Alexandra McCollum grew up in rural northeast Ohio and now lives in Nevada with their husband and dog. Among other jobs, they’ve worked in a bakery in Austria, managed a coffee shop in Ohio, and taught high school in Las Vegas. When not writing, they can be found studying languages and exploring local coffeehouses in search of the perfect americano.

Alexandra McCollum

A graduate of Yale University, Alexandra Oliva grew up in a small town deep in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School University and undertook intensive wilderness survival training while researching The Last One. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their brindled mutt, Codex. The Last One is her first novel.

Alexandra Oliva

John Peel was born the day before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. His 38-year career as a radio DJ is the stuff of legend and the bands he went on to discover too numerous to mention, though David Bowie, Roxy Music, T Rex, Genesis, Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, Radiohead and the White Stripes would do as a start. He lived in Suffolk with his wife Sheila and their children William, Thomas, Alexandra and Florence, plus various dogs and cats, until his death in October 2004.

Alexandra Ravenscroft

Alexandra Shulman

ALEXANDRA SOVERAL founded her award-winning eponymous skin care line in 2005, where she still hand-blends every product. Originally from Portugal, Alexandra moved to London 1987 to study Philosophy of Science, before dedicating her research to Anatomy, Physiology and Chemistry, becoming a respected skin specialist and product formulator for high quality brands.

Alexandra Soveral

Alexandra Wood

Born in 1986, Alexandra Zelman-Doring is a graduate of Brown, Columbia, and Oxford Universities. She is a poet, playwright, and actor, and recent co-founder of Throes Theater (www.throestheater.com). Based in New York City, she lives with her husband, clarinet player Naum Goldenstein.

Alexandra Zelman-Doring

Alexandre Antonelli is Director of Science of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he leads the work of over 350 scientists. A botanist by training, he was made Full Professor of Biodiversity at University of Gothenburg in Sweden aged 36, and founded the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre and served as Cisneros Visiting Scholar at Harvard University before joining Kew. He remains an active researcher at the University of Gothenburg and the University of Oxford in the UK. This is his first book.

Alexandre Antonelli

Alexander Dumas was born in 1802 at Villes-Cotterets. He received very little education but when he entered the household of the future king, Louis-Philippe, he began to read veraciously and then to write. In 1839 he began writing novels dealing with the wars of religion and the Revolution, but he is most remembered for his historical novels, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

Alexandre Dumas

Alexandria Bellefleur is a bestselling and award-winning author of swoony contemporary romance often featuring loveable grumps and the sunshine characters who bring them to their knees. Her debut novel, Written in the Stars, was a 2021 Lambda Literary Award winner and a 2020 winner of The Ripped Bodice Awards for Excellence in Romantic Fiction.

Alexandria Bellefleur

ALEXEI NAVALNY was a Russian opposition leader, an anti-corruption campaigner, and political prisoner who won international recognition and respect. His many international honours included the Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament’s annual human rights prize. He died in 2024.

Alexei Navalny

Alexei Sayle

Alexi Zentner

Alexia Casale is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, as well as a script consultant and specialist human rights editor. Her young adult novel, The Bone Dragon, was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize and her first adult novel, The Best Way to Bury Your Husband, set the darkly comic stage for her adult fiction. This is her second adult novel.

Alexia Casale

Alexina Anatole is a chef, presenter, and writer based in London. After reaching the final of MasterChef in 2021, she made a brave career change from the trading floor to the food world. Her debut cookbook – Bitter – was published by Square Peg, Vintage in September 2023 to critical acclaim from the likes of Nigella Lawson, Rukmini Iyer, and Waterstones. Anatole also writes Small Wins, a Substack newsletter that enhances your cooking and your life in small, manageable ways. She has been featured on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, and BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme as well as social media platforms including MOB and TopJaw. She also runs sell-out events, including Sel, London’s most intimate supper club, and Cocoa POP, a chocolate-themed pop-up with chocolatier Octavia Lamb. Alexina is of mixed heritage: the granddaughter of chicken farmers from Cambridgeshire and Saint Lucian grandparents who arrived in London during the Windrush.

Alexina Anatole

Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.

