A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy and is known as @agatharoza on Wattpad.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children. Angelica is also the author of Hunt A Killer, a PERFECT SCORE novel, under the pen name A.M. Ellis, which she wrote as an IP for Scholastic in the US.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

Aaron Shapiro

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Patrick O'Brian

BBC Radio productions of the first seven books in Patrick O'Brian's hugely popular Napoleonic naval series - plus bonus material 
 
Widely regarded as the most engaging historical novels ever written, the 21 books in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series have garnered millions of fans since the publication of the first volume over 50 years ago. Included here are BBC radio adaptations of the first seven thrilling stories. 
 
Master and Commander - Gibraltar, 1800. Newly commissioned Commander Jack Aubrey anxiously awaits the verdict in his court martial for the loss of his ship... Michael Troughton stars as Aubrey, with Nigel Anthony as Stephen Maturin. 
 
Post Captain - 1802. Following the Treaty of Amiens, England is at peace. Returning home for a short spell as country squires, Jack and Stephen meet two beautiful women who will change their lives forever... Read by Patrick Malahide. 
 
HMS Surprise - 1804, and the dauntless duo face sea battles, political intrigue and romantic rivalry, as Aubrey tackles a secret mission. Starring David Robb as Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Stephen Maturin, with other cast including Adjoa Andoh. 
 
The Mauritius Command- 1809. Promoted to Commodore, Jack prepares to lead a squadron of ships against the French. David Robb and Richard Dillane star as Aubrey and Maturin. 
 
Desolation Island - 1811, and Jack Aubrey sets sail for Australia. His mission: to transport a group of convicts to Botany Bay. Starring David Robb and Richard Dillane. 
 
The Fortune of War - 1812. Britain is at war with America and France - and the two friends find themselves caught in the crossfire... David Robb and Richard Dillane star in this 3-part dramatisation of Patrick O'Brian's novel and its sequel The Surgeon's Mate. 
 
Third Ear - Patrick O'Brian talks to fellow novelist Alan Judd about his work and his fascination with the historical novel. 
 
Bookclub: Patrick O'Brian - Master and Commander - James Naughtie discusses the novel that sparked the much-loved series with author Allan Mallinson and an audience of invited readers. 
 
Text copyright © The Estate of the late Patrick O'Brian CBE 1970 (Master and Commander), 1972 (Post Captain), 1973 (HMS Surprise), 1977 (The Mauritius Command), 1978 (Desolation Island), 1979 (The Fortune of War), 1980 (The Surgeon's Mate) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Patrick O'Brian 
 
Master and Commander 
Dramatised by Roger Danes. Directed by Adrian Bean 
Music by Roger Danes and performed by Trevor Allan Davies 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 April-11 May 1995 
 
Post Captain 
Read by Patrick Malahide 
Abridged by Roger Danes. Produced by Patrick Rayner 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-26 February 1999 
 
HMS Surprise 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8-10 October 2008 
 
The Mauritius Command 
Dramatised by Roger Danes 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-17 April 2011 
 
Desolation Island 
Dramatised by Roger Danes. Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21-28 July 2013 
 
The Fortune of War 
Dramatised by Roger Danes 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 November-2 December 2018 
 
Third Ear 
Presented by Alan Judd 
With Patrick O'Brian 
Produced by Ed Thomason 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 March 1992 
 
Bookclub: Patrick O'Brian - Master and Commander 
Presented by James Naughtie 
With Allan Mallinson and an invited audience of readers 
Produced by Dymphna Flynn 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 December 2014 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin: Master & Commander & other adventures

A BBC Radio 4 full cast drama collection

John Masters

An 18-part serialisation of John Masters' chronicles of the Savage family, spanning the years 1825-1946 and set against the backdrop of British rule in India 
 
Based on the hugely popular novels of John Masters, this landmark BBC Radio adaptation charts the history of the British in India through the perspective of one family over several generations. Ranging over more than 120 years, these thrilling tales of love, murder and espionage take us from the expansion of the East India Company to the last days of the Raj and the approach of Independence. 
 
The Deceivers - 1825. When Company official William Savage witnesses a brutal double murder and uncovers grisly evidence of mass ritual sacrifice, he is drawn into the dark world of the thuggee and their murderous, Kali-worshipping cult. Can he escape with his honour - and his soul - intact? Starring David Collings, Saeed Jaffrey, and Terence Alexander. 
 
Night Runners of Bengal - 1856, and William's son Rodney is an officer in the Bengal Army. His life is one of security and privilege - but a guru's prophecy, and disturbing events surrounding the Rani of Kishanpur, are harbingers of seismic change to come. Across India, the Great Rebellion is rising... Starring Michael Cochrane, Eva Haddon, Carole Boyd and Renu Setna. 
 
The Lotus and the Wind - 1879. Britain and Russia are deadly rivals in the 'Great Game'. At the centre of the conflict is Afghanistan, where soldier-turned-spy Lt Robin Savage is attempting to thwart Russian intelligence. Meanwhile, the woman he loves, Anne Hildreth, witnesses a murder en route to Peshawar... Starring Bill Nighy, Juliet Stevenson, John Rowe. 
 
Bhowani Junction - 1946, and India is heading for self-rule. But when Independence comes, what will happen to Anglo-Indians Patrick Taylor and Victoria Jones? As they search for their true identity amidst Britain's turbulent withdrawal, Colonel Rodney Savage hunts for saboteurs seeking to blow up Bhowani's railway... Starring Gary Bond, Sean Barrett and Shireen Shah. 
 
