The Economist Publications (PUK Rights)

John Butler (PUK Rights)

Puk Qvortrup is a journalist, teacher and author. Her debut novel, Into A Star, was published in Denmark in 2019. Her second novel, Man and Child, was published in 2022, and she is currently working on her third. She lives in Aarhus with her husband and four children.

Puk Qvortrup

The School of Life (PRH Rights)

Andy Day is one of the best-known stars of preschool television. Andy is the star of multiple children's programmes, most notably his Andy's Adventures, which span from dinosaurs, safari, aquatic, and global, and he is excited to be currently filming brand new adventures, which are going to be dinoriffic! Alongside this he is also the star of 'Andy and the Band' which features Andy's real-life pop band Andy and the Odd Socks, who have played hundreds of live shows, and released over three albums. Andy won a BAFTA for his performance in ‘As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe’. Andy is also the author of the bestselling Dino Dad young fiction series, illustrated by Steven Lenton, and his first picture book, Dylan the Dino Boy Saves Christmas, illustrated by Alex Patrick, will be published in October 2025. Instagram: @andyday81 | X: @AndyDayTV

Andy Day

Andy Lane

ANDY HALL grew up in the shadow of Denali. He is the former editor and publisher of Alaska magazine. He lives in Chugiak, Alaska.

Andy Hall

Andy Webb worked as a reporter for BBC Television for more than 15 years, appearing daily as a front-of-camera reporter, first on BBC News then as a reporter and presenter on primetime shows including the BBC’sWatchdog, before embarking on a career as an award-winning director of documentary films. It was his journalism over a 15-year period which first revealed the truth behind the infamous BBC Panorama interview with Princess Diana and so exposed the greatest scandal in the history of the BBC. Since breaking the story in 2020, Andy Webb has been invited to write on the story for a range of leading publications, including the Times, Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph, and has also been interviewed many times on television, radio and podcasts both in the UK and overseas. Andy is married, with four children, and lives in West London.

Andy Webb

Andy Watt, a graduate of Warwickshire School of Art has spent the last two decades illustrating columns, articles, and editorial pieces for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent. His work has featured in many other magazines in the U.K and USA. He has illustrated several books, worked on advertising campaigns, and created character designs animated on television. 
 
Andy has an irrational fear of restaurants, but has twice eaten in Jamie Oliver's restaurant ‘Fifteen' in Cornwall which he describes as 'very nice’. Thank you Jamie, please don't take offence at my silly drawing.

Andy Watt

Andy King is a Lecturer in History at the University of Southampton. Among his many historical interests are the studies of castles, military culture and Anglo-Scottish relations in the late medieval period.

Andy King

Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.

Andy Weir

Andy Bull

Andy Cave

Andre Hue

Ivo Andric was born in 1892 in Travnik, Bosnia of Croat parents and grew up alongside Orthodox Christians, Moslems and Roman Catholics in Višegrad, the town on the banks of the Drina where his book is set. Until 1941 he served as a Yugoslav diplomat, then, placed under house arrest in Belgrade by the occupying Germans, Andric turned to writing. In 1961 he was awarded the Noble prize for literature. He died in 1975.

Ivo Andric

LJ Andrews is a USA Today bestselling author of fantasy romance. She mystically brings to life worlds of dark Nordic and Viking myths bound by conflicts that bring together impassioned heroes and heroines. In her non-author moments, she is courageously corralling her four children to the myriad of life activities that involves, along with spending time with her favorite hero, her husband. Add two high maintenance dogs and a sassy conure to the mix and that sums it up. She thrives spending time in the Rocky Mountains where she lives in Utah.

LJ Andrews

Andre Sólo is a researcher, and co-founder and editor-in-chief for Highly Sensitive Refuge. He has co-authored a number of scientific papers and his writing has appeared in Psychology Today, The Huffington Post and Quiet Revolution. He has been interviewed by The Telegraph, Vogue and the BBC. Andre is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Andre Sólo

Andrew Fox

Andre Gide

Andy Neill

Andy Goram

Andy Sloan

Andy Riley

Andy Hixon lives in Sheffield. He works with clay, photography, digital media and animation.

Andy Hixon

From the day he was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital in London, Andy McNab has led an extraordinary life. 
 
