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&nbsp;  Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution by Menno Schilthuizen Warbler Picture This  Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 115,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. For more information, head to&nbsp;. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; &nbsp; You can also give us a shout on Twitter: ,&nbsp; Or Instagram: ,&nbsp; Or ,&nbsp; And we also have some content on .&nbsp;

Author Florence Wilkinson

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 Village Hall Vendetta, Jonathan Whitelaw Rivers of London: Amongst Our Weapons, Ben Aaronovitch A Spoonful of Murder, J.M. Hall Her Majesty the Queen Investigates (series), S.J. Bennett The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes to Marlow, Robert Thorogood Links   Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 115,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. For more information, head to&nbsp;. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; &nbsp; You can also give us a shout on Twitter: ,&nbsp; Or Instagram: ,&nbsp; Or ,&nbsp; And we also have some content on .&nbsp; &nbsp;

Author Jonathan Whitelaw

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?&nbsp; 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 when you need it most? Julie warns us of the pitfalls of chasing self-esteem and the rewards of living your life in line with who you want to be. You can find more of Julie's content on social media and . Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 115,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. For more information, head to&nbsp;. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; &nbsp; You can also give us a shout on Twitter: ,&nbsp; Or Instagram: ,&nbsp; Or ,&nbsp; And we also have some content on .  &nbsp;

Author Dr Julie Smith

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. Books Mentioned Adams Family Series, Mary Jane Staples Polly of Penn’s Place, Dee Williams Voice and the Actor, Cicely Berry The Tulip Tearooms, Pam Evans The Good Time Girls, Fiona Ford Woolworths Series, Elaine Everest The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold Authors Mentioned Dilly Court Martina Cole Kay Brellend The Good Time Girls, Fiona Ford Jean Fullerton  Kerry Barnes  Edie Baylis  Apps and Podcasts Mentioned The Accent Kit (app)  Murder Mile UK True-Crime Podcast  Scotland Yard Confidential  Catford 6699 Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 115,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. For more information, head to&nbsp;. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; &nbsp; You can also give us a shout on Twitter: ,&nbsp; Or Instagram: ,&nbsp; Or ,&nbsp; And we also have some content on .&nbsp;  &nbsp;

Narrator Annie Aldington

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 years, how he prepares for each audiobook, and what the secret is to being a truly good narrator.&nbsp;&nbsp;   Books Mentioned&nbsp;   Rooftoppers, Katherine Rundell Billy Elliot, Melvin Burgess&nbsp;   The New Woman, Charity Norman&nbsp;   The Final Testimony of Raphael Ignatius Phoenix, Paul Sussman For more about Gordon Griffin's work and workshops, visit gordongriffin.com. Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 115,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. For more information, head to&nbsp;. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; &nbsp; You can also give us a shout on Twitter: ,&nbsp; Or Instagram: ,&nbsp; Or ,&nbsp; And we also have some content on .&nbsp; &nbsp;

Narrator Gordon Griffin

Bonnie&nbsp;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.&nbsp;In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, Bonnie tells us about how her career as a copywriter shaped her approach to writing the novel, the one mispronunciation in the audiobook, and why she needed to break some rules to write this story.&nbsp;  Other books mentioned in this episode:&nbsp;  Chasing Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof &nbsp;&nbsp;Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver&nbsp; Members' Choice Award To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit  We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too). You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram:  Or find us on Facebook at  We also have more content on our YouTube channel:  Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit  for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;   &nbsp;

Author Bonnie Garmus

Polly&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;is an  award winning actress and narrator of over 200 fiction and non-fiction books. She has also narrated over 200 romance novels under the name Ashford McNab/MacNab. Raised in the UK, she has lived in the US now for 25 years working equally in both her British and American dialects. Today she tells us about some of the books that have stayed with her, including Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil series, and the voices she would have done differently if she’d known how the series would play out.&nbsp;   Other books mentioned:&nbsp;   A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus Better Late than Never: Understand, survive and thrive a midlife diagnosis of ADHD, by Emma Mahony and Sari Solden Members' Choice Award To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit  We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too). You can also give us a shout on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram:  Or find us on Facebook at  We also have more content on our YouTube channel:  Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit  for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Narrator Polly Lee