Alexis Calder

Alexis Deacon graduated from the University of Brighton, where he studied Illustration, gaining a first class honours degree. Alexis Deacon was one of Booktrust's ten Best New Illustrators in 2008, and Beegu was a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Alexis lives in London.

Alexis Deacon

Alexis G Aïnouz

Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft and cosmic horror. Growing up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. Her acclaimed adult books include The Year of the Witching, House of Hunger and An Academy for Liars. Her debut YA novel, When I Was Death, publishes in March 2026.

Alexis Henderson

Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Born and raised in Yorkshire, Alexis moved to Cardiff where she completed a degree in print-making. She went on to exhibit in and around Wales and Leeds and has had two art residencies. After a stint working as a cook, Alexis moved to London with her small, second-hand printing press and began print-making again. Alexis works in lino which she cuts by hand. For inspiration, she looks to old matchbox covers, record sleeves, tea boxes, postcards, explorers, the circus and films. She has since moved back to Yorkshire, where she works from her studio. Alexis has designed many book covers and illustrated Dr Who: Twelve Angels Weeping but The Bear in the Stars is her first book as an author-illustrator.

Alexis Snell

Alexis Soyer

Alexis Stickland is a midwife, antenatal teacher and mother of three children who has been supporting new mums and their families for over 12 years. She was motivated by her own personal experience to team up with her friend and colleague Beccy Hands to launch The Motherbox – a company that delivers beautiful boxes of nourishing treats and self-care advice to new mums.

Alexis Stickland

Alexis Tocqueville

Alexis Zegerman

Alexis de Tocqueville

Alf Proysen

Alfie Boe

Alfie Moore

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Stephen Cole

The TARDIS lands the Doctor and Martha in the Lake District in 1909, where a small village has been terrorised by a giant, scaly monster. The search is on for the elusive 'Beast of Westmorland', and explorers, naturalists and hunters from across the country are descending on the fells. King Edward VII himself is on his way to join the search, with a knighthood for whoever finds the Beast.   But there is a more sinister presence at work in the Lakes than a mere monster on the rampage, and the Doctor is soon embroiled in the plans of an old and terrifying enemy.   As the hunters become the hunted, a desperate battle of wits begins - with the future of the entire world at stake...   Featuring the Doctor and Martha, as played by David Tennant and Freema Agyeman in the hit series from BBC Television. The story is read by Reggie Yates, who played Leo Jones in the series.

Doctor Who: Sting Of The Zygons

Ken Dodd

The Squire of Knotty Ash waves his tickling stick in these four inimitable BBC Radio episodes. 
Welcome to Doddy&#39;s world of whimsy, where the puns fly thick and fast, and the quips are as surreal as they are saucy. 

With mirth-quaking jokes and a juggernaut of japes, Ken Dodd gives us his own unique take on topics as diverse as the European Union, sport, the good things in life and people who have shocked the world. There are also favourite Doddy ballads, including &#39;Because of You&#39;, &#39;Morning Please Don’t Come&#39; and &#39;Love Me with All of Your Heart&#39;. 

In this feast of entertainment, join Doddy and just suppose what life would be like if everything were topsy-turvy, or there was no such thing as different sexes. Find out who&#39;s making history in the Brown Ale Book of Records, and examine last week&#39;s news and events with the Hindsight Team. And ponder the great questions of life with Professor Chuckabutty - like, do electricians flex their muscles? Should we be ruled by Brussels, or leeks? Is tossing the caber just a clever Scotsman&#39;s way of getting a stolen telegraph pole home? 

Featuring special guests including Gretchen Franklin, Jo Manning Wilson, Hugh Paddick and Talfryn Thomas, this is a star-studded extravaganza that makes &#39;Gone with the Wind&#39; seem like a hiccup.

The Ken Dodd Show

Daphne du Maurier

Here is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Daphne du Maurier's classic tale of horror. The idea for this famous story came to du Maurier one day when she was walking across to a farm from her house. She saw a farmer busily ploughing a field while above him the seagulls were diving and wheeling. She developed an idea about the birds becoming hostile and attacking him.In her story, the birds become hostile after a harsh winter with little food. First the seagulls, then birds of prey, and finally even small birds all turn against mankind. The nightmarish vision appealed to Alfred Hitchcock, who turned it into the celebrated film. 
©2014 Audible, Inc. (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

The Birds

Vikram Seth

A Suitable Boy is now a major 2020 BBC TV series, and one of the BBC's 100 novels that shaped our world. 
 