As a teenage delinquent, Andy McNab kicked against society. As a young soldier he waged war against the IRA in the streets and fields of South Armagh. As a member of 22 SAS he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years – on five continents. During the Gulf War he commanded Bravo Two Zero, a patrol that, in the words of his commanding officer, 'will remain in regimental history for ever'. Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, McNab was the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS. 
 
Since then Andy McNab has become one of the world’s best-selling writers, drawing on his insider knowledge and experience. As well as several non-fiction bestsellers including Bravo Two Zero, the biggest selling British work of military history, he is the author of the best-selling Nick Stone and Tom Buckingham thrillers. He has also written a number of books for children. 
 
Besides his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK, works in the film industry advising Hollywood on everything from covert procedure to training civilian actors to act like soldiers. He continues to be a spokesperson and fundraiser for both military and literacy charities.

Andy McNab

André Gide

Andy Clark is a Professor of Cognitive Philosophy at the University of Sussex, and at Macquarie University, Australia. He is the author of six books including Supersizing the Mind, Natural-Born Cyborgs and Surfing Uncertainty. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Academy, and is an occasional Academic Consultant for Google, UK.

Andy Clark

Veronica Park (VP) Anderson (she/they) is a neurodivergent, queer, feminist millennial writer with a resume that Victor Frankenstein would disown for being “a bit much.” V’s previous job titles include: award-winning community theater actor, professional lecturer on cruise ships, indie film producer, literary agent, and creative project manager; however, “writer” is the title that always fits. 
 
V plays competitive flat track roller derby as “Scarlet Five” #55 and prefers the pivot role, aka “surprise jamming.” Born in Alaska and raised in Oregon, she currently lives with her partner in Upstate NY and has two cats named Skeletor and Bo-Catan.

V.P. Anderson

Mark Andrew

Peter Andre

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Andy Stanton

Mr Gum is back and as nasty as ever in this second hilarious story, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘Wickedly entertaining’ The Bookseller 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss.’ – Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
Good evening. OK, this book’s a bit hard to describe. There’s this gingerbread man with electric muscles, see? And he’s rich as a mushroom, right? And Mr Gum and Billy William are planning to get the cash, yeah? And it’s up to Polly to save the day. 
 
And there’s a funfair and hot dogs, and Friday O’Leary shouts out some crazy stuff, and... hey, that wasn’t so hard to describe after all! See ya! 
 
Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire is the second in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (2 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

Shabba me whiskers! It’s the fourth fantastic Mr Gum story, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘Smooky Palooki! This book is well brilliant!’ Jeremy Strong 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss.’ – Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
Good evening, children, on this dark and windy night. Now, come gather round the fireplace, for ‘tis time for strange tales to be spun. 
 
Like the tale of Polly and that old tumbledown windmill by the riverside. But just what is the windmill’s terrible secret? Why is Mr Gum lurk-lurk-lurkin’ about? And how much does Old Granny know? 
 
Gather closer, children, for all shall be revealed… BRRR! SPOOKY! 
 
Mr Gum and the Power Crystals is the fourth in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Power Crystals: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (4 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

The third barking bonkers Mr Gum story, read by author Andy Stanton with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant… Stanton’s the Guv’nor. The Boss.’ Danny Baker 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
 
Good evening, brave listener. But are you brave enough to join Polly and Friday as they climb Goblin Mountain to battle the forces of evil? 
 
For be warned. This audiobook is full of swords and trolls and witches and a thing that looks like a gherkin. And somehow that old roo-de-lally Mr Gum is all mixed up in it too. Shabba me whiskers, it’s a burpin’ epic! 
 
Mr Gum and the Goblins is the third in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award.The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Goblins: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (3 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

Shabba me whiskers! It’s that bestselling and award-winning first ever Mr Gum story, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss’ Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
 
Good evening. Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun and corn on the cob. This book’s all about him. 
 
And an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub. And Jake the dog, and a little girl called Polly and an evil, stinky butcher all covered in guts. And there’s heroes and sweets and adventures and EVERYTHING. 
 
You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! is the first in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum!: Children's Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (1 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

The eighth exceptionally entertaining Mr Gum story, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss.’ – Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
Good evening. Talking parrots in the rooftops? A giant cactus on the high street? Mosquitoes so nasty that even their own friends don’t like them? Something’s gone terribly wrong in Lamonic Bibber… and Mr Gum is nowhere to be found. 
 
