Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980) was one of the major Latin American writers of the twentieth century, as well as a classically trained pianist and musicologist. His best-known novels are The Lost Steps, Explosion in a Cathedral, and The Kingdom of This World. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, and raised in Havana, Cuba, Carpentier lived for many years in France and Venezuela before returning to Cuba after the 1959 revolution. A few years later he returned to France, where he lived until his death.

Alejo Carpentier

Dr Aleks Krotoski is an award-winning international broadcaster, author and academic. She has topped the ratings for the BBC and Channel 4, winning Emmy, BAFTA, Radio Academy and Royal Society awards, and has written and presented landmark technology and social science series for both radio (with BBC Radio 4’s The Artificial Human and The Digital Human) and international television (with BBC World’s The Virtual Revolution). Krotoski has held fellowships at the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and received an honorary doctorate from the Open University. She currently teaches at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Aleks Krotoski

Aleksandar Ciric

Aleksandar Sotirovski

Aleksandar Zolotic

Aleksandr Orlov

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born in 1918 and grew up in Rostov-on-Don. He graduated in Physics and Mathematics from Rostov University and studied Literature by correspondence course at Moscow University. In World War II he fought as an artillery officer, attaining the rank of captain. In 1945, however, after making derogatory remarks about Stalin in a letter, he was arrested and summarily sentenced to eight years in forced labour camps, followed by internal exile. In 1957 he formally rehabilitated, and settled down to teaching and writing, in Ryazan and Moscow. The publication of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich in Novy Mir in 1962 was followed by publication, in the West, of his novels Cancer Ward and The First Circle. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1974 his citizenship was revoked and he was expelled from the Soviet Union. He settled in Vermont and worked on his great historical cycle The Red Wheel. In 1990, with the fall of Soviet Communism, his citizenship was restored and four years later he returned to settle in Russia. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died in August 2008.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksei Bitskoff

Aleksei Evdokimo

Aleksi Hoffman

Alena Tkach is an award-winning Ukrainian freelance illustrator who studied Graphic Arts at Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. She works mostly as children’s book illustrator and 2D artist. Alena loves llamas because they are cute and sweet, and when they jump it's really funny. Follow Alena on Instagram @alena.tkach.

Alena Tkach

Alessandra Peters

Alessandro Manzoni

Alex Bellos

Alex Bellos is a journalist, broadcaster and puzzle master. He read Mathematics and Philosophy at Oxford University before becoming a journalist and writer. Alex was born in Oxford and grew up in Edinburgh and Southampton and lived in Brazil for five years as a foreign correspondent for the Guardian before returning to the UK He is the author of 8 books about puzzles and mathematics and currently writes weekly puzzle column for the Guardian.

Alex Berenson

Alex Boardman

Alex Brummer

Alex Bulmer

Alex Butterworth

Alex Caine

Alex Carter

Alex Chance

Alex Cliff

Alex Danchev

Alex Dekker served as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces 'Green Berets' for nearly 20 years, first with 5th Special Forces Group and then as a special operations team member assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command. He has deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations worldwide, and has attended multiple advanced tactical and technical schools within the U.S. Special Operations community and interagency. Alex has traveled to dozens of countries for work and personal adventures and has spent years living abroad. He is an avid student of history who has participated as a volunteer in numerous archaeological digs, is an Arabic speaker, and holds a Masters in Applied Intelligence from Georgetown University. When not traveling, Alex lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Savannah, a former CIA Operations Officer, their children, and their German Shepherd Donovan.

Alex Dekker

Alex Dimitrov is the recipient of the Stanley Kunitz Prize from the American Poetry Review and a Pushcart Prize and is the author of Begging For It (2013), Together And By Yourselves (2017), and Love and Other Poems (2021). His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Atlantic, Poetry, and more. Formerly, he was the Senior Content Editor at the Academy of American Poets where he edited the popular online series Poem-a-Day and American Poets magazine. From 2009-2013, he founded and ran Wilde Boys, a queer poetry salon in New York. Currently, he teaches creative writing at NYU where he is Writer in Residence.