Text copyright © The Estate of John Masters 1951 (Nightrunners of Bengal), 1952 (The Deceivers), 1953 (The Lotus and the Wind), 1954 (Bhowani Junction) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by John Masters 
Music composed by Malcolm Clarke of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
 
The Deceivers 
Dramatised by David Wade. 
Directed by Penny Leicester. 
Executive producer: Colin Venning 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 September-28 October 1984 
 
Nightrunners of Bengal 
Dramatised by Barry Campbell. 
Directed by Christopher Venning 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4-25 November 1984 
 
The Lotus and the Wind 
Dramatised by David Wade. 
Directed by Penny Leicester 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2-23 December 1984 
 
Bhowani Junction 
Dramatised by Barry Campbell 
Directed by Christopher Venning 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 1984-27 January 1985 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Masters' India Saga

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Leo Tolstoy

BBC Radio adaptations of Tolstoy's three major novels, plus a reading of his profound philosophical memoir, an original drama based on his life and a bonus documentary 
 
One of the greatest novelists of all time, Leo Tolstoy is famed worldwide for his masterpieces of realist fiction, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. This comprehensive collection contains both those iconic works, as well as his final novel Resurrection; his autobiographical essay A Confession; Stephen Wakelam's dramatic account of his tempestuous marriage, Mrs Tolstoy; and In Our Time: Tolstoy. 
 
War and Peace - 1805, and Napoleon Bonaparte is threatening the peace of Europe. In St Petersburg and Moscow, the lives of three aristocratic families are about to be changed forever... This epic dramatisation stars Simon Russell Beale, Gerard Murphy, Amanda Redman and Emily Mortimer. 
 
Anna Karenina - In 19th Century Russia, bored high society wife Anna embarks on an affair with the handsome Count Vronsky - but her passion sets her on a path to self-destruction. Starring Teresa Gallagher and Toby Stephens. 
 
Resurrection - Serving on the jury in a murder trial, Prince Dimitri recognises the young prostitute in the dock as Katerina Maslova, the girl he seduced years before. Knowing he is partly responsible for her plight, he attempts to atone for his mistakes and find redemption. Katherine Igoe and Richard Dillane star in this powerful adaptation of Tolstoy's final novel. 
 
A Confession - Read by Joss Ackland, this compelling religious testament describes Tolstoy's search for God, faith and the meaning of life. 
 
Mrs Tolstoy - In his fifties, Leo Tolstoy has a spiritual crisis. Converting to Christianity, he gives up writing, stops sleeping with his wife, won't see his children and wants to give away all his possessions. But Sofya is ready to fight for her husband and family... Starring Ian McDiarmid and Haydn Gwynne. 
 
In Our Time: Tolstoy - Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Tolstoy's life and writings, exploring his urgent desire to represent real life in his work, how he strove to convey truth to the reader - and why he ultimately gave up on literature to concentrate on religious and political philosophy. 
 
Please note that the chapter headings have been updated as of 10th February 2022. 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Leo Tolstoy BBC Radio Drama Collection

Full-cast dramatisations of War and Peace, Anna Karenina & more

John Galsworthy

An epic BBC radio adaptation of John Galsworthy's complete Forsyte Chronicles, narrated by Dirk Bogarde and with an all-star cast 
 
'Hallmarked with elegance and craftsmanship' The Evening Standard 
 
First broadcast in 1990, this monumental adaptation of John Galsworthy's Nobel Prize-winning novel series was a radio event. It was the most expensive drama serial ever produced, featured one of the biggest, most star-studded casts and dominated the Radio 4 schedules for over 5 months, attracting over a million listeners each week.Comprising all nine books in Galsworthy's Forsyte Chronicles, it spans 50 years - from 1886 to 1936 - and tells the irresistible story of an upper-class dynasty torn apart by a terrible feud. 
 
Wealthy, privileged and successful, the Forsytes seem to have it all. But the disastrous marriage of Irene and Soames Forsyte, and the dire consequences of one night and the next foggy day, are to split the family for generations. As the sins of the father are visited upon the children, the younger Forsytes - from Soames' daughter Fleur to her cousin Dinny Cherrell - find themselves doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past as they experience both the pain and the promise of love. Beset by emotional disasters, domestic dramas and society scandals, can the various members of this sprawling family ever find lasting happiness? 
 
This sweeping tale of passion, power and money stars a host of outstanding actors, including Dirk Bogarde, Alan Howard, Michael Hordern, Diana Quick, Michael Williams, Maurice Denham, Amanda Redman and Sophie Thompson. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by John Galsworthy 
 
The Forsyte Chronicles 
Galsworthy - Dirk Bogarde 
Old Jolyon - Michael Hordern 
Soames Forsyte - Alan Howard 
Irene - Diana Quick 
Young Jolyon - Michael Williams 
James - Maurice Denham 
Aunt Ann - Fabia Drake 
Aunt Hester - Rachel Kempson 
Aunt Juley - Renee Asherson 
June - Angela Pleasence 
Philip Bosinney - Michael Cochrane 
Swithin - David March 
Roger/Justice Bentham/Sir Luke Sharman/Adrian Cherrell - John Moffatt 
George/Monsieur Profond - Christopher Good 
Nicholas - John Gabriel 
Emily - Maxine Audley 
Winifred - Fiona Walker 
Montague Dartie/Elderson - Donald Gee 
Francie - Susan Sheridan 
Mrs Macander/Mme Lamotte/Smither/American woman - Jo Kendall 
Young Chankery - Charles Simpson 
Waterbuck, QC/Timothy/Mr Settlewhite/Hilary Cherrell - David King 
Annette - Shelley Thompson 
Holly - Elizabeth Mansfield 
Val - Dale Rapley 
Jolly - Paul Downing 
Dreamer/Francis/Francis Wilmot/Hubert Cherrell - Simon Treves 
Polteed/Gradman/Cuthbert Mothergil/Editor/Foskisson/Blore - Brian Miller 
Doctor/Lord Charles Ferrar/Lionel Cherrell/Neil Wintney/Mr Instone - James Greene 
Fleur - Amanda Redman 
Other Cast: Gary Cady, Gary Bond, Tara Dominick, Vincent Brimble, Nicholas Gilbrook, Sue Broomfield, Paul Daneman, Philip Sully, Stephen Garlick, John Bull, Danny Schiller, Belinda Lang, Jack May, Ben Onwukwe, David Bannerman, Ian Lindsay, Stuart McGuigan, Michael Kilgarriff, Catherine Furshpan, Christopher Scott, Garard Green, Mary Allen, Sophie Thompson, Dorothy Tutin, Peter Marinker, Moir Leslie, Danielle Allan, Paul Rattigan, Jack Klaff, Lois Burgess, Miranda Foster, Peter Howell, Aubrey Woods, Jody McDonald, James Warwick, David Yelland, Matthew Solon, Elizabeth Kelly, William Wortley, Henry Power, Leonard Fenton, Jenny Howe and Nigel Carrington 
 
