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Mark Macauley, an Anglo-Irish debut author whose book House of Slamming Doors has received rave reviews from a range of publications from the Times Literary Supplement to the Sun by way of the Guardian. We also get to hear a couple of chapters from the audiobook that he has produced himself with ambient sound effects that enhance the cracking good story as it unfolds apace with a cast of characters that he has successfully voiced himself….not so surprising as he trained as an actor and it shows! Stephen Fry says it’s “A marvellous achievement. It’s a Tubular Bells for the podcast and audiobook market.” Available on Audible.
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 feature DH Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, Amy Lowell and others.
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 them and many more on https://www.deadtreepublishing.com/
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.
Noon & 8pm & 4am
PLAYS/DRAMA
VALENTINE’S DAY BY DEREK WEBB
When Chris gives his wife Nicola a present of some saucy undies as well as a card on Valentine’s Day, it’s with the hope of spicing up their marriage. She is a successful advertising executive, whose career seems to be assuming more and more importance. In the post, she also gets another card from someone called Stuart who she doesn’t know. But he certainly seems to know her and isn’t content with just sending a card.
THE TREE BY ERIC YAFFEY
Gary and Jed have arrived to cut down The Tree as part of a road building programme. But this tree is special – it has a history that links it with humanity in general and Gary in particular. As the fates of The Tree and Gary are so linked what will the consequences be? This is a fine environmental allegory.
1pm & 9pm & 5am
IN CONVERSATION with RICHARD POWERS
Richard Powers is an American novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology. His novel The Echo Maker won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction
2pm & 10pm & 6am
POETRY HOUR – CAVE CANEM EVENING
Cave Canem Evening featuring Toi Derricotte, Cornelius Eady, Terrance Hayes, Patricia Smith, and Frank X Walker. Cave Canem (Beware of the Dog) is an organization committed to the discovery and cultivation of new voices in African American poetry. This celebratory poetry evening lasted for almost two and a half hours so we have included works from the first hour here. We will be broadcasting the second half of the show in the coming weeks.
3pm & 11pm & 7am
ALTERNATIVE RADIO with WES JACKSON
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 is given by Wes Jackson, a plant geneticist and a leading voice for agrarian reform away from domesticated agriculture. He is the author of New Roots for Agriculture and many books. He is founder of The Land Institute and a member of the World Future Council.
4pm & Midnight & 8am
SHERLOCK HOLMES CLASSICS
ABR is proud to present two classic episodes starring Basil Rathbone. ‘A Case of Identity’ followed by ‘The Adventure of Beggar Woman.’
We close the hour with an author interview from KOBO and today’s guest is KATE ATKINSON.
5pm & 1am & 9am
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY THE INTERVIEW HOUR
ABR welcomes Publisher’s Weekly, an authority on all things books & publishing for a delve into the archives to come up with a couple of great author interviews. Today JOYCE CAROL OATES & GAY TALESE. Their podcast, as always, is presented by Rose Fox and Mark Rotella.
6pm & 2am & 10am
HOLLYWOOD STAGE with Strawberry Blonde
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…Strawberry Blonde featuring RITA HAYWORTH.
7pm & 3am & 11am
SHORT STORIES – MANSFIELD & LE FANU
THE GARDEN PARTY BY KATHERINE MANSFIELD. READ BY EVE KARPF.
Widely anthologized, ‘The Garden Party’ is considered Katherine Mansfield’s finest piece of short fiction. Such modernist authors as Virginia Woolf were profoundly influenced by Mansfield’s stream-of-consciousness and symbolic narrative style. ”The Garden Party” is a remarkably rich and innovative work that incorporates Mansfield’s defining themes: New Zealand, childhood, adulthood, social class, class conflict, innocence, and experience.
THE GHOST AND THE BONE SETTER BY JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU. READ BY T.P. MCKENNA.
Irish journalist, novelist, and short story writer, called the father of the modern ghost story. Although Le Fanu was one of the most popular writers of the Victorian era, he is not so widely read anymore. Le Fanu’s best-known works include Uncle Silas (1864), a suspense story, and The House by the Churchyard (1863), a murder mystery. His vampire story ‘Carmilla,’ which influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula, has been filmed several times. ‘The Ghost and the Bone-Setter’ first appeared in the Dublin University Magazine in 1838.