Yes, folks, Polly and Friday are facing their biggest challenge yet. So strap yourselves in, cry ‘HI-HO-WEIRDY!’ and get ready for an adventure so crazy your feet will melt with happiness! And I’m not just saying that, I’ve actually seen it happen. HOORAY! 
 
Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout is the eighth in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (8 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

The fifth fabulously funny Mr Gum story by Andy Stanton, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old 
 
‘Worryingly splendid’ The Guardian 
They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss.’ – Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
Good evening. Do you like bears called Padlock? Course you do. Do you like hot-air balloons? Course you do. Do you like tall sailing ships with mad sea captains, and horrifying old villains and words like ‘wab!’, ‘tungler’ and ‘kelp’? COURSE you do! 
 
Well, guess what, you lucky little nibbleheads? This book’s got all of those things – and a lot more besides. It’s a rollicker! It’s a frolicker! It’s a fun-time sun-time yollicker! So what you waiting for? GET LISTENING! 
 
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear is the fifth in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (5 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

You lucky little peanuts, it’s the seventh superb Mr Gum story, read by the author and with music and sound effects. A fantastic book for boys and girls aged 7-10 years old. 
 
‘Mad, bad – and very funny’ Booktrust 
‘They’re the funniest books … I can’t recommend them enough’ Stephen Mangan 
‘They are brilliant’ Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 
‘It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant…Stanton’s the Gov’nor, the Boss.’ – Danny Baker, BBC Radio London 
 
Good evening and welcome to a tale of forests! Of dreadful villains! Of caterpillars called Graham! And of a great big BEEFER of a cherry tree! 
 
But what dark secrets are hidden in that tree, where the leaves grow thick and green? Polly intends to find out, and she intends to find out by finding out. What will she find out? Find out by listening to this audiobook, and you’ll find out! NEEEEIIIIGGGGH! 
 
Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree is the seventh in the internationally bestselling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The books have been translated into over 25 languages worldwide, and have sold over 4 million copies. 
 
“Good evening. This is Andy Stanton, professional children’s author and part-time marshmallow. Hey, do you like hearing ‘Mr Gum’ read out loud by a complete idiot? Well, then, you’re in luck, because – for your entertainment, amusement and annoyance - every single word of these audio books is spoken by ME! And not only that, but these recordings are absolutely JAM-PACKED with silly voices, weird sound effects and utterly ridiculous songs (sorry about my singing, by the way, it’s appalling). So there you have it – what are you waiting for? GET LISTENING, YOU NIBBLEHEADS!”

Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree: Children’s Audio Book

Performed and Read by Andy Stanton (7 of 8 in the Mr Gum Series)

Bridget Christie

The complete first and second series of Bridget Christie’s award-winning series about modern feminism 
 
Comedian Bridget Christie noticed that misogyny, like shiny leggings, has made an unexpected comeback. But did it ever really go away? 
 
Bridget asks why feminism became a dirty word, and whether the modern British woman needs it. From a smell in a well-known bookshop to a pen designed especially for women, she looks at some of the more ridiculous things associated with being a woman. She ponders women's relationship with their bodies via a lap dance, TOWIE and a fish called Michael, asks who has the best sexism in the world, and discusses why twitter is a sexist's natural habitat. She explains what happens when you wear an 'End FGM' badge on a popular TV show, and tries to find a feminist icon who doesn't want to replace the word 'feminism' with 'bootylicious'. 
 
The series’ token man Fred MacAulay helps her remember some of the key incidents which brought her to an epiphany and a call to arms. 
 
Series 1 of Mind the Gap won the Rose D’Or International Broadcasting Award for Best Radio Comedy 2014 and the Chortle Award for Best Radio Series 2014. Series 2 won the Chortle Award for Best Radio Programme 2015.

Bridget Christie Minds the Gap: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Patricia Highsmith

Five gripping full-cast adaptations of Patricia Highsmith's bestselling 'Ripley' series - plus bonus material 
 
Charming, cultured and clever, Tom Ripley has a taste for the finer things in life. And he is determined to get them, by any means necessary... 
 
These five plays - The Talented Mr Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water - chart Tom's journey from impoverished conman to wealthy bon viveur and serial killer. His homicidal adventures begin when he befriends shipping heir Dickie Greenleaf: he wants money, success, and he's willing to kill for it. But when he attains the luxurious lifestyle he craves, he is always on the edge of being discovered. Will his shadowy past finally catch up with him? 
 