Alex Dimitrov

Alex Dingwall-Main

Alex Duval

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'The Letters of James, Peter, John &amp; Jude':  Rosemary Leach reads the 'Letters from James', Dennis Quilley reads the 'Letter from Peter', Thora Hird reads the three short 'Letters from John' and Frank Windsor reads the one from Jude. Specially composed music is included. The readings were part of BBC Radio 4's series of 341 daily episodes of the Bible, broadcast in 1991 and 1992. Abridged by Hugo de Klee.  'The New Testament':  These abridged readings of the New Testament are taken from the 1989 Revised English Bible, which was translated directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into modern English to produce a Bible that was at once accessible and authoritative.

The Letters of James, Peter, John & Jude

The New Testament, Revised English Edition

'The Revelation of John':   John Gielgud reads from the 'Book of Revelation', the final book in the New Testament in which St John the Divine reveals his vision of the Apocalypse. Specially composed music is included. The readings were part of BBC Radio 4's series of 341 daily episodes of the Bible, broadcast in 1991 and 1992. Abridged by William Roberts.  'The New Testament':  These abridged readings of the New Testament are taken from the 1989 Revised English Bible, which was translated directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into modern English to produce a Bible that was at once accessible and authoritative.

The Revelation of John

James Goss

G.R. Owen is the last of Cardiff’s old department stores. Times are hard and the ancient firm has gone into administration. But who are the Administrators? What goes on behind the shutters at night? And why are customers disappearing? Torchwood are already investigating; G.R. Owen is the site of their oldest unsolved cases, and Jack is determined to solve it before the store closes forever - which is why Ianto is working undercover in gentlemen’s fashions and Gwen is in handbags. Are the new managers really aliens? What connection do they have to the mysterious G.R. Owen himself? And is Jack the only one looking for the Department of Curiosities, last seen in 1905? Written specially for audio by James Goss, Department X is set before the ‘Children of Earth’ TV story and features Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, as played by John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd in the hit series from BBC Television. It is read by Kai Owen, who plays Gwen’s husband Rhys.

Torchwood Department X

It’s not easy being Rhys Williams. You’re married to the sexiest woman in Torchwood. She saves the world for a living, you move lorries round in a timely fashion. Suddenly, you’ve got a mystery of your own. Oh, it starts off being about missing fridges. But it leads to a midnight train pulling into an abandoned platform at Cardiff Station. What is the mysterious cargo that Rhys is unloading from the train? Where’s it going? And what can be behind it? Rhys Williams is going to get to the bottom of it. All by himself, thank you very much. Soon Captain Jack is missing, his wife’s dead, and it’s up to Rhys to try and put everything right. And find those fridges... Written specially for audio by James Goss, Ghost Train is set before the ‘Children of Earth’ TV story and features Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, as played by John Barrowman, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd in the hit series from BBC Television. It is read by Kai Owen, who plays Rhys.

Torchwood Ghost Train

Jason Arnopp

The ice-planet Vinsk, in the year 2112. The all-new anti-viral handwash, Gemini, has been laced with Meme-Spawn: a sentient micro-organism which makes the user fluent in every language in the universe. However, manufacturer Zalnex made one crucial mistake. They didn’t test Gemini on humans, who are seized by the violent urge to communicate but speak every language all at once – with a manic, garbled shriek – and pass on the virus by touch. The Doctor and Amy arrive on an Earth-bound cargo-ship loaded with Gemini, where a human crew are succumbing to the virus which has nasty second and third phases in store. When the Doctor and Amy are separated, they both know that it’s only a matter of time before Amy is infected. With the ship locked on course, and no way of curing the sufferers, the Doctor is faced with a terrible decision: does he save Amy, or Earth? Written specially for audio by Jason Arnopp, ‘The Gemini Contagion’ is read by Meera Syal, who played Nasreen Chaudhry in the BBC TV episodes The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood.

Doctor Who: The Gemini Contagion

Miriam Smith

John Dryden

Three dramas surrounding the murder of a young teacher in Japan.  Part 1: 'The Parents':    Jennifer and Peter Whitelock arrive in Japan to help find their daughte's murderer. Frustrated with the progress of the police investigation, Peter puts his trust in TV producer Norio Ito, who promises to champion their cause on his popular 'news and entertainment' show, while Jennifer tries to discover what her daughter's life in Tokyo was like... Then she starts getting calls from a man claiming to be the killer.  Part 2: 'The Detective':    Detective Inspector Julie Hill is sent to Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of British teacher Daisy Whitelock. Working with the Tokyo police, who are reluctant to have a foreign police officer interfering with the case, she has to overcome cultural and bureaucratic obstacles as she attempts to untangle what really happened at the foreign language school Daisy taught at.  Part 3: 'The Daughter':    Daisy Whitelock arrives in Japan to teach English at a foreign language school in Tokyo. Her desire to scratch beneath the surface of Japanese society leads her to shun the companionship of the other ex-pat teachers in her shared apartment, and exposes her to the terrifying reality of a disturbed mind.    The production was recorded in Tokyo, Japan. Directed by John Dryden.

