Books on the radio

Putting Books on the radio makes the audio book format cheaply available to a wide audience. The books given this form of presentation include both fiction and non-fiction and are read either by an actor or by the author. The BBC does many of these "talking book serials" every week across their range of radio stations.

Here is a list of radio programmes which feature short stories, poetry or whole books in a serialised form:

BBC Radio 4

• "Afternoon Reading" external link features either a short story or an abridged book.
• "Book at Bedtime" external link presents modern classics, new works by leading writers and literature from around the world.
• "Book of the Week" external link Non-fiction, biography, autobiography, travel, diaries, essays, humour and history.
• "Poetry Please" external link a selection of poems chosen by listeners.

BBC World Service

• "Off the Shelf" serialized books of many types. It is not on air anymore.

BBC Radio 4 Extra

• Ambridge Extra (Soap opera, spin-off from The Archers)
• Arthur Smith's Balham Bash (Variety show, debuted on Radio 4 Extra before being aired on Radio 4)
• The 4 O'Clock Show (Chat show, incudling children's entertainment)
• Let's Get Quizzical (Documentary)
• Meet David Sedaris (Comedy, debuted on Radio 4 Extra before being aired on Radio 4)
• The Nine Billion Names of God (readings from Arthur C. Clarke's short story collection of the same name)
• Sarah Millican's Support Group (Sketch show, debuted on Radio 4 Extra before being aired on Radio 4)
• What's So Funny? (Comedy review show)

BBC 6Music

• "Steve Lamacq" external link Steve Lamacq's Library of Rock and Roll related books.
• "6Music's reading festival" (yes, reading festival as opposed to Reading Festival which is something else) external link Six Music celebrates reading, writing and books.

RTÉ Radio 1

• "Fiction 15" external link newly-commissioned writing for younger listeners.
• "Francis Macmanus Short Story" external link short stories.
• "The Poem and the Place" external link brings together poems and the places which inspired them.

ABC Radio National

• "The Book Reading" external link classic and contemporary fiction by Australian and world writers, read by actors.

• "Short story" external link two short stories a week.

ABC local radio

• "Short story project" external link short stories from around Australia.

Oneword

• Virtually all of Oneword's programming, 24 hours a day. external link

See also

• The World's Great Novels
• NBC Presents: Short Story