Alec Vidler

Alec Wilkinson

Aled Jones

Aleesha Nandhra

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 In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1974 his citizenship was revoked and he was expelled from the Soviet Union.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

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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

Mark Twain

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

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

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)

John Fletcher

John Fletcher’s BBC Radio 3 full-cast play explores the dramatic clash between three key historical figures: a warlord, a historian and a poet. Originally broadcast in Radio 3’s ‘Drama on 3’ slot on 16 November 2008.  As war swirls around them, three of the most important figures in the history of the Middle and Near East are brought together in fierce debate: how can a successful society be built, and what does it need to do to endure?  The play draws together Tamburlaine, conqueror of the world, and two of his contemporaries: Ibn Khaldun, the world's first sociologist, and Hafez, the great Sufi mystic and poet.     ‘Tamburlaine: Shadow of God’ is a blood-soaked history and a serious debate, exploring three very different views of the philosophy on which a successful society should be built, and the values it needs to espouse in order to endure.     Jeffery Kissoon plays Tamburlaine, John Rowe plays Ibn Khaldun with Conleth Hill as Hafez. The cast also includes Jonathan Taffler, Inam Mirza, Stephen Critchlow, Dan Starkey, Donna Hughes, Chris Pavlo, Gunnar Cauthery and Robert Lonsdale. Directed by Marc Beeby.

Tamburlaine Shadow Of God (BBC Radio 3 Drama On 3)

Various

From schooldays to summer holidays, and from childhood fantasies to nostalgic reminiscences, writers have provided us with a rich seam of children’s poetry over the years.This delightful selection brings over seventy poems together, from such celebrated poets as A.A. Milne, Kenneth Grahame, Hilaire Belloc, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edward Lear, Michael Rosen, Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, Allan Ahlberg, Spike Milligan and Rudyard Kipling.It mixes classic titles such as ‘The King’s Breakfast’, ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’, ‘Teeth’, ‘The Jumblies’ and ‘Jabberwocky’ with more recent entries including ‘First Day at School’, ‘Aliens Stole my Underpants’, ‘Talking Turkeys!!’ and ‘The Computer’s First Christmas Card’.Acknowledgments to: The Society of Authors as Literary Representative of the Estate of A.E. Housman, The Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare, and the Society of Authors as their representative.Poems by Charles Causley taken from 'Collected Poems 1951 – 2000', published by Macmillan. ‘A Child’s Calendar’ taken from 'Selected Poems' by George Mackay Brown, published by John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.‘The Grass House’ is from 'Out and About' Copyright 1988 Shirley Hughes.Recorded by permission of Walker Books Ltd., London.‘Don’t Call Alligator Long-Mouth Till You Cross River’ is from 'Say It Again, Granny!' by John Agard, published by Bodley Head. Reprinted by permission of the Random House Group Ltd. Two Ogden Nash poems used by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd. Copyright 1936 by Ogden Nash, renewed. All rights reserved.

The Nation's Favourite Children's Poems

Elisabeth Beresford

Join Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory, Madame Cholet and all the other Wombles in these six wonderful stories by Elisabeth Beresford. Snow falls on the common, there’s a visit from a Scottish cousin, Wellington finds a balloon, and Madame Cholet goes on extended leave – all with chaotic results!   ‘The MacWomble’s Pipe Band’, ‘The Snow Womble’, ‘Tomsk and the Tired Tree’, ‘Orinoco Runs Away’, ‘Wellington and the Blue Balloon’ and ‘Madame Cholet’s Picnic Party’ are all sure to delight listeners young and old, read by Bernard Cribbins, the voice of the much-loved TV series.   The original LP has been digitally remastered for this release.   Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now reissued on CD and as downloads.   Guidance: as this contains archive/offair material the sound quality may vary.