BAFTA-winning actor Ian Hart stars as Ripley in these tense, thrilling dramas. Also included are two bonus documentaries: Looking for Ripley, in which crime writer Mark Billingham unravels the mystery behind our lasting fascination with Tom Ripley, and A Passionate Affair, presented by Marcel Berlins, who asks whether Patricia Highsmith fell in love with her suave, amoral anti-hero. 
 
Text © 1993 by Diogenes Verlag AG Zurich, all rights reserved. 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Complete Ripley: The Tom Ripley thrillers

Five BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations

A suspenseful full-cast BBC radio adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's classic psychological thriller 
 
When Guy Haines meets Charles Bruno in the dining car of a Texas-bound train, they share their secrets in the way that only strangers can. Charles confides his hatred for his controlling father, Guy confesses that he is divorcing his unfaithful wife. As the drink flows and the conversation turns darker, Charles proposes the perfect solution to both their problems - a murder swap - and Guy laughingly agrees. 
 
Back home, he quickly forgets their drunken pact: but Charles does not. Soon Guy is facing a nightmarish choice - fulfil his part of the bargain, or be framed for a murder he didn't commit... 
 
Dramatised for radio by award-winning playwright Craig Warner, this disturbing tale of obsession, blackmail, guilt and fear stars Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Staged) as Guy Haines and Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones, Endeavour) as Charles Bruno. 
 
Credits 
Written by Craig Warner, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith 
Original music by Craig Warner 
Directed by Andy Jordan 
 
Cast 
Charles Bruno........................Anton Lesser 
Guy Haines........................Michael Sheen 
Anne........................Saskia Reeves 
Gerard........................Bill Nighy 
Elsie Bruno........................Jane Whittenshaw 
Alex........................Denys Hawthorne 
Myers........................Roger May 
Treacher........................Stephen Critchlow 
Cop........................John Hartley 
Frear........................Andrew Branch 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 January 1996 
 
Strangers on a Train © 1993 by Diogenes Verlag AG Zurich, all rights reserved. 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Strangers on a Train

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation

J.R.R. Tolkien

Widely regarded as a broadcasting classic, the 1981 BBC Radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings stars Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Peter Woodthorpe. This box set contains all three parts of the epic tale - The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him the Rings of Power - the means by which he will be able to rule the world. All he lacks in his plan for domination is the Ruling Ring, which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Frodo Baggins... Brian Sibley, one of the original dramatists, has written new opening and closing narration for the character of Frodo, played by Ian Holm. This collection also includes a bonus CD featuring Stephen Oliver's complete musical score, and a demo version of 'Bilbo's Last Song'. 
 
13 CDs. 13 hrs 15 mins.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Trilogy

The Complete Collection Of The Classic BBC Radio Production

A major new series from the makers of A History Of The World In 100 Objects, exploring the fascinating and complex history of Germany from the origins of the Holy Roman Empire right up to the present day. Written and presented by Neil MacGregor, it is produced by BBC Radio 4, in partnership with the British Museum. 
 
Whilst Germany’s past is too often seen through the prism of the two World Wars, this series investigates a wider 600-year-old history of the nation through its objects. It examines the key moments that have defined Germany’s past - its great, world-changing achievements and its devastating tragedies - and it explores the profound influence that Germany’s history, culture and inventiveness have had across Europe. 
 
The objects featured in the radio series range from large sculptures to small individual artefacts and items that are prosaic, iconic and symbolic. Each has a story to tell, a memory to invoke.

Germany: Memories of a Nation

BBC Radio Comedy

Four of the funniest recent episodes from the topical comedy show, presented by Miles Jupp 
 
2017 marked the 40th anniversary of The News Quiz, ‘the finest topical comedy panel game known to radio’ and a guaranteed provider of headlines, punchlines and sparkling satirical wit. 
 
These four shows from Series 92 and 93 take a tongue-in-cheek look at current events, with chairman Miles Jupp presiding over a pack of keen newshounds including Jeremy Hardy, Zoe Lyons, Susan Calman, Charlie Higson, Andy Hamilton, Vicki Pepperdine, Helen Lewis, Sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter, Mark Steel, Hugo Rifkind, Rich Hall and Katy Brand. 
 
The panellists find the funny in topics ranging from Donald Trump to Morris dancing, and from by-elections to pie selections, taking in Brexit, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, urban foxes and an unorthodox lifeguard recruitment drive – not to mention the small matter of a UK General Election. To add to the hilarity, newsreaders Alan Smith, Corrie Corfield and Kathy Clugston read a selection of humorous press cuttings contributed by listeners. 
 
