424: Percival Everett on James - Winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for fiction
Winner of the National Book Award and now the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, James is a subversive reimagining of “Huckleberry Finn” told from the perspective of Jim, Huck's enslaved companion on the raft ride. Percival Everett tells Robert Kirkwood about the book and reveals he read Huck Finn too many times in the research!
We also hear about the science behind James Bond's gadgets and Agatha Christie's poisons with Kathryn Harkup and find some new books in the RNIB Library.
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423: Boswell Book Festival Interview Special
As I'm off recording at Dumfries House at the moment, here's selection of interviews from past Boswell Book Festival events including Lady Anne Glenconner, founder of Private Eye Richard Ingrams, biographer Ben McIntyre, Winston Churchill's granddaughter Emma Soames, Andrew Cotter with Olive and Mabel, and we're Cloistered with Catherine Coldstream.
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422: Celia Silvani - Baby Teeth
On this week's Read On, Robert Kirkwood chats to Celia Silvani about her debut novel Baby Teeth, a cautionary tale about how vulnerable, isolated people can be lured into toxic communities and the catastrophic consequences this can have.
Trigger Warning: This interview contains discussions and references to pregnancy and infertility. There is also a scene of pregnancy loss in the book.
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421: Beth O'Brien - Wolf Siren
This week on Read On a captivating chat with Beth O'Brien, visually impaired author of new HarperCollins Children’s Book 'Wolf Siren', which also has a visually impaired narrator. Beth talks about her writing, watching the narration process and her passion project, 'Disabled Tales.'
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420: Dame Stella Rimington - The Hidden Hand
Stella Rimington was the first female director general of MI5 and brings true authenticity to her books about spying and espionage. She talks to Robert Kirkwood about her career, her Liz Carlyle books and her imagined end, plus her two new Manon Tyler books. Dame Rimington also talks about how her failing eyesight due to AMD is affecting her ability to write.
And for episode 420, we also find some influential musical biographies in the RNIB Library.
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
(https://twitter.com/Talking_Books) Other great podcast channels from RNIB Connect Radio
Connect (https://audioboom.com/channel/weeklyconnect) - Our main channel with news, features and articles on sight loss.
Conversations (https://audioboom.com/channel/conversations) - Blind and partially sighted people speaking about a wide range of topics.
Tech Talk (https://audioboom.com/channel/techtalkpodcast) - Technology for blind and partially sighted people.
Sport (https://audioboom.com/channel/sport) - See sport differently.
The Happy Hour (https://audioboom.com/channels/5022411) - Mental health, mindfulness, and overall wellbeing.
Tracks of My Life (https://audioboom.com/playlists/4634228-tracks-of-my-life) - Take a journey through our guest's life.
Support (https://audioboom.com/channel/rnib-support) - Other podcasts from RNIB.
TV Guide (https://audioboom.com/channel/tv-guide) - Daily audio TV listings
Listen to Read On - The Audiobook Show from RNIB, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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