A Tokyo Murder

Fin Kennedy

A BBC Radio 4 drama by Fin Kennedy, set in London in the near future, about Caesar Price, an illusionist who has reproduced nearly all of the miracles of Jesus and built a massive cult following. Is he prepared for what will happen when he decides to stage the Crucifixion? Originally transmitted on 26 September 2008, and re-broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 30 August 2010.  In a near-future London, society is in distress. In the midst of climate chaos, people are seeking solace in the promises of new strains of religion. Illusionist Caesar Price has already walked on water; resurrected people from the dead and fed thousands from one tin of sardines. When he announces that his next 'miracle' will be the Crucifixion and eventual Resurrection, a media frenzy erupts. Is Caesar Price merely an illusionist or is there something more?  Starring Lee Ingleby as Caesar, Aidan Parsons as Sam and Emma Cunniffe as Lois. Also included in the cast are Joanne Mitchell, Conrad Nelson, Robert Pickavance, David Fleeshman and Carla Henry. Original music by Jon Nicholls. Directed by Nadia Molinari.

Caesar Price Our Lord

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Martin Jameson

A BBC Radio 4 science-fiction mystery by Martin Jameson, originally broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 14 May 2010.   A week after the election, Liz de Souza, a psychiatrist, examines a patient at a secure government research facility who's convinced that Tony Blair is still Prime Minister.   Starring Amita Dhiri as Liz de Souza and Suzanna Hamilton as Sarah de Souza. Also included in the cast are Jude Akuwudike, Tony Bell, David Seddon and Christine Kavanagh. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.

Can You Tell Me The Name Of The Prime Minister?

Ali Taylor

A pacy BBC Radio 4 comedy drama by Ali Taylor, lifting the lid on the ethics of publishing war-torn misery memoirs. Emma discovers a brilliant new talent in the unsolicited pile... Originally broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 20 May 2010.  When a heartbreaking memoir about life in war-torn Kabul lands on her desk, Emma thinks she's discovered a new literary sensation. Her colleagues, though, are deeply sceptical. ‘Cinders’ is a new comedy about drawing the line.  Emma is played by Claudie Blakley (‘Lark Rise to Candleford’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’). Also starring in the cast are Michael Shelford, Vineeta Rishi, Lizzy Watts, Sam Dale, Alison Pettitt, Imran Khan and David Seddon. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.

Cinders

Ian Marter

Reluctantly cancelling his well-earned holiday, the Doctor sets off in the TARDIS to trace and re-assemble the six segments of the Key to Time on which the stability of the entire Universe depends.   Assisted by the argumentative Romanadvoratrelundar and K9, he lands on the planet Ribos in search of the first segment and finds himself entangled in the machinations of two sinister strangers, Garron and the Graff Vynda Ka. Who are they? Is Garron simply a shady confidence-trickster dealing in interplanetary real estate? Is the Graff Vynda Ka just a power-crazed exile bent on revenge? Or are they both really agents of the Black Guardian, intent upon seizing the precious Key in order to throw the Universe into eternal chaos?   Risking his life within the monster-infested catacombs of Ribos, the Doctor has to use all his wit and ingenuity to find out...   John Leeson, who provided the voice of K9 in the original 1978 TV serial, reads Ian Marter’s complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1979.

Doctor Who And The Ribos Operation

Una McCormack

‘They called it Enamour. It turned minds, sold merchandise, and swayed elections. And it did its job far too well...’   In the city-state of Geath, the King lives in a golden hall, and the people want for nothing. Everyone is happy and everyone is rich. Or so it seems.   When the Doctor, Amy and Rory look beneath the surface, they discover a city of secrets. In dark corners, strange creatures are stirring. At the heart of the hall, a great metal dragon oozes gold.  Then the Herald appears, demanding the return of her treasure...   And next come the gunships. The battle for possession of the treasure has begun, and only the Doctor and his friends can save the people of the city from being destroyed in the crossfire of an ancient civil war. But will the King surrender his new-found wealth? Or will he fight to keep it...?   Nicholas Briggs, the 'voice of the Daleks', reads this thrilling story featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the hit BBC TV series.