Womble Stories (Vintage Beeb)

Jack Rosenthal

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Jack Rosenthal’s award-winning television play, starring Hugo Raine.   At the tender age of thirteen Eliot Green is about to become a man - in the Jewish religion at least. In synagogue, in front of the whole congregation, he will read and sing in Hebrew from the Torah (the Hebrew scrolls) - this after a year of intensive tuition. Later he will enjoy receiving gifts from relatives and friends as he celebrates with them at his Bar Mitzvah party. All eyes are on Eliot as he is called up in synagogue for his big moment  This play along with many others established the late Jack Rosenthal as one of Britain’s best loved television writers. A master at creating characters that you could recognise and empathise with, his plays were always sharp and finely tuned with a rich helping of humour.  With a star cast including Tracy-Ann Oberman, David Horovitch, Andrew Sachs and Susannah Wise, this new version of Bar Mitzvah Boy is specially adapted for radio by Jack Rosenthal’s daughter, the playwright Amy Rosenthal, and is produced by David Ian Neville.

Bar Mitzvah Boy

A BBC Radio full-cast drama which tells a story of love and deception set during the Cold War. Written by Ronald Frame for BBC Radio Scotland and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of the 'Drama on 3' collection in September 2008.  Throughout the period of the Cold War in the late 1960s and early 1970s, 'romeo spies' were operating, targeting bright and susceptible young women. Alice Reeves, a young secretary from London, unwittingly becomes romantically involved with Otto Hanhart - an East German spy. The encounter leads to unexpected consequences for both parties, changing their lives forever.  Starring Clare Corbett as Alice Reeves and Jamie Glover as Otto Hanhart. Also included in the cast are Nick Sayce, Gunnar Cauthery, Stephen Critchlow, Cressida Trew, Dan Starkey and Liza Sadovy. Produced and directed by David Ian Neville.

Blue Wonder

Paul Magrs

The Doctor's return to Nest Cottage lands him in trouble when a key component from the TARDIS disappears. Mrs Wibbsey is unwittingly responsible, having exchanged it for a bag containing four curious objects. It seems that each one is a clue, and the beginning of a chase through Time. With the TARDIS not working properly, the Doctor and his housekeeper embark on a dangerous journey to Roman Sussex, 19th Century Paris, the snowy mountains of Eastern Europe and 1970s New York. Along the way they collect their old friend Mike Yates, and together the trio face the elusive, demonic being who keeps luring them on in their quest. It soon becomes clear that a trap has been laid for the Doctor - and a place reserved at his ultimate destination... Tom Baker stars as the Doctor, with Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, and a cast including Nigel Anthony, Finty Williams, Samuel West, Jan Francis, Carole Boyd, Lorelei King and Trevor White, in these five linked stories written by the acclaimed Paul Magrs.

Doctor Who Demon Quest: The Complete Series

Trapped underground, the Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey encounter a small boy who claims to be Aladdin, in search of a fabled lamp. He joins them on their own quest, to find a power source in this weird domain and switch it off. Many obstacles lie in their way. Vast rooms stuffed with exotic items give way to torch-lit tunnels and deadly precipices. Creatures of mythical proportions lie in wait. Peculiar atmospheres take their toll on them. Perhaps strangest of all, the Doctor’s multi-coloured scarf appears to take on a life of its own... As friends are separated and uneasy alliances are formed, the strange environment attempts to claim them. Will the Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey ever get back to Hexford? And will Aladdin discover who he really is? With Tom Baker as the Doctor, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Guy Harvey as Aladdin, Sophie Ward as the Storyteller, Terrence Hardiman as the Gryphon, Andrew Sachs as the Scarf, Simon Shepherd as the Magician, and Su Douglas as the Toad, Aladdin Time is the third of five linked stories written by Paul Magrs.

Doctor Who Serpent Crest 3: Aladdin Time

It’s been many months since the Doctor was in Hexford, and Mrs Wibbsey keenly feels his absence. As her grave suspicions about her new neighbour grow, she is in danger of becoming ostracised from village life. When Mike Yates turns up at Nest Cottage with a visitor in tow, Mrs Wibbsey’s life is turned even further upside down. Why has this strange new fellow appeared - and can he really be who Mike thinks he is? With UNIT watching the skies, and a strange forest growing daily around the village perimeter, it comes as little surprise when an enormous spaceship slides into view and dominates the skyline. Who is watching Hexford, and what do they want? Never has Mrs Wibbsey needed the Doctor more. But can she cope with two...? With Tom Baker as the Doctor, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Cornelius Garrett as Reverend Tonge, David Troughton as the Visitor, Nerys Hughes as Deirdre and Joanna Tope as Tish, The Hexford Invasion is the fourth of five linked stories written by Paul Magrs.