Dramatised by David Spenser, Shirley Gee and Elspeth Sandys 
Directed by Janet Whitaker, Anthony Cornish and Sue Wilson 
Series producer: Janet Whitaker 
Pianist: Mary Nash 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 September 1990-2 March 1991 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Forsyte Saga

4 Full Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Ursula Le Guin

The dazzling BBC Radio adaptations of Ursula K. Le Guin's famous fantasy saga and her ground-breaking science fiction masterpiece - plus bonus material 
 
Ursula K. Le Guin was one of the most revered and influential writers of the 20th Century. Her 'Earthsea' books have sold millions of copies and been translated into numerous languages, while her trailblazing novel The Left Hand of Darkness was a landmark in feminist science fiction and ranks among the greatest SF novels of all time. This BBC collection brings together the magical radio retellings of both these seminal classics. 
 
Set on an immense archipelago where magic is a part of life, Earthsea tells the stories of Ged, a young, reckless wizard, and Tenar, taken from her home as a child to become Arha, guardian priestess of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. Meeting for the first time deep within the tombs, their destinies become intertwined, and they unite to bring peace to their troubled world. Years later, their paths have diverged - but when Ged returns to Tenar's island on a dragon's back, they are caught up in an epic battle for the future of Earthsea itself. Starring James McArdle, Shaun Dooley and Robert Glenister as Ged, and Aysha Kala, Vineeta Rishi and Nina Wadia as Tenar with Toby Jones and Noma Dumezweni. 
 
The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on an alien world in the grip of an Ice Age. Genly Ai has been sent from Earth on a mission to persuade Gethen to join a planetary union, the Ekumen. But his task is fraught with difficulty. For this is a world whose people have no fixed gender, and Genly's encounters with the natives are marked by mutual incomprehension and mistrust. In coming to terms with their otherness and their sameness Genly must let go of his fixed ideas about identity, and embark on a dangerous journey across the snow plains with his only ally, First Minister Estraven. The stakes are high to save a world from war. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Genly, with Lesley Sharp as Estraven. 
 
Also included Ursula Le Guin at 85, in which novelist Naomi Alderman interviews Le Guin, with contributions from Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell and Karen Joy Fowler. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Ursula K.Le Guin 
Adapted by Judith Adams 
 
Earthsea 
Ged - James McArdle/Shaun Dooley/Robert Glenister 
Tenar - Aysha Kala/Vineeta Rishi/Nina Wadia 
Young Ged - Kasper Hilton-Hille 
Young Tenar - Nishi Malde 
Ogion - Paul Hilton/Michael Bertenshaw 
Manan - Zubin Varla 
Cob - Toby Jones 
Nilgu - Noma Dumezweni 
Other Cast: Souad Faress, David Hounslow, Adam Thomas-Wright, Mark Edel-Hunt, Jessica Turner, Lucy Hutchinson, Stephen Critchlow, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine, Richard Linnell, Jack Kane, David Acton, Chris Pavlo, Will Featherstone, Jude Akudwudike, Laura Elphinstone, Rosie Boore, Elizabeth Counsell, John Lightbody, Ryan Early, Stephen Hogan, Sean Murray, Emma Handy, Lauren Cornelius, Kerry Gooderson, Ryan Whittle, Steven Robertson, Joseph Ayre, Narinder Samra, Tom Vanson, Sabrina Sandhu 
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko 
Original music by Jon Nicholls. Sound design by Caleb Knightley. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27 April-5 May 2015 (Series 1), 15-22 October 2018 (Series 2) 
 
The Left Hand of Darkness 
Genly Ai - Kobna Holdbrook-Smith 
Estraven - Lesley Sharp 
Argaven - Toby Jones 
Other Cast: Louise Brealey, Noma Dumezweni, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Stephen Critchlow, David Acton, David Hounslow, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine 
Directed by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 April 2015 
 
Ursula Le Guin at 85 
Presented by Naomi Alderman 
With Ursula K. Le Guin, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman and Karen Joy Fowler 
Reader: Ayesha Antoine 
Produced by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 April 2015 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Complete Earthsea Series & The Left Hand of Darkness

3 BBC Radio full cast dramatisations

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of A.S. Byatt's 'Frederica Quartet', plus selected short stories and a fascinating talk by the author 
 
Inspired by the novels of D.H. Lawrence, particularly The Rainbow and Women in Love, this ambitious quartet from Booker Prize-winning novelist A.S. Byatt charts the lives of the Potter family between 1953 and 1970. Set against the changing social and political landscape of England in the '50s and '60s, it follows the heroine, Frederica, from precocious teenager to TV talk show host, and from her Yorkshire home to the heart of swinging London. 
 
The Virgin in the Garden sees the Potters preparing to celebrate Elizabeth II's coronation, while Frederica auditions for a play about Elizabeth I written by the beautiful Alexander Wedderburn. Will she win the part, and Alexander's heart? In Still Life, Frederica's ambitions - both academic and sexual - come to fruition, as she gains a place at Cambridge University to study English - and men. In Babel Tower, she has given up her carefree, independent lifestyle - but as the Sixties' cultural revolution explodes and the quest for personal and public freedom becomes all-important, will settling down bring her happiness? And in A Whistling Woman, as events build to a tragic climax in Yorkshire, back in London, Frederica is faced with a difficult choice... These acclaimed adaptations star Rosemary Leach, Hannah Watkins and Indira Varma as Frederica. 
 
Also included are four fantastic short stories: 'The July Ghost', dramatised with a star cast including Kate Buffery and Clive Owen; and 'Rose-Coloured Teacups', 'Gode's Story' and 'A Stone Woman', read by Anna Massey, Sheila Mitchell and Penelope Wilton respectively. Plus, in Finding A Voice, A.S. Byatt reflects on her approach to her work, explaining where her desire to write came from and how she honed her craft. 
 