So sit back and enjoy the highlights of a news-packed year in the company of some of the best and brightest commentators. 
 
Duration: 2 hours approx.

The News Quiz: The Best of 2017

The topical BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show

A. A. Milne

What is the connection between a Bear of Very Little Brain and a honey pot? Usually it's the very sticky paw of Winnie-the-Pooh, as he takes a break between adventures for 'a little something'. Alan Bennett gives A.A. Milne's characters the voices you felt they were always meant to have in this collection of stories about Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Owl. Hear all about the fun they have as they lay a Heffalump trap, celebrate Eeyore's birthday, invent the game of Poohsticks and welcome Kanga and Baby Roo to the forest - among many other entertaining escapades. 
 
6 CDs. 6 hrs.

Winnie The Pooh - The Collection

Alan Bennett reads A.A. Milne's much-loved stories about a small bear and his friends.   What is the connection between a bear of very little brain and a honey pot? Usually it's the very sticky paw of Winnie the Pooh, as he takes a break between adventures for a little something.  In these five stories, taken from the book 'Winnie-the-Pooh', Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place, Eeyore loses a tail, Piglet meets a Heffalump, Eeyore has a birthday and gets two presents, and an expedition is mounted to the North Pole!  As usual they are accompanied by Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl - to say nothing of Pooh's very clever young human friend, Christopher Robin.   Now with a musical introduction, Alan Bennett's delightful readings bring each and every character in the forest to life.

Winnie The Pooh

Agatha Christie

The Unexpected Guest begins on a foggy night at a lonely country house, where a woman with a gun in her hand is quietly surveying the dead body of her husband. It looks like a straightforward case of murder. Or is it? As the ghosts of an old wrong begin to emerge from the past, the case begins to look anything but straightforward, and it is up to Sergeant Cadwallader and Inspector Thomas to discover the unexpected truth... In The Pale Horse, a dying woman gasps out her bizarre story to Catholic priest Father Gorman - but no sooner has he written it down than he is violently killed. The only clue he leaves is a twisted scrap of paper on which are written nine names. On the trail of these names Inspector Lejeune, together with academic Mark Easterbrooke and his crime writer friend Ariadne Oliver, are led inexorably to The Pale Horse Inn, in the village of Much Deeping. The three women who live there - a psychic, a medium and a witch - all seem to have some link to Father Gorman’s death. And each of them has their own secrets... These two Agatha Christie stories, each with a twist in the tale, are dramatised with full casts including Siôn Probert and Stephanie Cole. 
 
2 CDs. 2 hrs.

The Unexpected Guest & The Pale Horse

Douglas Adams

Eoin Colfer

Don't panic! This brand new collector's edition box set contains the only audiobooks you'll ever need on your galactic travels - the complete BBC radio productions of Douglas Adams's legendary saga. Included are: 
 
The two original series, the Primary and Secondary Phases, remastered by Dirk Maggs with vibrant sound and music and including a 55-minute feature programme, Douglas Adams's Guide tothe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a fascinating 50-minute interview with Douglas Adams 
 
Extended editions of the Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases, directed by Dirk Maggs and featuring over 1½ hours of material not heard on BBC Radio 4 
 
The concluding Hexagonal Phase, with a further 50 minutes of extra unbroadcast content 
 
A special bonus disc featuring Douglas Adams's appearance on BBC Radio 4's Bookclub, in which he talks to James Naughtie and a group of readers about comedy, sci-fi, the creation of his characters and his influences 
 
Grab your towel, pour yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and get set for over 20 hours of unmissable radio adventure! 
 
Audio updated in 2020.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Complete Radio Series

John Masefield

When Kay Harker meets a mysterious Punch and Judy man on his way home for Christmas, he little realizes that he is about to be plunged into adventure. The old man entrusts Kay with a strange puzzle box - the Box of Delights - before suddenly disappearing. Kay soon discovers two things: the box can transport him through time and space, and there is a plot to steal it. He must battle heroically against terrifying forces of evil in order to win the day... This thrilling BBC Radio adaptation boasts a stellar cast, including Donald Sinden, Lionel Jeffries, Spike Milligan and Celia Imrie. 
 
