241: Alison MacLeod, The Blind Poet Dave Steele and Lisa Hall

As we start gearing up for this year's Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, we listen back to four previous winners with four very different books ... Elizabeth Acevedo, Tanya Landman, Geraldine McCaughrean and Ruta Sepetys.

In today's show we hear the Books of My Life from both Nero debut novel winner Michael Magee and Booker shortlisted Sarah Bernstein. We also chat to C.J. Tudor about the Gathering, The Drift and more, plus find new books in the RNIB library. 

We interview Lord Jeffrey Archer as he records a special introduction to his book Traitors Gate exclusively for RNIB Talking Books, plus as her book 'Nobody Does it Better than Me: The Story of Alma' is recorded for the library, Robert Kirkwood chats to Dr Lin Berwick MBE.

In today's show we talk to Leeanne O'Donnell about spirit and matter, love and lust, and reality and magic, all in her book Sparks of Bright Matter. We also look forward to the Boswell Book Festival with Gordon Turnbull and find new books in the RNIB Library.

Read On this week features Chioma Okereke with her coming of age audio book Water Baby set in the floating slum of Makoko in Lagos. We hear about The Trees: A Novel by Percival Everett and find new books entering the RNIB Library.

In today's show we're re-joined by Louise Hare as she tells us about the sequel to Miss Aldridge Regrets, Harlem After Midnight. Plus we delve into the archive to talk to Sara Collins about The Confessions of Frannie Langton, and find some brand new audiobooks that are also available from RNIB Talking Books.

This week Robert Kirkwood talks to former military policeman and former Met Detective, Neil Lancaster about the latest DS Max Craigie Book, The Devil You Know and how his career influenced his writing. Plus we find some brand new books out now and entering the Talking Books library.

In today’s show we listen to some books about music and musicians. We chat to Beth and Ben of The Bookshop Band, talk to the author of Outlaw Blues, a 500 page biography of Bob Dylan and then get some book recommendations from former Never Mind the Buzzcocks team captain, Phill Jupitus. Plus we find some brand new gems in the Talking Books library.  

In today's show we feature all four category winners in the first ever Nero Book Awards, First up we listen to a clip from the Non-Fiction winning book Strong Female Character by Fern Brady  We have a long chat with Michael Magee about his Debut Fiction winning book, Close to Home   We listen to a clip from The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, the Children’s Fiction winner Then, from the Booker Prize shows, we chat to the Fiction winner Paul Murray about The Bee Sting Then (after a swift last minute edit) we reveal the overall winner.

In today's show we celebrate World Book Day with Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson, Betsy Griffin and find out about the free £1 from RNIB.