Doctor Who: The King's Dragon

William Shakespeare

Written over four hundred years ago, ‘Hamlet’ still remains one of the most powerful, influential and thrilling tragedies in the English language.   The story of Prince Hamlet and his quest for vengeance has been interpreted countless times on stage, film and television. With its riveting plot featuring murder and supernatural horror; and presenting possibly the most fascinating character in the history of drama, it never fails to enthral.   This BBC archive production from 1971 was produced by the renowned John Tydeman and features a cast of highly-regarded actors, with music from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Hamlet (Classic Radio Theatre)

Noël Coward

Judith Bliss is a famous actress who, after a string of successful roles, has retired to her country retreat. Missing the adulation of her public, she has has invited a fan over for a weekend of uninterrupted adoration - unaware that the rest of her family has company arriving too.   Hoping for a delightful weekend, the four unwitting visitors are subjected to the full force of the Bliss’s theatrical lifestyle...   Noël Coward’s sparkling comedy features a stellar cast including Millicent Martin, Maurice Denham and Julia Foster.   This recording was first issued on cassette in 1988.

Hay Fever (Classic Radio Theatre)

Mark Twain

In ‘Niagara’, the McWilliamses plan a day trip to those intrepid Falls to tramp exciting trails and meet some friendly Red Indians. But the best laid plans...   Read by Stuart Milligan and produced by Duncan Minshull. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Reading’ slot on BBC Radio 4 on 9 November 2010, to accompany the 'Autobiography of Mark Twain' (aired on ‘Book of the Week').

Mark Twain's Niagara (BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Reading)

In ‘The Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup’, a strange fever is afflicting the neighbourhood just as little Penelope begins to cough. Though the reason is hardly clear cut...   Read by Stuart Milligan and produced by Duncan Minshull. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Reading’ slot on BBC Radio 4 on 10 November 2010, to accompany the 'Autobiography of Mark Twain' (aired on ‘Book of the Week').

Mark Twain's The Experience Of The McWilliamses With Membranous Croup

In ‘The McWilliamses and The Burglar Alarm’ it becomes apparent that their home would be better off with a state of the art security device - if it works, that is...  Read by Stuart Milligan and produced by Duncan Minshull. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Reading’ slot on BBC Radio 4 on 9 November 2010, to accompany the 'Autobiography of Mark Twain' (aired on ‘Book of the Week').

Mark Twain's The McWilliamses And The Burglar Alarm (BBC Radio)

Alan Pollock

In 'This be the Verse', the poet Philip Larkin famously bemoans the impact parents have on their children. In ‘Philip and Sydney’, playwright, translator and screenwriter Alan Pollock uncovers some of the reasons why Larkin may have had such a profound sense of anguish.  In 1937, Philip Larkin's father, Sydney, took him on holiday to Germany. Sydney was Coventry's City Treasurer and had a keen interest in the Nazi regime. It was a holiday that Philip never spoke of. But, taking inspiration from Sydney's diaries, ‘Philip and Sydney’ imagines what might have happened during their trip.  With Pip Carter and Tim McInnerny in the title roles, the cast also stars Melody Grove, John Rowe, Sam Dale and Gunnar Cauthery. Directed by Kirsty Williams. First broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 11 June 2010.

Philip and Sydney

Matthew Solon

A BBC World Play written by Matthew Solon and directed by John Dryden.  On 15 September 2008, Lehman Brothers, one of the oldest and largest investment banks in the world, with its headquarters in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was the largest bankruptcy filed in US history and sent the already unstable global financial markets into an uncontrollable tailspin. Based on insider interviews, this 60-minute BBC Radio drama is a fictionalised reconstruction of what happened in one weekend.  Starring John Shea, John Rothman, Rob Campbell and Mark La Mara.  Winner of the Peabody Award, the Wincott Award for Programme of the Year and silver-winner in The Sony Awards' Drama Award.  A Goldhawk Essential Production recorded on location in New York.