Track listing 
1: Introduction 
2-9: The Virgin in the Garden 
10-16: Still Life 
17-24: Babel Tower 
25-31: A Whistling Woman 
32: The July Ghost 
33: Rose-Coloured Teacups 
34: Gode's Story 
35-37: A Stone Woman 
38: Finding a Voice 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
Text copyright © AS Byatt 1978 (The Virgin in the Garden), 1985 (Still Life), 1987 ('The July Ghost', 'Rose-Coloured Teacups'), 1994 ('Gode's Story'), 1996 (Babel Tower), 2002 (A Whistling Woman)

The Frederica Quartet: The Virgin in the Garden, Still Life, Babel Tower & A Whistling Woman

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation plus selected short stories

Humphrey Ker

David Reed

Thom Tuck

Eight swashbuckling tales about the eccentric members of Victorian Britain's greatest aristocratic family 
 
Based on their critically-acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows Aeneas Faversham, Aeneas Faversham Returns and Aeneas Faversham Forever, these action-packed romps chronicle the lives of the Brothers Faversham, nine men who straddled the Victorian era 'like a mighty change-Titan'. In the annals of the British Empire, few names blaze more brightly than theirs - and now, at last, their extraordinary stories can be told. 
 
Beginning in 1834, as deadly adventuress and super-spy Lady Alexandra gives birth to her eldest son, we hear of the rise and fall of these prodigious siblings. Series 1 introduces us to the first four: decorated soldier Horatius; eminent detective Theseus; reckless explorer Leonidas and magician-turned-megalomaniac Augustus. In Series 2, we turn to the younger fraternal quintet: sporting hero Titus; renowned horror writer Maximilian; celebrated actor Marcus and successful twin industrialists Perceus and Lucius. Packed with staggering sketches, bizarre occurrences, curious happenstance and dastardly deeds, the sensational tale of the remarkable Favershams is one you will never forget... 
 
Featuring a brand new introduction, this splendidly melodramatic series is written and performed by debonair, waistcoated comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls - Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck - and co-stars Ingrid Oliver and Miles Jupp. Brought to you by the Orphans for Cholera Awareness Foundation, this is... The Brothers Faversham! 
 
Credits 
Written by and starring The Penny Dreadfuls: Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck 
Script edited by Richard Turner 
Produced by Julia McKenzie 
 
Cast 
Alexandra Faversham - Ingrid Oliver 
Narrator - Miles Jupp 
First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 11 January-1 February 2008 (Series 1), 5-26 October 2008 (Series 2) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Penny Dreadfuls: The Brothers Faversham

The BBC Radio 4 comedy series

Rohinton Mistry

A compelling dramatisation of Rohinton Mistry's Booker Prize-nominated novel about India's underclass 
 
India, 1975. Desperate to preserve her independence from her abusive brother, Parsi widow Dina Dilal turns her cramped city apartment into a sweatshop. But when her eyesight begins to fail, she hires two tailors - uncle and nephew Ishvar and Om, who have fled from caste violence in their native village. She also takes in a lodger - Maneck, a reluctant student from the mountains. 
 
Initially wary of each other, the four strangers soon form a close bond of friendship, loyalty and love. But their lives are about to be turned upside down, for India in the mid-1970s is in a state of crisis, riven by political turmoil and corruption. As Indira Gandhi's 'Emergency' measures come into force, civil liberties are suspended and human rights suppressed. In this climate of chaos, violence and injustice, Dina and her makeshift family find themselves struggling to survive and facing an uncertain future... 
 
Tragic, comic, poignant and redemptive, this heart-rending drama is a celebration of the human spirit under inhuman conditions. Adapted by Ayeesha Menon and Kewel Karim, it stars Shernaz Patel as Dina, Kenneth Desai as Ishvar, Anand Tiwari as Om and Neil Bhoopalam as Maneck. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Rohinton Mistry 
Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon and Kewel Karim 
Produced by Nadir Khan 
Directed by John Dryden 
Music: Sacha Putnam 
Sound Design: Steve Bond 
Production Manager: Niloufer Sagar 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Dina - Shernaz Patel 
Ishvar - Kenneth Desai 
Om - Anand Tiwari 
Maneck - Neil Bhoopalam 
Rustom - Zafar Karachiwala 
Ibrahim - Rajit Kapur 
The Thakur - Jayant Kripalaini 
Ashraf - Darshan Jariwala 
Nusswan - Farid Currim 
Ruby - Anahita Uberoi 
Narayan - Vivek Madan 
Young Dina - Tirtha Kotrial 
Young Ishvar - Eshan Savla 
Young Narayan - Samar Uraizee 
Ensemble - Jim Sarbh, Abhishek Saha, Meherangiz Acharya-Dar, Faezeh Jalali, Shivani Tanksale, Nadir Khan 
Beggarmaster - Ankur Vikal 
Worm - Namit Das 
Rajaram - Jaimini Pathak 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 March-5 April 2015 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A Fine Balance

A BBC Radio full-cast drama

Ayeesha Menon

Matthew Solon

A fast-paced, globe-trotting family saga of wealth, power, revenge and karma - with helicopters, private jets and a tiger reserve 
 
Meet the Majumdars, a family at war - with itself... 
 
Self-made tech mogul Ravi Majumdar fought his way up from nothing to make a billion-dollar fortune. Now he risks losing everything in his single-minded quest to defeat his enemy, Jai Singh: the man he once considered his best friend. Concerned for their inheritance, his children - Ash, the eldest son and would-be heir; Maya the brilliant business student; socialite and ex-Bollywood actress Zara; and sensitive Shaan, who yearns for his father's approval - fight for control of the company. But there are others bidding for the succession: Seraphina, Ravi's 'spiritual advisor', and Amit, their Indian cousin, whose humility belies his ambition... 
 
As Ravi plays 'divide and rule' with his offspring, the multinational corporation he has spent a lifetime building is brought to the brink of collapse. The warring siblings must join forces and work together if they are to see off the competition and save their father's business empire... 
 