3 CDs. 3 hrs.

The Box Of Delights

A 30-part landmark series for BBC Radio 4, written and presented by Neil MacGregor 
 
'The new blockbuster by the museums maestro Neil MacGregor ... The man who chronicles world history through objects is back ... examining a new set of objects to explore the theme of faith in society' Sunday Times 
 
In this major new BBC radio series, Neil MacGregor investigates the role and expression of shared beliefs through time and around the world. 
 
Using specially selected objects from the British Museum and beyond, talking to experts from various disciplines and visiting key locations from the river Ganges to Jerusalem, he examines how rituals and systems of belief have shaped our societies. Looking at communities from the distant past to the present day, both in Europe and worldwide, his focus moves from the beginnings of belief and the elemental worship of fire, water and the sun, through festivals, pilgrimages and sacrifices, to power struggles and political battles between faiths and states. 
 
Among the objects featured are the Lion Man, a small ivory sculpture which is about 40,000 years old; a 16th century ivory and gold qibla, used to find the direction of Mecca; and the Lampedusa Cross, made from pieces of a refugee boat wrecked off the Italian coast in 2013. 
 
Produced by BBC Radio 4 in partnership with the British Museum, this enlightening series explores humanity’s enduring need to believe, belong and connect with the cosmos. 
 
Duration: 6 hours 50 mins.

Living With The Gods

The BBC Radio 4 series

Arthur Conan Doyle

When a country doctor comes to Sherlock Holmes with a far-fetched tale of a sudden death, a devil dog and an ancient curse, Holmes is sceptical. Could the demise of Sir Charles Baskerville really have been caused by the gigantic ghostly hound which is said to have haunted his family for generations? Arch-rationalist Sherlock Holmes characteristically dismisses the theory as nonsense. Claiming to be immersed in another case, he sends Watson to Dartmoor to protect the Baskerville heir and to observe the suspects at close hand. But soon events take a dangerous turn, and it seems that the legend may be real... With Watson in dreadful peril, can Holmes uncover the terrible truth about the hound of the Baskervilles? 
 
6 CDs. 6 hrs.

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound Of The Baskervilles

Nicholas Parsons chairs four episodes of the long-running panel game. 
 
“Welcome to Just a Minute!” As the Minute Waltz fades away, once again a multitude of players pit their wits against each other as they attempt to talk for sixty seconds on a given subject without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject. 
 
In these four episodes, long-time players including Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton and Julian Clary are joined by newcomers including Kevin Eldon, Vanessa Feltz, Miles Jupp, Shappi Khorsandi, Patrick Kielty, Joe Lycett, Paul Sinha and Holly Walsh. 
 
Among the subjects tackled are Personal Hygiene in the 10th Century, Mobile phone etiquette, Stonehenge, How to prepare sushi, Soap operas, Crystal Palace and Flying a kite. 
 
So join redoubtable chairman Nicholas Parsons as the panellists use their intellect, imagination, wit and verbal dexterity to beat the clock and win the points in these four sparklingly funny shows. 
 
2 CDs. 1 hr 52 mins.

Just a Minute: The Best of 2014

Four episodes of the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game

Broadcast to mark the 3000th programme of the much-loved children's series Jackanory, The Hobbit was transmitted over two weeks and 10 episodes in 1979. It told the gripping story of Bilbo Baggins and his band of dwarves, who are on a quest for the treasure guarded by the fearsome dragon Smaug. As he leaves his cosy hobbit-hole and travels into the wild, Bilbo's adventures begin. On his journey, he will encounter trolls, goblins, elves and giant spiders - as well as a mysterious and magical ring and a strange, sinister creature named Gollum... Read by Bernard Cribbins, Jan Francis, Maurice Denham and David Wood, this rare audio soundtrack is sure to offer a treat for all fans of J. R. R. Tolkien. 
 
2 CDs. 2 hrs 28 mins.

The Hobbit: Jackanory

Sebastian Baczkiewicz

How did Claudius become the man he is in Shakespeare's Hamlet? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew? These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic and political skulduggery. 
 
Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This compelling new drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court, in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarised country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air. 
 
In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal. 
 
A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play, and brings us to the moment where Hamlet begins. 
 
From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful Pilgrim series. 
 
Duration: 3 hours approx.