Doctor Who Serpent Crest 4: The Hexford Invasion

It has been three months since the Hexford catastrophe, and Mike Yates is trying to show strength of leadership to the villagers. But with morale low and supplies running out, it is increasingly difficult to keep his own hopes up. Unless somebody finds them soon, the future looks bleak. So when the TARDIS materialises on the village green, it seems that help has arrived at last. But with two Doctors apparently at large, there is still the small matter of what was buried under Nest Cottage - not to mention who is clamouring to break through the protective force field. Soon Hexford is under siege once again, and this time an ancient hunger will be sated. Time has run out for the keepers of the Skishtari egg... With Tom Baker as the Doctor, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Cornelius Garrett as Rev. Tonge, David Troughton as the Visitor, Nerys Hughes as Deirdre, Joanna Tope as Tish, Sam Hoare as Lucius and Paddy Wallace as the Tsar, Survivors in Space is the last of five linked stories written by Paul Magrs.

Doctor Who Serpent Crest 5: Survivors In Space

James Goss

‘Don’t be alarmed!’ the Doctor cried through gritted teeth, ‘It’s simply sucking the life out of me. Nothing to worry about...’ When the Doctor falls through a crack in time he finds himself in the Horizon Gallery. But it’s no ordinary art gallery, because this one has the best view of the most impossible wonder of the universe - the Paradox. Tour parties are eager to see this stunning, hypnotic portion of sky that’s beyond description, and it’s Penelope’s job to stop people staring up at it for too long. For the Paradox’s beauty drives people mad. The Doctor, Amy and Rory are about to discover that the Paradox also contains a giant and frightening creature with a taste for death... Written specially for audio by James Goss, The Art of Death features the Doctor, Amy and Rory as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. It is read by Raquel Cassidy, who played Miranda Cleave in the 2011 TV episodes 'The Rebel Flesh' and 'The Almost People'.

Doctor Who: The Art Of Death

Nigel Robinson

In a final bid to regain control of the TARDIS's faulty control system the Doctor is driven to experiment with a dangerous untried combination.   With a violent explosion the TARDIS blacks out and the crew find themselves trapped inside. A simple technical fault? Sabotage? Or something even more sinister? Tension mounts as the Doctor and his companions begin to suspect one another.   What has happened to the TARDIS? Slowly a terrifying suspicion dawns. Has the TARDIS become the prisoner of some powerful fifth intelligence which is even now haunting the time-machine's dark and gloomy corridors?   William Russell, who played the Doctor's companion Ian in the original TV serial, reads Nigel Robinson's complete and unabridged novelisation, first published by Target Books in 1988.   'BBC Audiobooks has chosen well with its books and has taken the right approach with its readers... they benefit from new music and sound effects' - Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who: The Edge Of Destruction

Martin Day

Intercepting a distress call, the TARDIS is drawn to a Shinto shrine in medieval Japan, where the Doctor and Amy are met by village elder Shijô Sada. He explains that the ogre-like mannequins surrounding the holy site are harmless guardians, called Otoroshi. At the heart of the temple is an ancient jade pyramid, so sacred that only the monks may look at it. But the Shogun, the ruler of Japan, wants to possess the pyramid and has ordered seven samurai and a band of soldiers to come to Kokan and seize it. Whilst the Doctor is tracked by a ninja assassin, Amy discovers what happens to trespassers at the shrine. Soon the secrets of the jade pyramid - and the towering Otoroshi - will be known... Written specially for audio by Martin Day, The Jade Pyramid is read by Matt Smith, who plays the Doctor in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: The Jade Pyramid

Dan Abnett

For centuries the Maintainers have worked. With no help from other worlds, they subsist on the food they can grow and that’s little enough. But their purpose, their whole life, is to maintain the machines that will one day make their world as habitable as old Earth.  Life used to be hard. Now as crops fail, livestock sicken, and the temperature drops, it’s becoming impossible. This year’s Winter Season Feast won’t be the usual celebration. It’s no time for optimism or hope – or to welcome unexpected guests. The Doctor, Amy and Rory find a society breaking apart – and then the Doctor’s old enemies the Ice Warriors make their move.   With the cold-hearted threat of invasion, the real battle for survival begins. Or does it? The Doctor suspects that behind everything lies a deadlier, even more chilling danger...   A 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: The Silent Stars Go By