Written by Ayeesha Menon and Matthew Solon, this exhilarating drama of high-stake deals and sibling rivalry, set in the world of the super-wealthy, plays out on the grand scale of a Shakespearean tragedy. Recorded in the UK and India, it stars Rajit Kapur as Ravi, with Abhin Galeya as Ash, Amrita Acharia as Maya, Munirih Grace as Zara and Danny Ashok as Shaan. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Ayeesha Menon and Matthew Solon 
Executive produced and directed by John Scott Dryden 
Produced by Emma Hearn and Nadir Khan 
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Mein 
Production Assistant: Anna Calandra 
Original music by Sacha Puttnam 
India Sound Supervisor Ayush Ahuja 
Editing and Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore 
Sound recording by Paul Clark, Ashyar Bulsara and Ayush Ahuja 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Ravi Majumdar - Rajit Kapur 
Anya - Dolya Gavanski 
Ash - Abhin Galeya 
Maya - Amrita Acharia 
Zara - Munirih Grace 
Shaan - Danny Ashok 
Ian - Finbar Lynch 
Seraphina - Jennifer Armour 
Dr Lincoln - Emma Carter 
Jeet - Ronny Jhutti 
Amit - Tavish Bhattacharyya 
Jai - Vincent Ebrahim 
Karan - Zafar Karachiwala 
Sharma - Neil D'Souza 
Venitia - Laurel Lefkow 
John Myson - Ash Hunter 
Ben - Philip Desmeules 
Beth Mitchell - Natalie Simpson 
All other parts played by Lola Ogunyemi, Matthew Solon, Nadir Khan, Aseem Hattangady and Ayeesha Menon 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 June-1 July 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

TakeOver

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Elizabeth Gaskell

Barry Campbell

Steve Wakelam

Amanda Vickery

Jenny Uglow

A collection of BBC Radio dramatisations of Elizabeth Gaskell's well loved novels - plus bonus material 
 
 Elizabeth Gaskell was one of Victorian England's pre-eminent female novelists. Admired by Charles Dickens, who described her as his 'dear Scheherazade', she mingled storytelling and social realism to superb effect in her highly acclaimed fiction. 
 
 This comprehensive collection comprises dramas and readings of her finest works and some lesser-known pieces. Among the adaptations are her final, unfinished novel Wives and Daughters, her debut novel Mary Barton and her only historical novel, Sylvia's Lovers; as well as the 1851 novella Mr Harrison's Confession (a prequel to Cranford), and her great novel of industrialisation, female independence and identity, North and South. All feature star casts including Emerald O'Hanrahan, Sue Johnston, Jodie Comer, Emily Mortimer, Rod Hudd, David Threlfall, Julian Rhind-Tutt, 
 
 Also included are readings of Mrs Gaskell's chilling supernatural tale 'The Old Nurse's Story', her much-loved novel of life in a small town and its female inhabitants, Cranford, and her festive short story 'Christmas Storms and Sunshine'. 
 
 Based on true events, Stephen Wakelam's detective drama Death at the Bed End, starring Kenneth Cranham, explores the controversy surrounding Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Brontë and the libel threat that followed its publication also included is Mrs Gaskell: Portrait of a Victorian Novelist by Barry Campbell, which is inspired by the author's letters. And in Great Lives: Elizabeth Gaskell, historian Amanda Vickery and biographer Jenny Uglow discuss Mrs Gaskell's life, work and achievements with presenter Francine Stock. 
 
 Credits 
 Written by Elizabeth Gaskell 
 Written by Stephen Wakelam 
 
 Mary Barton 
 Dramatised by Lavinia Murray. Produced and directed by Claire Grove and Tracey Neale 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 September-9 November 2001 
 
 Mr Harrison's Confessions 
 Adapted for radio by Jeremy Front. Produced and directed by Sally Avens. 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 June 1988 
 
 The Old Nurse's Story 
 Produced by Kay Patrick. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24-25 May 1984 
 
 North and South 
 Dramatised by Charlotte Keatley. 
 Directed by Michael Fox. 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 June 1997 
 
 Sylvia's Lovers 
 Dramatised by Ellen Dryden. Produced and directed by Pauline Harris. 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-13 March 2016 
 
 Wives and Daughters 
 Dramatised by Theresa Heskins. Produced and directed by Peter Leslie Wild 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 November-10 December 2010 
 
Cranford 
 Produced by Julian Wilkinson. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 November 2019 
 
 Christmas Storms and Sunshine 
 Produced by Simon Richardson. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 December 2018 
 
 Death at the Bed End 
 Written by Stephen Wakelam. Directed by Janet Whitaker. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 December 2004 
 
Mrs Gaskell: Portrait of a Victorian Novelist 
Written by Barry Campbell based on "Elizabeth Gaskell: A Biography" by Winifred Gérin. Permission granted by Oxford Publishing Ltd (Academic), Oxford University Press (via PLSclear).Produced by James Runcie. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 August 1983 
 
 Great Lives: Mrs Gaskell 
Presented by Francine Stock, Amanda Vickery and Jenny Uglow. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 May 2005 
 
 ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Elizabeth Gaskell Collection

A BBC Drama collection including North and South, Wives and Daughters & more

John Dryden

Mike Walker

An engrossing, expansive historical fantasy drama, inspired by the Mamluk slave dynasty of Egypt 
 
Tumanbay: the wealthiest city on earth. The beating heart of a vast empire. A city of dreams, where those who once arrived as slaves now hold power, and merchants, artists and warriors live side-by-side in peace. But this magnificent city is under threat. A rebellion in a far-off province, led by 'Queen' Maya, is gathering strength - and a mysterious force is devouring the empire from within. 
 
Gregor, a merciless spymaster and Master of the Palace Guard, is charged by Sultan Al-Ghuri to crush the insurgence, as his brother General Qulan is dispatched to quell the provincial insurrection. But as well as rooting out traitors, Gregor must contend with his arch-rival, the cunning Grand Vizier, Cadali. Meanwhile, Heaven, the 14-year-old daughter of slave merchant Ibn, is adrift at sea, captive to an escaped slave on whom she depends for her survival. Madu, the Sultan's spoilt nephew, also has to grow up quickly as he swaps palace life for the army... 
 
As the wheel of fate turns, Tumanbay's fortunes suffer a terrible reversal. Beset by plague, assassins, invasion, occupation and revolution, the once-great city is riven by political intrigue and power struggles. As rulers are toppled and tyrants fall, who will survive and thrive - and who will die? 
 