Elsinore: Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Kenneth Grahame

'There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.' When the Water Rat invites the unassuming Mole to spend his first day ever in a boat on the river, and wise Badger comes along for the ride as well, so begins a marvellous season of adventure for the three friends. Mr Toad (he of Toad Hall) completes a happy foursome, but his tendency to get into hot water leads him into some rather hair-raising scrapes of his own. From an idyllic riverside picnic to a snowy encounter in the Wild Woods, and from poop-pooping in Toad's shiny new motor car to fighting against the massed ranks of Stoats, Weasels and Ferrets in a battle for Toad Hall, there's never a dull moment when they are all together! In his own inimitable style, Alan Bennett gives voice to each and every character in Kenneth Grahame's beguiling novel. 
 
3 CDs. 3 hrs.

Wind In The Willows - Reading

Jimmy Perry

David Croft

Diehard Dad's Army fan Phill Jupitus has selected four of his favourite episodes from the sitcom that captured the heart of a nation. As Jupitus says, 'There are episodes here you will be familiar with and some you may never have heard, but what I can promise is that they are all achingly funny.' 'The Man and the Hour' is the first ever episode of the series, in which Mainwaring barks out, 'Come on Adolf, we're ready for you!'; 'My British Buddy' finds Mollie Sugden guest starring as a Walmington inhabitant besotted with the new GIs in town; 'Time on My Hands' finds a German airman snagged by his parachute on the town hall clock; and in 'A Soldier's Farewell' Mainwaring dreams he is Napoleon at Waterloo, with Wilson an elegant Duke of Wellington... Providing stalwart support to the stars are John Laurie, James Beck, Arnold Ridley, Ian Lavender and Bill Pertwee. 
 
2 CDs. 1 hr 53 mins.

Dad's Army: The Very Best Episodes

Volume 1

Ten archive editions of the the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game plus two very special programmes, chaired by Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Seasons come and go, and years fly by, but Just a Minute has been a constant ray of sunshine on Radio 4 for over 50 years. 
 
Now, in this new collection of programmes, ten previously unpublished editions — from the 1970s to the 2010s — are presented alongside two very special half hours: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes and 50 Years of Just a Minute: Paul Merton in Conversation with Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Among the many guest performers attempting to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject are Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Andrée Melly, Patrick Moore, Kenny Everett, Tim Rice, Wendy Richard, Richard Murdoch, Jenny Eclair, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Stephen Frost, Gyles Brandreth, Sue Perkins and Frank Skinner. 
 
Who will win enough points to take a commanding lead, who will find themselves trailing a little, and who will finish in a strong fourth place? Find out as we play Just a Minute! 
 
1. 12 October 1971: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Andrée Melly, Kenneth Williams 
2. 18 April 1978: Featuring Clement Freud, Patrick Moore, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 
3. 5 February 1980: Featuring Kenny Everett, Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Kenneth Williams 
4. 16 June 1984: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Kenneth Williams 
5. 16 June 1988: Featuring Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Wendy Richard, Kenneth Williams 
6. 28 April 1990: Featuring Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Richard Murdoch, Wendy Richard 
7. 2 August 1999: Featuring Jenny Eclair, Stephen Frost, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Peter Jones 
8. 19 January 2004: Featuring Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Linda Smith 
9. 9 January 2006: Featuring Clement Freud, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Tim Rice 
10. 18 August 2014: Featuring Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Frank Skinner 
11. 25 December 2017: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes. Featuring panellists from across the years 
12. 1 January 2018: 50 Years of Just a Minute - Paul Merton in conversation with Nicholas Parsons 
 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Chaired by Nicholas Parsons 
Episode selection by Michael Stevens 
Music: The Minute Waltz (Waltz in D Flat Major, Op. 64) by Chopin 
 
Duration: 5 hours 50 mins approx. 
 
Please note: The humour in these programmes sometimes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast. Contains strong language and mild innuendo. Due to the archive nature of some of the episodes, sound quality may vary.

Just a Minute: Through the Years

12 classic episodes of the much-loved BBC Radio comedy game

Harry Venning

The complete tenth series of the Sony Award-winning comedy series - plus a Christmas special 
 
‘The best comedy on radio’ Moira Petty, The Stage 
 
Clare Barker, the social worker with all the politically correct jargon but none of the practical solutions, continues to struggle with her professional and private life in these seven hilarious episodes, which include a special Christmas edition of the show. 
 
In Christmas with Clare Barker, Clare is working through the holidays, and has had enough of the whole seasonal shebang. But will a chance encounter bring back a bit of festive magic? 
 