The award-winning BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Vikram Seth's masterpiece 
 
'The drama highlight of the year...this sumptuous production, wonderfully atmospheric, written with pace and performed, by an all-Indian cast, quite superbly. The novel may be vast but I was convinced by this version right from the start. Magnificent drama' - Radio Times 
 
A Suitable Boy is Vikram Seth's epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly-observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. 
 
The story unfolds through four middle-class families - the Mehras, Kapoors, Khans and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from her mother to get married. But not to just anyone she happens to fall in love with. There are standards to be met and finding a husband for Lata becomes a family affair in which all the members are to play a part. The characters struggle, they try to buck the system, to break free of restraint, of interference - but ultimately their strength and sense of being comes from their family and friends. It is a celebration of ordinariness; a beautifully composed story that is an affirmation of family and friendship. 
 
In his sweeping epic, Vikram Seth has created an entire world filled with warmth, humour, pathos, tragedy - in short, life. Recorded on location in India, A Suitable Boy is made by the production team behind the award-winning Bleak House and The Handmaid's Tale. 
 
Shortlisted for the Irish Times International Fiction Prize, 1993. 
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1994. 
Winner of the WH Smith Literary Award, 1994. 
 
Dramatised and directed by John Dryden. A Goldhawk Production.

A Suitable Boy

It's That Man Again is a giant in the history of radio comedy. As Mat Coward's book Classic Radio Comedy says, "Surely the most written-about radio series in history, it was successful to an extent which is hard to imagine today. Its international audience was measured in the tens of millions. Its star, Tommy Handley, was undoubtedly the most popular performer, in any field, ever known in Britain."

It's That Man Again Volume 1

Andy Lane

When Torchwood track an energy surge to a Cardiff nightclub, the team finds the police are already at the scene. Five teenagers have died in a fight, and lying among the bodies is an extraterrestrial device.    Next morning, they discover the corpse of a Weevil, its face and neck eaten away, seemingly by human teeth. And on the streets of Cardiff, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary hunger is attacking people and eating her victims.   The job of a lifetime it might be, but working for Torchwood is putting big strains on Gwen's relationship with Rhys. While she decides to spice up their love life with the aid of alien technology, Rhys decides it's time to sort himself out - better music, healthier food, lose some weight. Luckily, a friend has mentioned Doctor Scotus's weight-loss clinic...   Read by Burn Gorman, who plays Owen Harper, this thrilling adventure by Andy Lane features Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones, as played by John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Naoko Mori and Gareth David-Lloyd in the hit series from BBC Television.   Contains adult themes and language.

Torchwood: Slow Decay

Andrew Cunningham

This major new Radio 4 series charts the development of Western medicine and healing from the ancient Greeks to the pioneering organ transplant operations of the 20th Century and beyond.   ‘The Making of Modern Medicine’ covers over 2000 years of medical history and draws on a vast range of original sources from diaries, medical journals and stage satires to shed light on the experiences of physicians, surgeons, nurses and patients.   From classical beliefs about illness that would dominate medical thinking for centuries, through to the rise of the great hospitals and the work of the Renaissance anatomists, this fascinating and entertaining series reveals how, in the early 19th Century, modern scientific medicine was born out of a medical ‘Big Bang’ erupting from the white heat of the French Revolution, which would lead to clinical medicine as we know it today.   Written and presented by Andrew Cunningham, an authority on social and scientific medical history, it includes a wide variety of highly illustrative extracts read by acclaimed actors including Tamsin Greig, Annette Badland, David Rintoul and Peter Capaldi.   Whether you’re interested in what it was like to be ill in earlier times, the emergence of women in medicine, the advent of the stethoscope, or the development of antibiotic treatment, this series offers an entertaining and thought-provoking insight into these and many other medical issues.