A Game of Thrones-style epic with the sweep of The Arabian Nights, this compelling story of love, revenge, betrayal and deception won the Best Audio Serial Gold Award at the New York Radio Festival. Among the impressive ensemble cast are Rufus Wright, Olivia Popica, Matthew Marsh, Alexander Siddig, John Sessions, Hiran Abeysekera, Aiysha Hart, Anton Lesser, Tara Fitzgerald, Enzo Cilenti and Rob Jarvis. 
 
 
Production credits 
Created by John Scott Dryden and Mike Walker and inspired by the Mamluk slave rulers of Egypt 
Written by John Scott Dryden, Mike Walker and Mac Rogers 
Directed by John Scott Dryden 
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden 
Original music by Sacha Puttnam 
Additional music by Jon Ouin 
Sound Design: Steve Bond, Jon Ouin and Eloise Whitmore 
Sound Recording by Joe Richardson and Laurence Farr 
Sound Edited by James Morgan and Andrea Gomez 
Editors: Ania Przygoda and James Morgan 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tumanbay: The Complete Series 1-4

The BBC Radio epic full-cast saga

Steve Waters

A compelling 10-part drama about the founding of Israel, told through the parallel voices of a Jewish immigrant and an exiled Palestinian 
 
1917. As the British enter Palestine with the aim of facilitating a Jewish homeland, young Arab Youssef Bannourah befriends Harry Lister, an English civil servant who has come to live in his village of Deir Yassin. Impressed by Youssef's intelligence, Harry finds him a job working for the British administration. Meanwhile, fleeing Jewish persecution in Russia, Miriam Cohen and her mother Sara set sail for the promised land. On arrival, they move to a newly constructed kibbutz near Jerusalem, where - divided by faith and a fence - Miriam meets Youssef for the first time. 
 
Both dream of a nation where Jews and Arabs can live together in harmony. But their youthful idealism soon turns to disillusionment, and as tensions rise and violence erupts in the holy city, they become embroiled in political upheaval and terrorism. And for naive, well-meaning Harry Lister, Britain's inability to keep the peace - and her promises - will have fateful consequences... 
 
Spanning 31 years from the closing days of the First World War to 1948, this epic, multi-perspectival drama is narrated by an older Miriam and Youssef, who recount the story to their children. Moving seamlessly between past and present, it takes in key figures and pivotal moments in Israel's history, including the Balfour Declaration, the 1930s Arab Revolt, the bombing of the King David Hotel and the UN vote to partition Palestine. 
 
Written by acclaimed playwright Steve Waters, Miriam and Youssef takes a nuanced look at the turbulent chain of events that led to the birth of the State of Israel, shedding fascinating light on the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Among the diverse cast are a host of top Middle Eastern and British actors, including native Israeli Shani Erez as Miriam, Egyptian-born Amir El-Masry as Youssef and Londoner Blake Ritson as Harry Lister. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Steve Waters 
Produced by Radio Drama London for BBC World Service 
Music written and performed by Glenn Sharp 
Sound design: Caleb Knightley 
 
Cast 
Miriam - Shani Erez 
Youssef - Amir El-Masry 
Young Miriam - Ava Merson-O'Brien 
Young Youssef - Rafi Essex/Jo Ben Ayed 
Young Zahra - Nikhita Essex 
Harry Lister - Blake Ritson 
Sara - Jessica Turner 
Abu Khalid - Rami Nasr 
Umm Khalid - Sirine Saba 
Mahmoud/Menachim Begin - Daniel Rabin 
Yehoshua - Philip Arditti 
Ben-Gurion/Rabbi - Elliot Levey 
Mufti - Dana Haqjoo 
Major Dennis/Haganath Major - Clive Hayward 
Zahra - Lara Sawalha 
Judah Magnes/McMasters - Neil McCaul 
Musa Alami - Sargon Yelda 
Mohammed - Ramzi Dehani 
Palestinian woman - Nathalie Armin 
With Heather Craney, Hasan Dixon and Steve Waters 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 April-1 July 2020 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Miriam and Youssef

A BBC Radio Full cast dramatisation

Danny Robins

Dan Tetsall

All three series of the literary spoof series 
 
Paperback Hell takes a wry look at well-known genres riding high in the publishing charts, and mercilessly lampoons them to hilarious effect. Featuring choice chapters culled from titles that bear a striking resemblance to something you've read before, it's the book show that seems determined to destroy the good name of literature. 
 
These 16 episodes showcase a selection of inexplicably popular bestsellers by imaginary authors, including Romany Cleff's debut chick-lit novel Shopping for Mr Wrong; Edith Plunger's medieval monastic murder mystery A Posset Full of Death; radical filmaker Chuck Morris's account of his trip to the Hay and Wye literary festival, You Suck Bush; and Jack "Sunglasses" Ramsey's not-entirely-true memoir of life in the 1960s criminal underworld, Stop the Dodgems, I Want to Throw Up. 
 
Plus, the Napoleonic Wars invade the airwaves as suspiciously fictional author Alexander Cromwell narrates his military adventure, Thrust's Eagle; celebrity lifestyle gurus Gilly Haberdasher and Dr Graham Golden share excerpts from their tie-in book to the hit TV programme, How Not To Live; and there's a chance to experience a young woman's erotic awakening as 'Anonymous' reads from a specially adapted version of Forbidden Fire (which contains sex scenes that some listeners may find strangely disappointing). 
 
Written by Danny Robins and Dan Tetsell (The Museum of Everything, Young Dracula), this witty, entertaining send-up stars Michael Fenton Stevens, Rebecca Front, Mel Hudson, Alex Lowe and Dan Tetsell. 
 
Production credits 
 
 
Ghostwritten by Danny Robins and Dan Tetsell 
Produced by Lucy Armitage 
Original music by Ben Walker 
 
Starring Michael Fenton Stevens, Rebecca Front, Mel Hudson, Alex Lowe and Dan Tetsell 
With Michael Brandon (Series 3, Episodes 1 and 2) 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 16 January-6 February 2003 (Series 1), 7 July-11 August 2004 (Series 2), 5 October-9 November 2005 (Series 3) 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Paperback Hell: Series 1-3

A BBC Radio Spoof comedy

Salman Rushdie

'Radio drama of the year' - Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Nikesh Patel stars as Saleem in BBC Radio 4’s epic dramatisation of Salman Rushdie's Booker Prize-winning novel of love, history and magic 
 
Saleem Sinai is born on the stroke of midnight on 14th-15th August 1947, at the exact moment that India and Pakistan become separate, independent nations. From that moment on, his fate is mysteriously handcuffed to the history of his country. 
 
