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Wednesday 11th September
Noon & 8pm & 4am
PLAYS/DRAMA
CORMORANT BY SARAH HUTCHINGS and HIL COOKE
Unworldly John and injured sailor, McKinney wash up on an uninhabited island, the only survivors of a terrifying shipwreck. When the pair is finally rescued John isolates himself in an anonymous bed-sit owned by the grotesque Mrs Paskins. Haunted by the sounds of the island, he shies away from human contact communing only with the disturbing voices in his dreams. John’s new neighbour Crow sees life through a haze of delusional paranoia and finds it hard to respect John’s need for solitude. Edgy, secretive John is the perfect focus for Crow’s over-active imagination and he becomes obsessed with investigating John’s nocturnal rituals. However, his surveillance soon turns to clumsy overtures of friendship. Despite his protestations John is forced to turn to Crow for help when his ‘voices’ start to blur his sense of reality.
1pm & 9pm & 5am
IN CONVERSATION…ROBERT COOVER
Robert Coover has been described by The New York Times as, “one of America’s quirkiest writers, if by ‘quirky’ we mean an unwillingness to abide by ordinary fictional rules and a conviction that a novel is primarily a verbal artefact unconvertible to other media.” His novel, The Public Burning, is a long and fantastic fictional account of the events surrounding the executions for espionage of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1952, whose principal narrator identifies himself as the then-Vice President of the United States, Richard Milhous Nixon. His other publications include Spanking the Maid, Gerald’s Party, Pinocchio in Venice, and Briar Rose.
2pm & 10pm & 6am
POETRY…AUGUST KLEINZAHLER
August Kleinzahler‘s poetry is described by the New York Times as “a modernist swirl of sex, surrealism, urban life and melancholy with a jazzy back beat. His personality combines Allen Ginsberg’s goofball charm and Norman Mailer’s inveterate pugnacity.” He has published eight books of poetry,
3pm & 11pm & 7am
GORGEOUS WOMEN
Women – we are the gentler sex or the deadlier of the species but universally it is agreed that we are good talkers, as Radio Gorgeous aptly delivers for ABR. Sometimes frivolous but always fabulous and today features LOUISE PENNY, best selling Canadian author and JODY DAY, the Founder of Gateway Women – the global friendship and support network for childless-by-circumstance women. Her book ‘Rocking the Life Unexpected’ introduces some radically new ways for childless women, and those who care about them, to think and feel about their situation.
4pm & Midnight & 8am
SHERLOCK HOLMES CLASSICS
ABR is proud to present two classic episodes, this time starring Tom Conway as Holmes. ‘The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor’ is followed by ‘The Boscombe Valley Mystery.’
We close the hour with an author interview from KOBO and today’s guest is JOWITA BYDLOWSKA.
5pm & 1am & 9am
SPARK LONDON
The concept is stand out simple. Real people telling real stories. Today’s are: Nobody’s Home by Alisdair Hurst, Down Post Office Lane by Andy Bodle and The Rabbit by Glen Long.
A WORD IN YOUR EAR
Word in Your Ear are a Bath based collective of writers who gather to tell their stories. They liked the way our ancestors enjoyed stories – by listening to them. We totally agree with them so let’s have a listen to: Winners and Losers by Pauline Mawurel and Black Sheep by Hannah Teasdale.
TAKE FIVE
We asked the same five questions to a range of writers – today it’s…POLLY COURTNEY, the bright and engaging novelist and commentator whose brilliant latest novel, Feral Youth, is critically acclaimed as both book and audio book.
6pm & 2am & 10am
HOLLYWOOD STAGE
Hollywood is indelibly printed in our minds as a go to place for entertainment and has been for decades. We take you back in time as The Hollywood ringmaster himself, CECIL B DE MILLE unveils…The Perfect Specimen featuring ERROL FLYNN.
7pm & 3am & 11am
SHORT STORIES
GEORGIE PORGIE BY RUDYARD KIPLING. READ BY EDWARD FOX.
A man breaks his promise to his Burmese wife, whom he bought essentially as a housekeeper. He bemoans his low station in such a remote colonial outpost, however, and returns to England to marry a proper British wife before moving to India and a higher diplomatic posting. The faithful Burmese wife, thinking he is in danger, seeks him out and follows him to India.
THE GARDEN OF TRUTH BY E. NESBIT. READ BY HARRIET WALTER.
Edith Nesbit was an English author and poet whose children’s works were published under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television. She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society, a precursor to the modern Labour Party. She is regarded by some as the first ‘modern writer for children’ but this short story can certainly be enjoyed and appreciated by adults as well.
12oon & 8pm & 4am
PLAYS/DRAMA
THE CLEANSED – Season Two Episode 10 THE RIVER
In Season One, set in the mid-21st century, fuel was running out, food was scarce, Acts of God – and humans – took down the grid and everything else. Civilisation ground to a halt. And then things got really bad. But they survived.