Chris Emmett

God Rest You Merry, a daily programme of readings and music for Christmas week, was first broadcast on the BBC Home Service in 1961 and has been repeated in various forms over the years since then. Now, with this recording, listeners can hear again the series of programmes as a whole, including some of their favourite poems and carols. The Saint Martin Singers date back to 1942, and owe their origin to a small band of fire-watchers at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Among the things which the Singers enjoy most, and have pioneered, are their programmes of music interwoven with poetry and prose to illustrate a theme, of which those you can hear on this record are examples in miniature. Christmas is always the most popular theme of all because the story of the Nativity has inspired the best in writers and musicians ever since St. Luke wrote the first narrative poem. Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now available to download. This recording was previously released on LP in 1976.

God Rest You Merry The Story Of Christmas In Words (Vintage Beeb)

John Keats

A BBC Radio 4 dramatic adaptation of Keats' sensual narrative poem ‘Lamia’, about the ill-starred love affair of the serpent Lamia, and the innocent mortal Lycius.   Featuring original music by John Harle, and singer Sarah Leonard. With Paterson Joseph as the Narrator, Charlotte Emmerson as Larnia, Tom Ferguson as Lycius and Jonathan Keeble as Hermes. Last broadcast 1 January 2010.

Lamia

Alexis Zegerman

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast comedy by Alexis Zegerman about the hectic life of a single mother, originally broadcast 25 August - 29 September 2010. 
 
'Mum's on the Run' is a modern-day twist on the single-family situation. It follows the hectic life ('What life?') of single mum, Jen. Mother of two, Master of none - Jen seems to spend most of her time as an unpaid chauffeur to a 15-year-old teenage existentialist son, Toby, and a tonally challenged recorder-practising 11-year-old daughter, Felicity, whilst also coping with the jazz musician ex-husband, the fiercely competitive and annoying downstairs neighbour and a huge crush on her son's history teacher. 
 
Episode 1 follows how Jen manages to drop the kids off at school at the beginning of the day but ends up collecting them from a nightclub at the end of it. Volunteering to do the Crocodile Walk into school to get brownie points with the other mothers is not Jen's idea of fun in torrential rain. 
 
In episode 2 a quiet parent's evening becomes a farcical attempt by Jen and ex-husband Keith to recreate the execution of Charles I. 
 
When Jen starts trying to date again in episode 3, things are bound to go awry. She manages to get involved in a complicated online mix up which involves the neighbours and the kids' teacher. 
 
In episode 4 Jen has trouble with mice, cats and the local constabulary. 
 
In episode 5 the desire to impress Mr Rigby and silence nagging children persuades Jen to attempt some charitable work. But a botched attempt to give blood and a disastrous baking error lead only to further humiliation. 
 
Jen has at last secured a semi-date with Mr Rigby in episode 6 but then realises that it's bonfire night and she's promised the kids fireworks in the garden. Their date turns to farce as both Mr Rigby and the ex-husband turn up and neighbour Vivienne is almost hospitalised by a dodgy rocket. 
 
Stars Ronni Ancona as Jen, John Gordon Sinclair as Mr Rigby, Alexis Zegerman as Shelley, Christine Kavanagh as Vivienne and Kevin Eldon as Keith. Also included in the cast are Amy Dabrowa, Alexander Heath, Amaya Rowlands, Pip Woolley, Iain Batchelor, Jude Akuwudike and Sam Dale. 
 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith.