The Making Of Modern Medicine

Ronnie Taylor

Described by Radio Times as "a brilliant observer of the domestic scene, a master reporter of life as we know it", Al Read's weekly show drew audiences of 35 million during the 1950s and 60s.Born in Salford in 1909, Al started life as a sausage manufacturer, having inherited the family's meat-processing factory. His comedy developed from his sales patter and after-dinner speeches, and he described his humour as "pictures of life". He drew on his working-class roots to come up with catchphrases such as "Right Monkey" and "You'll be lucky, I'll say, you'll be lucky". The rich Northern humour stands the test of time, as this collection of four shows from the 50s hilariously demonstrates. 
©2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

The Al Read Show

John Wyndham

Two classic tales from acclaimed British science fiction writer John Wyndham. In The Chrysalids, ten-year-old David is a happy, ordinary boy, untroubled except for occasional strange dreams about a mysterious city – until he befriends Sophie, who is unlike anybody he has met before: she has six toes. But, in the ultra-religious village of Waknut, all abnormality is abhorred as an offence against God, and he must keep her secret to himself. When he learns that he, too, is ‘deviant’, he realises that differences can be very dangerous indeed... Survival, set in the future, concerns the first auto-piloted space flight. When the ship meets with an accident, one of the passengers is killed and the others are cast adrift into space. They have enough supplies to last for three months – but the only woman on board, Alice Morgan, is pregnant, and needs extra rations. Then, food starts to go missing from the larder. What lengths will the passengers go to in order to survive? Stephen Garlick, Susan Sheridan, John Moffatt and Nicholas Courtney star in these two disturbing stories about the darker side of human nature. This CD release also includes a detailed sleeve note recounting the making of the radio adaptations, written by Andrew Pixley.

The Chrysalids & Survival

Classic Radio Sci-Fi

Driving back from a weekend in London, Richard and Janet Gayford are surprised to find the village of Midwich sealed off because of ‘army manoeuvres’. There are no birds singing, the air seems thick and there is a strange sort of music in the air. It soon becomes clear that there is an invisible wall around the village, and everyone within the perimeter is unconscious.   When the barrier lifts, the strange occurrence is put down to a gas leak. The villagers seem to have suffered no adverse effects from their ‘day out’ - until, some months later, there is an epidemic of pregnancies among the women.   All the babies are born on the same day, all have golden eyes - and they can all communicate with each other telepathically. As they grow older and their powers grow stronger, the people of Midwich begin to feel threatened...

The Midwich Cuckoos

Michael Palin

Eric Idle

Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones star in this innovative and groundbreaking series which includes 19 of their best sketches.   From the memorable 'Nudge Nudge Wink Wink' to the celebrated 'Dead Parrot Sketch', there’s also the hairdresser with a fear of hair who really wanted to be a lumberjack in 'Barber Shop Sketch' and the 'Lumberjack Song'. Also featuring among many timeless classics are leading figures from the Third Reich, who fetch up in a B&amp;B in the West Country, and the famous composer who only has one shed but did once think of getting a second...   Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now reissued on CD and as downloads.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Hugh Cunningham

Written by Hugh Cunningham and presented by award-winning children's author Michael Morpurgo, this genuinely ground-breaking history of British childhood teaches us about the key elements that have shaped children's lives. The Invention of Childhood explores how gender, geography and ethnicity has impacted the development of children throughout the ages. Beginning from the year 1000, Cunningham studies the many important events in history for our children, ranging from Britain's earliest child-care guru in the Middle Ages to the first ever Foundling Hospital in the 18th Century. This hugely enjoyable piece of teaching that delves into the idea of how childhood has been constantly reinvented through the centuries, and why the role of children in society continues to obsess us today. 
 
Fascinating and thought-provoking, it will appeal to parents, grandparents and anyone who has ever been a child themselves.

The Invention Of Childhood

John Peel

Sheila Ravenscroft

Includes the BBC Radio 4 serialisation of ‘Margrave of the Marshes’, John Peel’s part-written autobiography completed by his wife, Sheila Ravenscroft and read by Michael Angelis and Carolyn Pickles. John Peel was one such, whose contribution to British culture is undeniable. His 40-year career on Radio 1 and Radio 4 reached a huge and diverse audience, and he influenced the musical tastes of millions.   Guaranteed to appeal to all John Peel’s many devoted fans, this release is a perfect reminder of the genius of a man many regarded as the best DJ ever.

