RNIB Reading podcast

Robert Saggers is RNIB's Heritage Services Manager. Clare Carson caught up with him at RNIB's Talking Book studios to talk about the treasures in the RNIB archives.

Ellie Wallwork is 12 and registered blind. She took part in the Cilip Carnegie Award shadowing scheme last year and featured in a moving video which was shown at last year's award ceremony. This year she was invited to come in person to the awards ceremony at the Barbican in London to give a speech. Here she is being introduced by news reader Kate Silverton and afterwards having a quick chat with Read On producer Kim Normanton.

Last year the National Library Service was lucky enough to have a visit from Blind Footballer and Paralympian Jon Gribbin or as he is dubbed Team GB's "Gary Lineker". He talked to a group of readers about his journey to becoming a world class 5-a-side blind footballer.

As part of Love Libraries Week RNIB National Library Service hosted introductory sessions to ebook readers. Peter Atkins, from RNIB's Media and Culture Department, demonstrated four ebook players - the Sony, Amazon Kindle, Kobo and iPad and gave blind and partially sighted participants the opportunity to play with them. This was the first time that many of the attendees had had the chance to get their hands on these machines and see which one would suit them best.

Stephen Kelman talked to Insight Radio's Robert Kirkwood about his Booker Prize nominated first novel Pigeon English.

Kate Morton speaks about her new book, The Distant Hours. The story: Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother's emotional distance masks an old secret.

Judith Kerr, the author and illustrator of much loved children's story The Tiger Who Came to Tea, is still going strong at the age of 87. Judith also wrote the Mog books and also a beautiful story for older children titled When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, which was based on her experience of fleeing Nazi Germany as a child. We spoke to her at the Cheltenham Book Festival.

In addition to writing, Alexander McCall Smith became a respected expert on medical law and bioethics and served on international committees. He is probably best known as the creator of The no. 1 ladies' detective agency. Clare Carson interviewed him at the Cheltenham Literary Festival.

Shortlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize, Emma Donoghue spoke to James Butterworth from RNIB's Insight Radio about her novel, Room.

John Boyne talks about writing for a young audience whilst dealing with incredibly difficult subject matter in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and we ask him what he would miss most if he lost his sight.

Jo Brand has had a diverse career beginning as a psychiatric nurse, moving on to stand up comedy and then writing for a living. Clare Carson interviewed her at Cheltenham Literary Festival where she talked about her autobiography 'Look back in hunger' and her semi-autobiographical novel 'It's different for girls'.

We chat to Val Worley who is a great fan of talking books. Val is registered blind and says that talking books became a lifeline after the blow of being told she was losing her sight.

Before Simon Armitage became a poet and playwright he was a probation officer and before that he stacked shelves at a local supermarket. He has recently published The poetry of birds - with his friend and radio producer Tim Dee. Clare Carson caught up with him at the Cheltenham Festival.

Library user Sue McDermott has recently discovered giant print. We talked to her about how it's transformed the way she reads.

2009 Man Booker Prize shortlisted author, Sarah Waters, speaks to Robert Kirkwood from Insight Radio about her gothic ghost story "The Little Stranger"