473: Rob Harrell - Popcorn - Carnegie Medal for Writing

On today's Read On I'm joined by author and artist Rob Harrell from his home in Texas as we discuss his Carnegie Medal for Writing short listed book, Popcorn, plus his previous book, based on his battle with eye cancer, Wink.We also find some new books in the RNIB Library.

Today on Read On - The Audiobook Show, Lucy Roth, who also writes under the name Lucy Nichol, talks music, mental health, and learns how to hide a body as we go to The Party To End All Parties. Plus we find some new books available from RNIB Library.

As this year's Carnegie Medal Shortlist interviews start to happen, today is a listen back to three winners of the most prestigious prize in children's fiction, Manon Steffan Ros, Joseph Coelho and Tanya Landman.

Today we go on a road trip with Ben Markovits and his book The Rest of Our Lives.When Tom Layward's wife had an affair he resolved to leave her as soon as his youngest daughter turned eighteen. Twelve years later, while driving her to Pittsburgh to start university, he remembers his pact, and keeps driving ...Plus we'll find some new books in the RNIB Library.

A return visit this week from Lisa Timoney, a bestselling, multi-genre author who writes emotional family dramas under her own name, uplifting book club fiction as Kate Storey, and twisty psychological thrillers as Naomi Williams.This time we talk about The Last Page Cafe, The Lies Out Children Tell and discuss the sight condition blepharospasm in her book, The Eyewitness.Plus we find new books in the RNIB Library.

In today's Read On we listen to some 'Marvel - Age of Comics' audiobooks, take a deep dive into the full cast audio versions of some 2000 AD graphic novels, listen to the voice of the original Dalek and Parker from Thunderbirds, the late David Graham and even talk to the producer and showrunner of Marvel/Disney's Daredevil Born Again.

From the phonautograph to a smart speaker, today's Read On not only looks at the history of 90 years of RNIB Talking Books recording (and the equipment used), but goes back to the invention of recording as a whole. We hear the first recorded voices, about the format war between cylinder and disc, about the phonautograph, the phonograph, the graphophone and the gramophone, to single track magnetic tape, DAISY CDs and Alexa Skills and more in this 169 year trek through the history of recording the human voice.

In today's show we hear from 11 of the World Book Day books for 2026 which are available from RNIB, plus we listen back to two of our most popular children's authors, Julia Donaldson makes some illustrations in audio and the late great Michael Bond talks about the origins of Paddington.

A special (updated) documentary about the origins of the Talking Books service, recorded at the original locations around London, and featuring many voices from the past.Historian Matthew Rubery and Robert Kirkwood explore everything from the first Talking Book machines, some failed technology, how books were chosen and much more.

An all-star ensemble comes together to celebrate RNIB Talking Books 9th decade of bringing the joy of reading to blind and partially sighted people. A special recording of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice features some of the UK’s best-known actors and today we chat to four of them. Ben Willbond, Phil Dunster, Lisa George and Shazia Mirza talk about narrating Jane Austen and give us some great book recommendations.