The Day That Lehman Died

Rosemary Sutcliff

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s much-loved tale of honour, comradeship and courage.  Somewhere around the year 117AD, a Roman garrison called the Ninth Legion was ordered to put down an uprising among the Caledonian tribes. Four thousand men vanished without trace into the swirling mist of the north of Roman Britain.  Many years after their disappearance a young centurion, Marcus Aquila, decides to discover the truth about what happened to the legion and to its First Cohort Commander - his father.  This gripping dramatisation tells the story of Marcus’ often perilous journey as he searches to solve the mystery, and to bring back the symbol of the lost legion’s honour - their standard, the Eagle of the Ninth.  Now adapted as a major motion picture - ‘The Eagle’, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland - ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’ is a timeless tale that will thrill all listeners.  This recording was previously available on cassette.

The Eagle Of The Ninth

M.M. Kaye

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of M.M. Kaye’s epic novel of love and war.  M.M. Kaye’s masterwork is a vast, rich and vibrant tapestry of love and war that spans over twenty years, moving from the foothills of the Himalayas, to the burning plains, to the besieged British Mission in Kabul.  It begins in 1857 when, following the Indian Mutiny, young English orphan Ashton is disguised by his ayah Sita as her Indian son, Ashok. As he forgets his true identity, his destiny is set...  A story of divided loyalties and fierce friendship; of true love made impossible by class and race; a critique of the imperialist adventure; and an examination of the cultural and spiritual clash between East and West, ‘The Far Pavilions’ is a searing insight into the human heart.  Vineeta Rishi (‘The Last Detective’) stars as Sita and the Narrator, with Blake Ritson as Ashok/Ashton and Ayesha Dharker as Anjuli.

The Far Pavilions

Anneliese Mackintosh

Ronald Frame

Diana Hendry

A collection of three comic tales from BBC Radio 4, ‘The Greengrocer’s Apostrophe’, inspired by those hand-written signs offering ‘Apple's and Banana's’ which can be found in every town in Britain. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Reading’ slots from 28-30 September 2010.  ‘Penny's from Heaven’ by Anneliese Mackintosh: James Anthony Pearson reads a quirky story about the apostrophe that ends a relationship. Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.  ‘Alice, Hanging in There’ by Ronald Frame: When Alice's high-flying career stalls, she finds a novel way to occupy her time. Armed only with a balaclava and a pot of paint, she starts to vent her anger on sloppy punctuation. Read by Tracy Wiles. Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.  ‘The Sweet Possessive´ by Diana Hendry: Distracted by an apostrophe obsession, a woman fails to notice that her lover is not all that he seems. Read by Monica Gibb. Produced by Eilidh McCreadie.

The Greengrocer's Apostrophe

Melissa Murray

A BBC Radio 4 fictional dramatisation of Léon Theremin’s espionage work in the lead up to the Cold War, written by Melissa Murray. ‘Theremin’ was originally broadcast as the ‘Saturday Play’ on 3 January 2009 and repeated on 9 October 2010.  Léon Theremin, gifted inventor and reluctant spy, is forced to find a way to bug the US Embassy in London. Now he has to save himself and his former lover from both the CIA and the KGB.  Starring Tom Hollander as Theremin and Kate Ashfield as Alex. Also featured in the cast are Ania Sowinski, Trystan Gravelle, Stephen Critchlow, Malcolm Tierney, Janice Acquah, Jonathan Tafler, Chris Pavlo and Dan Starkey. Directed by Marc Beeby.

Theremin

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast production

Three of Mark Twain’s classic short stories, originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Reading’ slot on BBC Radio 4 from 9 - 11 November 2010, to accompany the 'Autobiography of Mark Twain' (aired on ‘Book of the Week'). Read by Stuart Milligan.  Twain’s classic short stories, with their familiar trademarks of high farce and droll insight, bring us eccentric burglars, cossetted children, and a visitor to a theme park obsessed with the making of mocassins. And also torrents of water...  ‘The McWilliamses and The Burglar Alarm’: Surely their home would be better off with a state of the art security device - if it works, that is...  ‘The Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup’: A strange fever is afflicting the neighbourhood, just as little Penelope begins to cough. Though the reason is hardly clear cut...  ‘Niagara’: Hooray, it's a day trip to those intrepid Falls, to tramp exciting trails and meet some friendly Red Indians. But the best laid plans...  Read by Stuart Milligan and produced by Duncan Minshull.

