Clinical psychologist and author Dr Julie Smith joins Jess to share some of the practical wisdom from her bestselling book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Want to know one of the most versatile tools to have in your mental health tool kit? Do you ever wish you could summon motivation whe...
Author Jonathan Whitelaw joins Jess for a cosy chat about cosy crime. He tells us how he landed such a fantastic narrator in Sid Sagar, how he approached character development in The Bingo Hall Detectives, why he chose the Lake District for the setting, and what we should be reading while we wait for his next book, The Village Hall Vendetta.
Books Mentioned
The Bingo Hall Detectives and The...
Author Florence Wilkinson talks about her book Wild City: Encounters with Urban Wildlife, giving lots of suggestions for noticing and encouraging the wildlife right on our doorstep.
Books and Apps Mentioned
- Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution by Menno Schilthuizen
- Warbler
- Picture This
Who Are We?
Jess is joined by colleagues Amy and Lieve to talk about notable books adapted to film—for better and for worse! Of course, this is all just a warm-up for the true highlight, which is of course our Very Serious Literary Game. Will Amy triumph against her new opponent, or will Lieve take down the reigning champion?
Who Are We?
The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessi...
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