John Peel Remembered Margrave Of The Marshes

Francis Durbridge

In a thrilling case that takes Paul and Steve to exotic Egypt, Paul Temple is called in to investigate a mysterious murder. The twisting trail takes them from London to the back streets and nightclubs of Cairo...   From 1938 to 1969 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC radio’s most popular serials. They inhabited a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - and where Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard always needed Paul’s help with a tricky case.   Now Paul Temple is being brought into the 21st century in this eight-part recording of a lost archive Paul Temple mystery, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson. This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the incidental music from the missing 1947 production. As far as possible, it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded had its recording survived.

Paul Temple And The Sullivan Mystery

Dylan Thomas

A quizzical look at the life and legend of celebrated poet Dylan Thomas, through the critical eyes of the infamous Chelsea Hotel. In Room 206 of the Chelsea Hotel in New York, Dylan Thomas went into the coma that led to his death. On this particular night, listening to its own ghosts and memories, the Chelsea hotel encounters Dylan Thomas. Together they chart the path of the poet's life, from the inspired work of his early years to a gradual decline into alcohol which culminated in the pathetic boast 'I have just had 18 whiskies. I think that is the record', before his final collapse. For the Chelsea, the wild behaviour, the addictions and the indulgences are irrelevant if they accompany artistic exploration. What is harder to forgive is excess to the point of destroying a unique talent. Written by D.J. Britton.

Chelsea Dreaming

Dylan Thomas is one of the 20th century's most celebrated poets. His rich rhetoric created poems of magical imagery, and nowhere is language more rich and fantastic than in his best-known work, 'Under Milk Wood'. He was also a popular radio entertainer and the BBC Archives contain a wealth of material featuring Dylan Thomas - not only readings of his own work, but also dramatic readings of other work such as 'Dr Faustus'. These, together with interviews with the poet, form a fascinating audio portrait of a brilliant man. Presented by Paul Ferris, biographer of Thomas and editor of his letters.Includes: ‘The Hand that Signed the Paper’ (18.10.38), ‘Return Journey to Swansea’ (15.6.47), poems (24.9.49, 26.10.52, 25.9.50) and prose: (3.11.52, 17.6.53, 5.10.53, 5.11.53).

Dylan Thomas At The BBC

Lewis Carroll

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Roy Hudd, Sarah-Jane Holm and David Bamber.   When Alice sees the White Rabbit run by, it occurs to her that she’s never seen a rabbit with a watch before. Burning with curiosity, she jumps up and follows him into a rabbit-hole. Then she falls down a long way.   Down into the world of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle. Down into Wonderland, where an ordinary little girl can have the most extraordinary adventures.   These audio editions, especially dramatised for BBC Radio, are of timeless stories that have enchanted generations of readers both young and old. The wonder and excitement of these much-loved tales live on in these acclaimed full-cast dramatisations, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman’s unique relationship with the BBC left a lasting legacy of poetry, readings and performances. A First Class Collection features a selection of some of his most memorable and best-loved poetry. Betjeman was one of the best-known and loved Poet Laureates and over a hundred years after his birth he continues to attract acclaim and admiration. Some of his fascinating BBC Archive recordings can be enjoyed again in this specially selected collection of poetry. A First Class Collection includes the poet’s own readings of some of his most popular works, introduced by Andrew Motion, as well as readings specially commissioned for BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please and exclusive readings from actors Derek Jacobi, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Susan Jameson and Samuel West.