Three Stories By Mark Twain The McWilliamses And The Burglar

David Cook

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Sir Ian McKellen, written by David Cook as follow-up to his 1982 Channel 4 social commentary drama, ‘Walter’, about a man with learning difficulties. ‘Walter Now’ was originally broadcast as the ‘Saturday Play’ on 10 January 2009 and repeated on 25 September 2010.  In November 1982, Channel 4 launched with David Cook’s ‘Walter’. Now, more than 25 years later, this award-winning writer brings us up to date with Walter's life and Sir Ian McKellen recreates his extraordinary performance.  Walter is now a pensioner. Following the death of his mother, Walter spent many years living in a psychiatric hospital. When that was closed down he moved to hostel accommodation where he is isolated and lonely. When his support worker hears of a house share with three others, he suggests Walter. But Walter is twice the age of the rest. Will they accept him? Will he cope with independent living? Will they integrate with the community around them?  Also stars Becky Hindley, Malcolm Tierney, Anna-Marie Heslop, Robert Londsdale, Gunnar Cauthery, Edmund Davies, Jill Cardo and Ceallach Spellman. Directed by Claire Grove.

Walter Now (BBC Radio 4 Saturday Play)

David Nobbs

A wonderfully perceptive BBC Radio 4 comedy of manners and international relations written by David Nobbs (writer of 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin' and 'A Bit of a Do'). Originally broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 24 September 2010.  It is a quiet Saturday morning in the Hinchcliffe home. Tony and Sal, tired after a week of work, have time on their hands. But not for each other. Middle-aged and middle class, they haven't had kids and they still feel that emotional vacuum.  The doorbell rings. It is an American couple - Monty and Janey - a rather loud duo they stayed with in Delaware years ago. They said, ‘If ever you happened to be passing...’ Well, the Americans are passing and they have no hotel booked. To Tony's horror Sal invites them to stay. Well, it's only polite isn't it?  Once Monty and Janey are settled the doorbell goes again. It is Jan and Hilda, the Flemish Belgian couple from Bruges. They kindly helped when Janey had a migraine in Bruges. Even fed them some waterzooi (Flemish stew). In gratitude Sal and Tony said, ‘If ever you happened to be passing...’  Then the doorbell goes again - it is Pierre and Colette, French Belgians who helped them in Namur when Sal was sick over a Saab because she had eaten some cloying Flemish stew. In gratitude they said, ‘If ever you happened to be passing...’  So polite Tony and Sal have a house full. The Americans are loud and pompous and the Belgians loathe each other. But when Colette and Jan find themselves drawn to one another, the ensuing, messy crisis precipitates a reassessment of all the couples' patterns of behaviour.  With James Nickerson as Tony and Olwen May as Sal. Also starring in the cast are Kerry Shale, Malcolm Raeburn, Maggie Fox, Melissa Jane Sinden, Szilvi Naray-Davey and Hugo Chandor. Directed by Gary Brown.

We Happened to Be Passing

Malcolm Hulke

Mud, barbed wire, the smell of death... The year is 1917 and the TARDIS has materialised on the Western Front during the First World War. Or has it? For very soon the Doctor finds himself pursued by the soldiers of Ancient Rome; and then he and his companions are reliving the American Civil War of 1863. And is this really Earth, or just a mock-up created by the War Lords?   As Doctor Who solves the mystery, he has to admit he is faced with an evil of such magnitude that he cannot combat it on his own - he has to call for the help of his own people, the Time Lords. So, for the first time, it is revealed who is Doctor Who - a maverick Time Lord who 'borrowed' the TARDIS without permission. By appealing to the Time Lords he gives away his position in Time and Space. Thus comes about the Trial of Doctor Who...   David Troughton reads Malcolm Hulke's complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1979.

Doctor Who And The War Games

Oli Smith

‘My watch is running backwards.’ Colorado, 1981. The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in Appletown - an idyllic village in the remote American desert where the townsfolk go peacefully about their suburban routines. But when two more strangers arrive, things begin to change. The first is a mad scientist - whose warnings are cut short by an untimely and brutal death. The second is the Doctor... As death falls from the sky, the Doctor is trapped. The TARDIS is damaged, and the Doctor finds he is living backwards through time. With Amy and Rory being hunted through the suburban streets of the Doctor’s own future and getting farther away with every passing second, he must unravel the secrets of Appletown before time runs out... Nicholas Briggs, the 'voice of the Daleks' in Doctor Who, reads this thrilling adventure featuring the Doctor, Amy and Rory, as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: Nuclear Time