Jane McDowell is a talented actress and narrator with many credits to her name, including the Dr Ruth Galloway mystery series by Elly Griffiths. In this conversation with host Jessica Stone, Jane tells us what it was like to record the last book of the series The Locked Room during a Covid lockdown, how animals help her create character voices, and what book was so moving that she wrote the author to thank her.&nbsp; Books mentioned, all narrated by Jane: The Locked Room, by Elly Griffiths Delicious, by Nicki Pellegrino Snow Widows, by Katherine MacInnes Curlew Moon, by Mary Colwell The Hidden World of the Fox, by Adele Brand The Confession of Katherine Howard, by Suzannah Dunn A Killer's Confession, by Karen Edwards Gift MembershipGive the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership:  Members' Choice AwardTo vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit  We’d love to hear from you!  If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too). You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram:  Or find us on Facebook at  We also have more content on our YouTube channel:  Who Are We? The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit  for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Narrator Jane McDowell

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, both narrated by Stephanie.&nbsp; Books and other recommendations:  The Sharp Edge of Silence, by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, narrated by Stephanie Cannon&nbsp; Mindwalker, by Kate Dylan, narrated by Stephanie Cannon Mindbreaker, by Kate Dylan, narrated by Stephanie Cannon Noir, by Christopher Moore, narrated by Johnny Heller&nbsp; Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words, by Tara Sivec and Andy Arndt, narrated by Andy Arndt The Space Race, docudrama from B7 Media, narrated by Kate Mulgrew  Links! For more of Stephanie’s work, head to her website&nbsp; To vote for your favourite audiobook to win the Members Choice Award, visit  &nbsp;Give the gift of audio this Christmas with a Listening Books gift membership:  We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too). You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram:  Or find us on Facebook at  We also have more content on our YouTube channel:  Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit  for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp;

Narrator Stephanie Cannon

A special festive episode discussing books that feature celebrations. Amy and Edward return for a final a face-off as Jess attempts to foil them with her literary quiz.&nbsp;   Books mentioned:&nbsp;   Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh&nbsp;   The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers&nbsp;   The Party, by Elizabeth Day&nbsp;   Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding&nbsp;   Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen&nbsp;   Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen&nbsp; Who Are We?&nbsp; The Listening Books Podcast is hosted by audio producer Jessica Stone and is a production of Listening Books, a UK charity that provides an audiobook lending service for over 120,000 members who find that an illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book. It’s simple to join. Visit  for more information. To purchase a gift membership, go directly to&nbsp;&nbsp; We’d love to hear from you!&nbsp; If you're enjoying this podcast, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, can help others find us (and makes us feel good, too). You can also give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram:  Or find us on Facebook at  We also have more content on our YouTube channel:   &nbsp;

Reading Roundup: Books that Centre Celebrations

Today we’re going to look at an author who could have been, according to Salman Rushdie, “one of the really major novelists of the English language… had he not sadly died so young” in 1979.

Read by Sebastian Moss.

A Hidden Gem: About J. G. Farrell, Lost Man Booker Prize Winning Author

Ben Aaronovitch is an author mostly known for his Rivers on London series, which follows a young police officer recruited by a special branch of the Metropolitan Police that deals with magic and the supernatural. Holly Newson spoke to Ben about writing for Doctor Who, the importance of libraries, and whether he’s honest when giving his opinion on his friend’s books.

On The Scary Way In Which Libraries Might Be Similar To Woolworths

On Reading His Friend's Books

On Choosing Rivers Of London Audiobook Narrator Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

The best Back to School Audiobooks in our library!

These audiobooks are copyright. The copyright owners have given permission for them to be recorded by Listening Books, as they are for the sole use of Listening Books members. Copying of these recordings is not permissible.

Selected Poems - W B Yeats

An Inconvenient Truth - Al Gore

DNA - Dennis Kelly

Robert Thorogood is a screenwriter and author of the Death in Paradise series. It is set on the fictional island of Saint Marie in the Caribbean, and is one of the most popular shows on British television, with an average of over 9 million viewers for series 6. He chatted to Abigail Jaggers about writing the show, the novels, and his love of Agatha Christie.

On Writing Books

On the Origin of Death in Paradise

On Wanting To Be A Writer

Sarah Perry is the author of After Me Comes the Flood and The Essex Serpent. She has a PhD in creative writing from Goldsmiths University. Her thesis was about the Gothic, and her books are written in this style. Her first book was shortlisted for the Guardian 'First Book Award' in 2014, while The Essex Serpent went on to win multiple awards including Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2016, The Waterstones Book of the Year 2016.

She chatted to Abigail Jaggers recently about The Gothic, The Essex Serpent, and audiobooks.

Sarah Perry On Writing In A Gothic Style

Nicholas de Garis is the Audio Producer at the Listening Books recording studios. In this interview, he tells us a bit about what being an Audio Producer involves, what's involved in editing an audiobook, and his dream audiobook to record.