John Betjeman A First Class Collection

L. Frank Baum

Maureen Lipman and Patrick Barlow star in a full-cast dramatisation of the classic children's tale. When Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away from Kansas by a cyclone, they arrive in the strange land of the Munchkins. Setting off on a magical journey, they are befriended by the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, all of whom join Dorothy's quest to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Barbara Barnes, Philip Franks, Patrick Barlow, Bradley Lavelle and Kerry Shale also star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation. The wonder and excitement of L Frank Baum's unforgettable story live on in this full-cast dramatisation, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

The Wizard Of Oz

Alistair Cooke

Bringing the United States during World War II dramatically to life, this title presents an introduction to the challenges that faced America at the start of a war long thought avoidable. 
©2006 The Estate of Alistair Cooke (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

Alistair Cooke's American Journey Life On The Home Front In The Second World War

Mark Jones

‘We Churchills die at forty,’ said Winston in 1908, ‘and I want to put something more on the slate before then.’ By the time he died in 1965, the slate was full.  From his earliest days Churchill was an ambitious character, eager for action. He achieved fame and popularity through his dispatches from the Boer War, and in 1900 was elected MP for Oldham. Until the outbreak of war in 1939 Churchill was loved and loathed in equal measure. Critics and supporters alike recognised his vision, but often questioned his judgement. In the thirties, his out-of-touch views on subjects such as Indian nationalism meant that his warnings on German militarism were not taken seriously.   On the day Churchill took office as Prime Minister, Hitler invaded the Low Countries; by mid-June France had fallen. A lesser man would have been overwhelmed. Even his opponents do not doubt his greatness as a leader during the Second World War. But the 1945 election brought a shock defeat. Despite this setback, in 1951 at the age of 77 he returned to serve a second term as Prime Minister.   'Churchill Remembered' draws on a wealth of archive broadcasts by, among others, Robert Boothby, Violet Bonham Carter, Nancy Astor, Oswald Mosley and Churchill himself, and encompasses the whole of his extraordinary life.

Churchill Remembered

Jacqueline Rayner

Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realises that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to Ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture. While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future - a girl whose predictions are surprisingly accurate. But then the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for... Read by the Tenth Doctor himself, this thrilling adventure features the Doctor and Rose as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. Also included is an exclusive bonus interview with the author, Jacqueline Rayner, conducted by David Darlington of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who: The Stone Rose

Dorothy L. Sayers

When copywriter Victor Dean falls to his death on the stairs of Pym's Advertising Agency, no one seems to mind. That is, until Lord Peter joins the firm incognito as Dean's replacement and starts asking questions which lead him into a network of blackmailers, drug pushers and one of the most deadly plots of crime fiction.   However, before the crimes can be solved and the truth revealed, five more people must die...  The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature’s most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers’ charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

Murder Must Advertise

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Production

Nigel Kneale

In the 1950s, the British public was gripped by three adult-oriented BBC science-fiction serials which became the keystone and benchmark for the genre on television. In many ways Professor Bernard Quatermass symbolised an era in which pioneering scientific discoveries encouraged both the hopes and the fears of a nation. Mixing extracts from the original BBC TV series with archive footage of real-life news events, interwoven with Nigel Kneales's narration and original drama segments, The Quatermass Memoirs looks at the genesis of the series, and how it was very much a product of its time. Now retired and living in the north of Scotland, Bernard Quatermass wants only to be left alone - but when a keen young reporter turns up at his door, for how long wil he manage to remain guarded about his past adventures?

Quatermass Memoirs, The

The dignified calm of the Bellona Club is shattered when Lord Peter Wimsey finds General Fentiman dead in his favourite chair. A straighforward death by natural causes? Perhaps... but why can no-one rememeber seeing the general the day he died? And who is the mysterious Mr Oliver? Lord Peter moves between London and Paris, salon and suburbs, to unfold the intriguing case.   The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature’s most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers’ charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club

P.G. Wodehouse

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Michael Hordern as Jeeves and Richard Briers as Wooster.  Steeple Bumphleigh is the sort of picturesque place where you can't throw a brick without hitting a honeysuckled cottage or beaning an apple-cheeked villager. But for Bertie Wooster, it is a place to be avoided, containing not only the appalling Aunt Agatha but also her husband, the terrifying Lord Worplesdon.   So when a certain amount of familial arm-twisting is applied, Bertie heads for the sticks in fear and trepidation despite the support of the irreplaceable Jeeves.   Still, there are good deeds to be done, like extricating 'Stilton' Cheesewright from the clutches of Florence Craye, a girl from whom Bertie himself only escaped by the slimmest of cat's whiskers.   But even Bertie is hideously unaware of the perils which lie in wait before the (accidentally) happiest of endings.