Series Ten sees Brian going on a fitness kick and joining a men’s group. Clare, meanwhile, gets involved with a TV producer making a documentary about the Sparrowhawk estate; faces some home truths at a family funeral; attempts to co-operate with her estranged sister and intervenes with Nali’s ex-husband. Plus, the Sparrowhawk team work together to overcome a little problem in the office; and hold a leaving do, taking the opportunity to reminisce. 
 
Sally Phillips stars as Clare, with a supporting cast including Alex Lowe as Brian and Nina Conti as Nali/Megan.

Clare in the Community: Series 10

Series 10 & a Christmas special episode of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom

Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy is one of Britain’s most popular and bestselling authors, and this collection of four stories from the BBC Radio 4 archive shows her at her most insightful and imaginative. In The Garden Party, Helen envies her neighbour Debbie Kennedy’s garden – and her life – but discovers that things are not always as they seem; while The Special Sale sees lonely Yvonne arranging a special lunch for her friend Frank and his children on the day after Christmas. The Sensible Celebration finds Lorna about to throw a small party to celebrate the decade gone by: but as she plans, she starts to think about her life, and her marriage. Finally, in Dolly’s Mother, the beauty, grace and efficiency of her perfect parent have always made Dolly feel inferior – until the day of her sixteenth birthday. These four stories, never collected together in book form and unique to audio, are read by acclaimed actors Niamh Cusack, Dervla Kirwan, Doreen Hepburn and Stella McCusker. 
 
1 CD. 57 mins.

Garden Party, The & Other Stories

’It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. The terror is in the hearts of the people from the dusk to the dawn. Wait, young man, and you will learn for yourself’. Sherlock Holmes is intrigued and disturbed when he receives an ominous coded message: a Mr Douglas of Birlstone House is in terrible danger. Before Holmes can act, shocking news arrives. Douglas has been founded dead – his face blown off by a shotgun. Scotland Yard is stumped. Was this suicide or murder? But Holmes is in no doubt. For he recognises the calling card of his nemesis: Professor James Moriarty. In this thrilling tale of fear and tyranny, stretching from the stark American coal valleys to an English country manor, Holmes must battle his greatest – and most lethal – enemy... 
 
6 CDs. 6 hrs 17 mins.

Sherlock Holmes: The Valley Of Fear

Terrance Dicks

Eric Saward

Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison and Colin Baker are among the readers of these 12 stories from the worlds of Doctor Who. The Curse of Peladon is read by Jon Pertwee; Kinda is read by Peter Davison; Attack of the Cybermen is read by Colin Baker; Out of the Darkness (three short stories) is read by Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant; and Short Trips (six short stories) is read by Nicholas Courtney and Sophie Aldred. With original music.

Doctor Who: Tales from the TARDIS: Volume 1

Multi-Doctor Stories

Meg and Mog

Ebb and Flo

Ink and Iron

Lucy and Tom

The Lost and Found

Tuck and Tina

Topsy and Tim

Pizza and Taco

Sarah and Duck

Emma and James

And Other Lies

Jack and Millie

Chaos and Flame

George and Flora

From the bestselling novel I'm Travelling Alone, two dynamic characters are born. 
Police investigators Holger Munch and Mia Krüger work together to solve the most complex crimes in Oslo, catching serial killers before they strike again but their personal lives are not simple either. As people, they could not be more different but as they battle their own demons their unlikely pairing make Munch and Krüger the best kind of classic detective duo.

Munch and Krüger

Lizzie and Lucky

Charlie and Lola

Anders Knutas

The Snowman flies again . . . In the middle of winter, a little boy's Snowman and Snowdog come to life and take him on a breathtaking and magical adventure.

The Snowman and the Snowdog

The Knight and Her Emperor

Harry and the Dinosaurs

Faith, Hope and Glory

Gods and Warriors

Wizards and Robots

Noughts and Crosses

Malorie Blackman's ground-breaking, award winning series charts the lives and loves of generations as it takes on race and equality with breathtaking drama and heart wrenching sadness. Set in an alternate reality, where the inferior Noughts live as second class citizens in a world run by Crosses, the four books explore the violent politics of a unstable world, and the ordinary lives caught up in in its terror. Beginning with Noughts and Crosses - and the romance of Seph and Callum - and ending with Double Cross, it is a gripping sequence, and an important, relevant story for our time.

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