Johnny Morris

Sixteen more charming animal stories, read by everyone's favourite zookeeper.   The tales are: 1. Winkle, the Zoo Cat, is lost and found. 2. Nibble, the Squirrel, has his revenge. 3. The arrival of Otto, the German Giraffe. 4. Coconut, the Orang-Utan, has fun with the lawn. 5. Otto and Georgina, the Giraffes, give their tongues a rest. 6. Bernard, the Baboon, and clever Little Titch. 7. Side-splitter, the Kookaburra, gives the game away. 8. Fanfare, the Peacock, sounds the alarm. 9. Half-a-tick, the Mongoose, is ‘egged’ on. 10. Dago, the Capybara, becomes established. 11. Ever-so-teeny and Ever-so-weeny, the Harvest Mice. 12. Hilda, the Ostrich, is annoyed. 13. Private Eye, the Vulture, gives a consultation. 14. The Budgerigars’ Record Book. 15. Small Change, the Guinea-pig, tries hard. 16. Trit-Trot, the Pony, over-turns his cart.   Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now reissued on CD as as downloads. Guidance: as this contains archive/offair material the sound quality may vary.

Johnny Morris Reads More Bedtime Stories (Vintage Beeb)

Michael Butt

Towards the end of his unique career, movie star Peter Lorre found himself at the centre of an unusual legal case. Incorporating verbatim extracts from the court transcripts, Michael Butt's play wonders what was going through Lorre's troubled mind as he fought to protect his name and identity.  Features a cast including Stephen Greif as Peter Lorre, Peter Marinker as Lester Salkow, Kerry Shale as Robert Shutan and John Chancer as Curtis Gemmil. Also starring Helen Longworth, Kenneth Collard, Nathan Osgood and John Rowe. Directed by Toby Swift. Originally broadcast as the ‘Afternoon Play’ on 10 May 2010.

Peter Lorre vs. Peter Lorre

David Eldridge

Neil decides he has been pushed too far by the uncaring and often callous behaviour he sees around him. But when he begins to intervene in incidents by taking pictures on his mobile phone, it has disastrous consequences.  Starring Martin Freeman as Neil, Heather Craney as Janine, Emil Marwa as Hussein and Peter Marinker as George. Also included in the cast are Jake Harders, Ania Sowinkski,  Bailey Pepper, Joseph Tremain, Anna Bengo, Laura Molyneux, Alex Lanipekun and Ben Crowe. Directed by Sally Avens. Originally broadcast in the ‘Drama on 3’ slot on 6 January 2008.

Picture Man, The (BBC Radio 3 Drama On 3)

Intellectually brilliant, cultured and sophisticated, with refined tastes in art, music and cuisine. And a pure sociopath. This is the series that launched the world’s number one villain – Hannibal Lecter.

Hannibal Lecter

Happy Families

Harlem Renaissance Series

Harold Fry

Harry Hole

Harry and the Dinosaurs

Hatchimals

Hattie B, Magical Vet

Hawk series

Hawthorne

Heart Hassle

Heartland Trilogy

Heaven Official's Blessing

Heavenly Bodies

Henry Pratt is the epitomy of the great British underdog. Nothing is ever simple in his world, just when it seems things are going right, life throws him another unwanted curve-ball. Join Pratt as he traverses the highs and lows of everyday life in this comic masterpiece.

Henry Pratt

Her Hidden Fire

To some a brilliant warrior, to others a devil in human form; Hereward is as adept in the art of slaughter as the enemies that gather to claim England's throne. With King Edward heirless and ailing, Hereward has been declared an outlaw. What is he willing to risk in order to save the land he loves? 
 
Hereward's tales are of heroism, treachery, rebellion and bloody battles, with William the Bastard never too far away.

Hereward

Heroes of Olympus

Heroes of Olympus Graphic Novels

Hetty Feather was left at a foundling hospital when she was a tiny baby. Having grown up in a loving foster family until she was five, and then finding herself returned to the hospital, she begins to question who her actual family are, and is determined to stop at nothing to find out where she came from. Jacqueline Wilson’s acclaimed series follows Hetty and her friend Diamond as they work their way up from their lowly backgrounds to become stars, overcoming loss, unkind bosses and flirtatious boys.

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