Jeeves Joy In The Morning

Gerard Hoffnung

Gerard Hoffnung was an artist, musician, broadcaster, raconteur - and genius. A true Renaissance Man, the multi-faceted Hoffnung crammed a great deal into his tragically short life.   Using much previously unreleased archive material, this audio biography, presented by Humphrey Lyttelton, looks at every aspect of his life and career. From his childhood in Berlin to his eventual fame as a musician and cartoonist, Hoffnung's unique comic vision shines through.   Here are golden moments from ‘Desert Island Discs’, ‘One Minute Please’ and ‘Saturday Night on the Light’, plus recollections from friends, contemporaries and his widow, Annetta. Contributors include Ian Hislop, Harry Enfield, John Dankworth, Flanders and Swann, and even Colin Dexter, recalling Hoffnung the schoolmaster. Sam Wanamaker and Joseph Horowitz remember the Hoffnung Festival Hall concerts, which featured compositions for vacuum cleaners, road rammers and a watering can. And, we hear Hoffnung in his own inimitable words, talking about his life, music and art... and telling the famous bricklayer story in his Oxford Union address.   The perfect showcase for Gerard's many talents, this is an essential addition to any Hoffnung fan's collection.

Hoffnung At Large

Leo Tolstoy

A thirty-five strong cast including Leo McKern as Kutuzov, Simon Russell Beale as Pierre Bezuhov, Emily Mortimer as Natasha Rostov and Gerard Murphy as Andrei Bolkonsky, brings all the passion and turbulence of Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece to the airwaves in this unique BBC Radio 4 dramatisation.   'Nine hours of blood-and-thunder period drama on a single disc has to be the best bargain around' - Guardian   ‘Excellent special effects and a haunting theme tune make it compulsive listening.’ - Independent

War And Peace

Alan Bennett

After a sell-out national tour and an extended stage run, Alan Bennett’s phenomenally successful play transferred to BBC Radio 3, with Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison and Frances de la Tour starring as part of the National Theatre cast. At a boys’ grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright sixth-formers is getting out, starting university – and starting life. At the heart of The History Boys are four characters, each with contrasting outlooks on teaching and school: Hector, an eccentric English teacher with no interest in exams; Irwin, a young supply teacher who sees history as ‘entertainment’; Mrs Lintott, a traditionalist, who teaches ‘history, not histrionics’; and a Headmaster obsessed with results. Described as ‘the richest play Bennett has ever written’ (Financial Times), staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence collide in an intensely moving and thought-provoking play. Winner of the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and South Bank Show Awards for Best New Play. ‘A superb, life-enhancing play’ – Guardian.

The History Boys

Judith Holder

Move over Grumpy Old Men - it's time for the Grumpy Old Women to have their say in this hilarious guide, read by the narrator of the BBC TV series Alison Steadman. OK, enough is enough. Grumpy Old Men have had their turn at complaining and now the Grumpy Old Women are taking over. It's about time the world knew what struggles and trials they have to go through. Not only do they multi-task in double figures every day, they have to learn to cope with their changing bodies (it's just not possible to wear kitten heels and sexy clothes without looking like a tart) and all those domestic goddesses don't help. And on top of all that, a lot them have their very own Grumpy Old Man to deal with. Sandwiched between the spoilt, lazy youth of today and the next generation up, these women are properly fed up. But they are also experienced, wise and serene, and it's about time their tirade against the world and their pearls of wisdom about coping with life's problems were heard. Especially as these women are really rather funny as well. As Sheila Hancock says, 'Who wants to be dreary old Snow White doing the housework when you can get all the laughs as Grumpy?' And laugh you will. Written with wit, style and sympathy and read by acclaimed actress Alison Steadman, this is sure to be a source of amusement to women everywhere - grumpy or otherwise.

Grumpy Old Women The Official Handbook

Ladybird Readers

Ladybird Sing-along Stories

Ladybird Tales

Ladybird Tales of... Treasuries

These delightful books are the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. 
 
The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the books will greatly appeal to grown-ups. 
 
The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Sheds 
 
- The Ladybird Book of The Hipster 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Hangover 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Dating 
 
- How it Works: The Husband 
 
- How it Works: The Wife

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