An Interview With the Listening Books Audio Producer

Ruth Hogan is the author of The Keeper of Lost Things, a Richard and Judy book club pick. She spoke to Abigail Jaggers about being a method writer, listening to audiobooks, and her new book The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes.

On Her New Book The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes

On The Promotion For The Keeper of Lost Things

On Listening To Audiobooks

On Making The Keeper of Lost Things Into An Audiobook

On The Theme Of Recovery

On Writing Through A Cancer Diagnosis

On The Inclusion Of Sunshine

On Being A Method Writer

On Articles That Inspired The Keeper of Lost Things

Ruth Hogan Describes Herself

Horrible Geography takes you under the sea with Odious Oceans. Discover where in the world you can tuck into a poisonous pufferfish, spot some perilous pirates and explore the savage seabed! Horrible Geography is the perfect escapism from miserable maps, rotten rock piles and dire diagrams. Hold tight!

The audiobook is available exclusively for Listening Books members: https://listening-books.overdrive.com/media/4053653

Horrible Geography: Odious Oceans - Seaweed

This is the story of 12 year-old Sade and her brother Femi who flee to Britain from Nigeria. Their father is a political journalist who refuses to stop criticising the military rulers in Nigeria. Their mother is killed and they are sent to London, with their father promising to follow. Abandoned at Victoria Station by the woman paid to bring them to England as her children, Sade and Femi find themselves alone in a new, often hostile, environment. Seen through the eyes of Sade, the novel explores what it means to be classified as 'illegal' and the difficulties which come with being a refugee.

These audiobooks are copyright. The copyright owners have given permission for them to be recorded by Listening Books, as they are for the sole use of Listening Books members. Copying of these recordings is not permissible.

The Other Side Of Truth - Beverley Naidoo

Discover fascinating facts about some of the most amazing women who changed the world we live in. In this clip, learn about Gertrude Ederle, who was the first woman to swim the channel. 

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is written by Kate Pankhurst, and is copyright Bloomsbury Publishing. Bloomsbury Publishing has given Listening Books permission to record the text for use by its members only.

Gertrude Ederle - Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World Clip

A funny and fascinating how-to guide for budding astronauts, providing a crash course on what it takes to travel into space. Answers all the big questions about space travel, from “How do rockets work?” and “What do astronauts do all day?” to “How do you go to the toilet on a spaceship?”

The Usborne Official Astronaut's Handbook is written by Louie Stowell and the audiobook has been made by permission of Usborne Publishing.

The Usborne Official Astronaut's Handbook Clip

Bored of biology classes? Totally fed up of physics? Couldn't care less about chemistry? Hmmmm. Dare you discover. Why you're breathing in dinosaur burps? What poos in your bed 20 times a day? What happens when you drop a rabbit through the centre of the earth? If you're sick to death of science, you need THIS BOOK! From the dizzy science of daydreaming to the stunning science of skyrockets, and from the deadly science of dinosaurs to the Ugly Bug Olympics, this whirlwind whistle-stop tour of science shows you the world as you've never seen it before (i.e. VERY FOUL!). Best of all, it's stuffed with the WEIRD and INTERESTING science that you never ever get to learn at school!

The Horrible Science of Everything is written by Nick Arnold, and is copyright Scholastic. It is narrated by Greg Patmore. Scholastic has given Listening Books permission to record the text for use by its members only.

The Ugly Bug Olympics - The Horrible Science of Everything

Two boys. Two secrets. David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he's a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth - David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal - to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year 11 is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long ...

The Art of Being Normal is written by Lisa Williamson, and is copyright David Fickling Books. It is narrated by Jenet Le Lacheur and Tigger Blaize. David Fickling Books has given Listening Books permission to record the text for use by its members only.

The Art of Being Normal - Audiobook Clip

Featuring top Young Adult authors and introducing a host of exciting new voices, this anthology of stories and poetry from BAME writers on the theme of change is a long-overdue addition to the YA scene. Contributors include Tanya Byrne, Inua Ellams, Catherine Johnson, Patrice Lawrence, Ayisha Malik, Irfan Master, Musa Okwonga and Nikesh Shukla. Plus introducing four fresh new voices in YA fiction: Mary Bello, Aisha Bushby, Yasmin Rahman and Phoebe Roy.

A Change Is Gonna Come is written by multiple contributors and is copyright Stripes Publishing. Stripes Publishing has given Listening Books permission to record the text for use by its members only.

Fortune Favours the Bold - A Change is Gonna Come

We are a charity providing audiobooks for people who struggle to read in the usual way. Follow our SoundCloud for bookish talk and exclusive author interviews.

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