And now in Season Two of the epic apocalyptic drama our motley band of heroes is traveling a treacherous river, but nature is only the beginning of the challenges they will face because in the shadows of the City of Corinth, a great evil has unlocked the secret to controlling the minds of millions: fear and violence.
The Production company, Final Rune, is centered on the award laden multi-talented Fred Greenhaigh who not only writes, produces and directs “The Cleanse” but much else besides. Plus he has a talented cast and crew who give it their all so your ears are in for a treat. Check everything out at Final Rune.com
THE DOOR BELOW by HUGH B CAVE
This classic story has been adapted by William Dufris
1pm & 9pm & 5am
IN CONVERSATION
A.L. Kennedy was born in Dundee, Scotland and is the author of six novels, five short story collections and two works of nonfiction. No one captures the spirit of our times like Kennedy, with her dark humor, poignant hopefulness, and brilliant representation of contemporary social and spiritual malaise. She has received many literary prizes including the Somerset Maugham Award, the Encore Award, and the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year Award. She lives in Glasgow and is a part-time lecturer in creative writing at the University of St. Andrews.
2pm & 10pm & 6am
POETRY featuring Robert Southey, Charlotte Smith & more
Poetry is often cited as our greatest use of words. The English language has well over a million and poets down the ages seem, at times, to make use of every single one. But often they use them in simple ways to describe anything and everything from landscapes to all aspects of the human condition. Poems can evoke within us an individual response that takes us by surprise; that opens our eyes and ears to very personal feelings.
Forget the idea of classic poetry being somehow dull and boring and best kept to school textbooks. It still has life, vibrancy and relevance to our lives today. In this hour we’ll be listening to poets. In this hour we introduce poets of the quality and breadth of Robert Southey, Charlotte Smith and themes such as Heaven and Metaphysical Poets. Vol 8
All of them are from a dedicated poetry publisher – Portable Poetry who believe that poetry should be a part of our everyday lives, uplifting the soul & reaching the parts that other things can’t. Their range of audiobooks and ebooks cover volumes on some of our greatest poets to anthologies of seasons, months, places and a range of themes. Check them out on your usual digital store such as Amazon or iTunes or at https://www.deadtreepublishing.com/ That’s Portable Poetry – poetry that carries you through!
ALTERNATIVE RADIO with CORNEL WEST
Here at Audiobook Radio we are keen to provide a range of voices – very literally as well as in terms of opinions and views of the world. This strand created by Alternative Radio does just that. We will hear from some of the most informed minds and greatest social activists of our time whose take on justice and power does not chime with those that hold the power and don’t provide justice for all so we rarely get to hear from them in mainstream media. Different opinions always help inform our own and we are always eager to hear from listeners about this or any other strand. Contact us on the tab at www.audiobookradio.net Today’s talk entitled Love & Justice is given by Cornel West a leading public intellectual, scholar and gifted orator who has taught at Princeton, Harvard, Yale and the University of Paris.
4pm & Midnight & 8am
THEATRE ROYAL
The very name summons up something of grandeur and eloquence – and it was. Hosted by Laurence Olivier these big name productions – also including the acting talents of Sir John Gielgud, Orson Welles and Robert Morley – were based on works by the world’s leading authors – Charles Dickens, Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov and Robert Louis Stevenson are but a few of whose company we shall be keeping. Today we raise the curtain on La Grande Breteche by BALZAC introduced and starring SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES featuring BASIL RATHBONE and NIGEL BRUCE in more of these timeless classic adventures.
5pm & 1am & 9am
THE PODCAST HOUR – THE A.I.T.L. & TODD SHOW
Audiobookradio is excited to introduce a new podcast brought to us by the And I Thought Ladies a prolific collective of American women spearheaded by the multi-talented Wilnona Marie and Jade Dee. It encompasses Tonya Todd’s 52 Love Podcast and a short drama called the Managers and we’ll be broadcasting it every day at this time for the next few weeks. So stay tuned for Episode 9 and their take on Love, Life & Literature.
6pm & 2am & 10am
HOLLYWOOD STAGE
Hollywood is indelibly printed in our minds as a go to place for entertainment and has been for decades. We take you back in time as The Hollywood ringmaster himself, CECIL B DE MILLE unveils A Farewell to Arms featuring CLARK GABLE
SHORT STORIES – KIPLING/SAKI/DEFOE
This comes to you courtesy of Miniature Masterpieces who have an excellent range of quality short stories from the masters of the craft. Do search for Miniature Masterpieces at any digital store for further information. This hour opens with Rudyard Kipling’s ‘My Own True Ghost Story’
Then we hear the dark humour of Saki in Tobermory read by Richard Mitchley followed by Daniel Defoe’s story entitled The Apparition of Mrs Veal read by Ghizela Rowe