But Saleem’s story starts almost thirty years earlier, when his grandfather, Dr Aadam Aziz, falls in love with a woman concealed behind a perforated sheet. That pivotal moment in Kashmir in 1919 sparks a series of bizarre events that will lead to a cryptic prophecy and the birth of a boy with an extraordinary destiny. 
 
As a ‘Midnight’s Child’, Saleem has magical powers, and can telepathically tune in to all the other gifted children whose birth coincided with India’s division. However, his strange entanglement with the fate of India will have dramatic repercussions for both him and his country… 
 
Adapted by Ayeesha Menon, this dazzling dramatisation of Rushdie’s many-layered, magical realist masterpiece is both an enthralling family saga and a riveting history of post-colonialism. First broadcast to mark the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India, it features Nikesh Patel as Saleem, with a star cast including Abhin Galeya, Meera Syal, Anneika Rose and Narinder Samra. 
 
Also included is an interview with Salman Rushdie, in which the author talks to radio drama director Emma Harding about his multi-award winning novel. 
 
Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981, and was subsequently awarded the 'Booker of Bookers' prize in 1993 and 'The Best of the Booker' prize in 2008.

Midnight’s Children

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

The Archers

The legendary demise of Phil Archer’s first wife is recalled in these archive editions of the much-loved BBC radio serial, plus a unique behind-the-scenes drama about Grace’s death. 
 
The Archers is the longest-running radio drama in the world, and in 1955 the death of Grace Archer became one of the most notorious – and controversial – events in the history of the show. Over 20 million people tuned in to hear the shocking storyline, and the BBC switchboard was jammed with thousands of calls from distraught listeners. 
 
This Archers retrospective includes the omnibus edition from September 1955, featuring the fateful night of Grace's demise, and two editions of Vintage Archers from 1986 and 1987 in which the residents of Ambridge – including Jill, Walter, Tom, Shula and Christine – gather at Christmas and remember events of the past. 
 
Finally, in the 2015 radio play Dead Girls Tell No Tales, the real-life circumstances of Grace's departure from the serial are dramatised by long-term Archers writer Joanna Toye. With a star cast including Eleanor Tomlinson, Simon Russell Beale, Ysanne Churchman, Jon Culshaw, Pam Ferris and Miles Jupp, it delves deep into The Archers' archives to reveal the truth about why Grace had to die. Duration: 3 hours approx.

The Archers: The Death of Grace Archer

Victor Pemberton

Three semi-autobiographical plays by Victor Pemberton telling the story of one family across the 20th century 
 
Novelist and playwright Victor Pemberton was best known for scripting Doctor Who and working on Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock. His many plays for BBC Radio included The Slide, Kill the Pharaoh. and this three-part family saga, a love story inspired by the lives of his own parents and starring Nerys Hughes, Nigel Anthony, Sheila Grant and Wendy Richard. 
 
The Trains Don’t Stop Here Any More – 1916. When 18-year-old Letty Edginton goes to work in a munitions factory, she meets and falls for Oliver Hobbs, a young man whose leg was severely wounded at the Somme. Despite their different backgrounds and her snobbish mother’s objections, they marry and set up home – but married life proves more challenging than Letty had expected. 
 
Don’t Talk to Me About Kids! – It’s 1939, and, like so many other Londoners, Letty and Ollie find themselves living through the horrors of another world war. As German bombs begin to fall on the city, their kids Eddie and Mick are evacuated to the countryside, and their eldest son Ron is called up to fight in the Royal Navy. But Letty is determined that whatever troubles and tragedies lie ahead, her family should survive and be reunited. 
 
Down by the Sea – 1963. Letty and Ollie have always dreamed of living by the sea and, having reached their sunset years, they’ve retired to a seaside bungalow bought for them by their children. After a long and happy marriage, they celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary in the company of family and friends, but back at home, they must face the problems of old age alone... 
 
Production credits 
Written by Victor Pemberton 
Pianist: Mary Nash 
 
1. The Trains Don’t Stop Here Any More 
Letty Edginton – Nerys Hughes 
Beatrice, her mother – Sheila Grant 
William, her father – Malcolm Hayes 
Oliver Hobbs – Nigel Anthony 
Violet – Wendy Richard 
Tom – Derek Seaton 
Frank O'Malley – Bill Monks 
Nicky/Bugle Boy – Adam Godley 
Bill Brooks – Kenneth Shanley 
Amy Lyall – Eve Karpf 
Mr Cotton – Eric Allan 
Mr Pearson/Gateman – Robert Trotter 
Directed by John Tydeman 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 July 1978 
 
2. Don’t Talk to Me About Kids! 
Letty Hobbs – Nerys Hughes 
Oliver Hobbs – Nigel Anthony 
Beatrice – Sheila Grant 
Sam – Philip Sully 
Violet – Wendy Richard 
Ron/Malcolm/Train Guard – Jonathan Tafler 
Florrie – Eva Stuart 
Colonel Meecham – Laurence Payne 
Bill Brooks/Warden – Michael Tudor Barnes 
Tilly Brooks – Emily Richard 
Mother Superior – Julie Berry 
Mick – Rickey Coombes 
Eddie – Nicholas Delve 
Janey/Doreen – Zelah Clarke 
Directed by David Spenser 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 January 1989 
 
3. Down by the Sea 
Letty Hobbs – Nerys Hughes 
Oliver Hobbs – Nigel Anthony 
Beatrice – Sheila Grant 
Mick – Spencer Banks 
Eddie – Sean Barrett 
Mary – Karen Archer 
Jonathan – Rory McNicholl 
Bill Brooks – Michael Tudor Barnes 
Tilly Brooks/District Nurse – Emily Richard 
Fred Golding – Norman Bird 
Gladys Golding/Alice – Joan Matheson 
Cypriot man/Newsreader – John Baddeley 
Cypriot woman – Julie Berry 
Reporter/Charlie – Kim Wall 
Doctor/Brian – Steven Harrold 
Guests at the Golden Wedding played by members of the cast 
Dance band: Les Brown Trio 
Directed by David Spenser 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 January 1989 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Our Family: The Edginton’s Wars

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Drama Trilogy

Joanna Toye

Joanna Toye’s delightful trilogy telling the story of life in Ambridge from 1951-2001, narrated by Miriam Margolyes, Stella Gonet and Stephanie Cole 
 
Britain's most popular and longest-running radio drama, The Archers has captured audiences’ imaginations for 75 years, with millions of listeners in the UK and worldwide tuning in six days a week to catch up with their favourite characters. Now, Archers addicts can find out how it all began, in these engaging abridged readings of Joanna Toye’s trilogy charting the highs and lows of three generations of Ambridge’s founding families. 
 