Mum's On The Run The complete series

Starring Ronni Ancona

William Shakespeare

A BBC Radio 3 full-cast dramatisation of Shakespeare’s classic ‘Pericles’, starring Tom Mannion. Originally broadcast in November 2005 and repeated as part of the ‘Drama on 3’ collection in November 2008.  Shakespeare's romantic adventure full of tyrants, incest, murder, knights, teenagers, pirates, brothels, sublime poetry, young love, a great hero and the goddess Diana. A multicultural cast, world music and the poet Benjamin Zephaniah give this timeless tale a contemporary twist.  With Tom Mannion as Pericles, Benjamin Zephaniah as Gower, Raad Rawi as Antiochus and Cerimon, and Helen Longworth as Marina and Antiochus' daughter. Also starring Sean Scanlan, Dermot Crowley, Paul Dinnen, Lorcan Cranitch, Katherine Igoe, Adjoa Andoh, Peter Gevisser, Siân Phillips, Ayesha Antoine, Nick Sayce, Ifan Meredith and Delroy Brown. Directed by Gaynor MacFarlane.

Pericles (BBC Radio 3 Drama On 3)

Gary Brown

Gary Brown's BBC Radio 4 full-cast comedy dramatisation about artist Eric Gill's clash with the BBC over his famous sculpture of Prospero and Ariel, starring Anton Lesser as Eric Gill and Tim McInnerny as Sir John Reith, the first Director General of the Corporation. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Play’ slot on Wednesday 9 June 2010.  Inspired by real events, the play charts a clash between the BBC's Governors and the artist over the propriety of the sculpture's appearance.  Gill became quite a celebrity as he carved the statue in situ on scaffolding in front of Broadcasting House. In his trademark smock and beret, he drew the attention of the tabloid papers and became known as the ‘Married Monk’. The play imagines conversations between Sir John and the artist as he passes him on his way into Broadcasting House each morning.  Framed with a period newsreel-style commentary, the comedy playfully deals with the perennial tension between the Establishment and the Artist. The strange and mysterious Gill contrasts with the authoritarian but often troubled figure of Reith, but in the end the sculpture focuses their thoughts about the role of Art in the life of mankind. While this is a comedy, the play touches a little on the well-documented darker side of both men's nature, and offers an insight into one of the more celebrated events of early BBC history.  Brown's play speculates on how Reith struggled with the Governors and with his own psyche in dealing with one of the trickier events in the early days of the BBC. It also looks at how Gill, the artist, struggled with reconciling his unusual beliefs and lifestyle with a major commission from the heart of the Establishment.  The cast is completed by Jon Glover as the Newsreel Reporter, David Seddon as Charlie, Stephen Darcy as Father Sean, Tina Gray as Lady Snowden and Alison Pettitt as the Nanny. Written by Gary Brown and directed by Peter Leslie Wild.

Prospero, Ariel, Reith and Gill

Dominic Sandbrook

A 15-part BBC Radio 4 series exploring the origins of the Post Office, how it became a cherished national institution, and how it adapted to globalisation and commercialisation. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post. Launched in 1516 by Henry VIII, it was intended to support royal communications and bolster intelligence. It was only a rise in literacy, trade and interest that stimulated a demand for a public service, and it wasn t until the advent of the Penny Black in 1840 that it became affordable to the general public.  Over the centuries, the Post Office has become a much-loved social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. How the people made it their own is a fascinating story that has not been told.

The People's Post

Alexandre Dumas

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Alexandre Dumas’s swashbuckling epic, starring Jamie Glover, Robert Glenister and Timothy Spall.  ‘All for one and one for all’ ...  17th Century France. Dashing young swordsman D’Artagnan heads for Paris, dreaming of serving the King as a member of his elite guard. On arrival, he meets the three musketeers – Athos, Porthos and Aramis – and the four men soon become fast friends.  Together, they strive to outwit the murderous schemes of power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu, and save the Queen from a plot to dishonour her. Their adventures take them on a perilous journey through the French countryside and across the Channel to England...  Now a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson, The Three Musketeers is a thrilling action-adventure full of duelling, danger, courage and camaraderie.  This BBC Radio 4 version was dramatised by James Saunders.

The Three Musketeers

Guru Guru Pon Chan

Hairy Maclary and Friends

Meet Nathan Byrn. 
 
He's half White Witch, half Black Witch 
His mother was a healer, his father is a killer 
He's been kept in a cage since he was fourteen. 
 
If White Witches are good 
And Black Witches are evil... 
What happens if you are both?

Half Bad

Hammarby Thrillers

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

He Who Fights With Monsters

Heart Hassle

Heartbreaking romances from Rebecca Yarros

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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