The Archers 1951–1967: Family Ties – Read by Miriam Margolyes, Family Ties introduces us to the Archer clan: patriarch Dan and his wife Doris, his daughter Christine and sons Phil and Jack, Jack’s Londoner wife Peggy, and Phil’s beautiful and wealthy girlfriend Grace. These action-packed early years encompass Phil’s courtship and marriage to Grace and her tragic death; his subsequent marriage to Jill and the birth of their children, Shula and Kenton; Jack’s struggle with alcoholism, and his daughter Jennifer’s illegitimate baby. 
 
The Archers 1968–1986: Looking For Love – Looking for Love sees Dan and Doris’s grandchildren charting their course through the ever-changing world of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Jennifer’s struggles as an unmarried mother look to be over with marriage to the gorgeous Roger, but there are clouds on the horizon. Meanwhile, her sister Lilian has more than her share of tragedy, but there is happiness for Shula with new-found love, and wedding bells ring for Tony Archer and Pat. Read by Stella Gonet. 
 
The Archers 1987–2000: Back to the Land – In this final volume, read by Stephanie Cole, the next generation face choices and difficulties that their grandparents could never have imagined. David Archer finally meets his match in Ruth, but with the farming industry in crisis, tensions arise between him and Phil. John comes through difficult teenage years only to be struck by tragedy, and Tommy’s trial for destroying GM crops has feelings running high. And it’s not all plain sailing for the women of Ambridge, as Shula comes to terms with tragedy, Elizabeth makes a heartbreaking decision, and Debbie Aldridge becomes entangled with an older man... 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Archers: The Ambridge Chronicles

The gripping trilogy about life in Ambridge from 1951 to 2000

Ford Madox Ford

Major BBC adaptations of Ford Madox Ford’s two most famous works, with stellar casts including Tom Goodman-Hill, Ruth Gemmell, Kyle Soller and Mark Bonnar 
 
A forgotten great of British fiction, Ford Madox Ford wrote over 80 books, founded two trailblazing literary journals and was a friend and collaborator to some of the 20th century’s most significant authors, among them Joseph Conrad, DH Lawrence, Ezra Pound and James Joyce. His two masterpieces – the ‘Parade’s End’ quartet of novels and The Good Soldier – are dramatised here, alongside a fascinating profile of the author himself. 
 
Parade’s End – The scion of an old aristocratic family, Christopher Tietjens is ‘the last English gentleman’. Unhappily married to the beautiful, faithless Sylvia, he falls in love with young suffragette Valentine – but their burgeoning relationship is interrupted by the onset of the Great War. Plunged into the chaos of the trenches, Christopher must cope with both the terrors of battle and the radically changed world of post-war England... Tom Goodman-Hill and Ruth Gemmell star in this epic drama set in the years leading up to, and following, World War I. 
 
The Good Soldier – John Dowell is the original unreliable narrator as he recounts ‘the saddest story ever told’ – a twisted tale of sex, money and betrayal involving two married couples who meet at a German spa in 1904. Over the course of the next nine years, they become close friends, but when Edward Ashburnham embarks on an affair with Florence Dowell, tragedy ensues, and the lives of all four are ripped apart. Starring Kyle Soller, Tonya Cornelisse, Patrick Baladi, Fiona O’Shaughnessy and Mark Bonnar, and adapted by Pilgrim creator Sebastian Baczkiewicz, this searing psychosexual drama is sharp, menacing and mesmerizing. 
 
Ford Madox Ford and France – Julian Barnes and Hermione Lee tell the story of Ford Madox Ford, exploring his time in Paris and Aix-en-Provence, his tangled love affairs (including one with his protégé, Jean Rhys), his embroidered accounts of his own life, and his death in Deauville in 1939, three months before the outbreak of World War II. 
 
First published 1915 (The Good Soldier), 1924-1928 (Parade’s End) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Ford Madox Ford 
 
Parade’s End 
Christopher – Tom Goodman-Hill 
Sylvia – Ruth Gemmell 
Valentine – Katherine Igoe 
Mark/ Father Consett/Sergeant Major Cowley – Crawford Logan 
General Campion – Gareth Thomas 
Captain McKechnie – Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
Macmaster/Ducket – Steven McNicoll 
Mrs Satterthwaite – Monica Gibb 
Edith Duchemin – Noreen Leighton 
Mrs Wannop – Vivienne Dixon 
Lieutenant Aranjuez – Nick Underwood 
Perowne/Morgan – Matthew Zajak 
 
Adapted by Robert Forrest 
Produced and diirected by Patrick Rayner 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 18 May 2003 
 
The Good Soldier 
John Dowell – Kyle Soller 
Florence Dowell – Tonya Cornelisse 
Edward Ashburnham – Patrick Baladi 
Leonora Ashburnham – Fiona O’Shaughnessy 
Major Hazleton – Mark Bonnar 
Nancy Rufford – Ashna Rabheru 
Jimmy Doyle – Ronan Summers 
Maisie Maidan – Cecilia Appiah 
 
Adapted by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed by James Robinson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 November 2020 
 
Ford Madox Ford and France 
Presented by Julian Barnes and Hermione Lee 
Produced by Robyn Read 
Reader: Kerry Shale 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24-31 August 2010 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Parade’s End & The Good Soldier

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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