Meet Julia Donaldson Summer reading Books of my life - RNIB

Read On
RNIB National Library Service magazine for readers
Issue 18 Spring 2013
Passionate about books and reading
Meet Julia Donaldson
Children’s Laureate
Summer reading
with Anne Zouroudi’s
Greek detective
Books of my life
with Vidar Hjardeng
1

Read On 18
Read On is published
by RNIB.
© RNIB April 2013
Reg. charity number 226227
Read On is available in print,
DAISY audio CD, braille
and email.
Editorial
Deborah Ryan
RNIB National Library Service
Highbank House
Exchange Street
Stockport SK3 0ET
Telephone
0161 429 1991
Email
readon@rnib.org.uk
Visit
rnib.org.uk/reading
To join
Call RNIB on
0303 123 9999
Email
library@rnib.org.uk
First words
From Deborah Ryan, Editor
Deborah Ryan,
Editor
Hello and welcome to another packed issue of
Read On. We have plenty of news about services
along with lots of reading recommendations. We
hope we can tempt you to try something different
whether it’s going to your public library and
getting involved in Make a Noise in Libraries
fortnight or picking up a book by an author
you’ve never tried before – perhaps by one of
our featured authors Anne Zouroudi or AD Miller.
Younger readers might enjoy a title by Children’s
Laureate Julia Donaldson, who we catch up with
on p24.
We also have an excerpt from the winning piece
from the RNIB members writing competition in this
issue and hope it will inspire you to tell your story.
Someone who knows a bit about telling a story, is
our featured narrator Peter Wickham who has read
over 90 titles in our talking book library.
And finally, find out about RNIB’s newly launched
Heritage Services in our behind the scenes
interview with Robert Saggers.
ISSN 1758-0188
2

Contents
Contents
2 First words
4 News
4 Make a Noise in Libraries fortnight
5 New catalogue and library
computer system
5 Load2Learn now free to schools
6 Plan now for your holiday reading
6 Specialist insurance
7 Travel safely
7 Shop Window available in DAISY
8 Members writing competition
winner
9 Book quiz
10 Author profile: Anne Zouroudi
12 Narrator profile: Peter Wickham
14 Books of my life: Vidar Hjardeng
16 Booker bonanza: AD Miller
18 Have you tried?
19 Reader review
20 On our bedside table
22 Literary news
22 Jackson Brodie returns
22 Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth comes to
Channel 4
22 Da Vinci Code sequel
22 Philippa Gregory novels adapted
for TV
22 The Casual Vacancy to air on BBC
23 The two faces of January
23 Six degrees of separation
24 Meet Children’s Laureate
Julia Donaldson
26 Braille is fascinating! Discuss
27 Children’s book news
27 Summer Reading Challenge 2013
27 Carnegie shadowing
28 Children’s book
recommendations
29 New email magazines for
children and young people
30 Behind the scenes:
Robert Saggers
3

News
News
Make a Noise in
Libraries fortnight:
3-14 June 2013
Are you getting hold of all the accessible
books, newspapers and magazines you
could be enjoying? This year’s Make a
Noise in Libraries fortnight (MANIL) is
an ideal opportunity to find out what’s
available and help us to highlight
the importance of accessible reading
material.
Providing a quality information service is
an essential part of a public library’s role.
Last year’s MANIL library survey showed
that frontline staff and volunteers
need more training, information and
awareness about what is available for
people with sight loss. This summer, we
will be following up last year’s survey
by focusing on the signposting role of
libraries to reading services for blind and
partially sighted people.
We have created a quick free online
questionnaire called Your Reading
Choices, which anyone can use to
identify organisations that provide
accessible books, newspapers and
magazines. We will be encouraging
libraries to use Your Reading Choices and
visit the Reading Sight website
(www.readingsight.org.uk) for
information about all aspects of reading
for people with sight loss.
To find out more, email
megan.gilks@rnib.org.uk,
ring 0161 429 1980 or
visit rnib.org.uk/manil
And that’s where you come in. We need
volunteers to ask their library for advice
about reading between 3-14 June and
report back to us with your experiences.
Many libraries will be holding reading
surgeries, open days and drop-in events
so you can visit your library then.
Alternatively, just call in or ring up first
to make sure someone will be available
to help you.
4

News
New catalogue and
library computer
system
We want to keep you updated about
this important project, which will make
browsing, choosing and ordering books
from RNIB much easier. We had hoped
to launch the new catalogue last autumn
but unfortunately it has become clear
that we need to allow more time for
testing to ensure the system is robust
and fully accessible before going live.
Several different IT systems are being
brought together to create a single
catalogue and computer system. This is
not an easy process, either technically or
from an information management point
of view. Results from the first phase of
accessibility testing showed that some
processes needed further work before
we could reasonably expect customers
to carry out user testing. That work is
being done at the moment and as soon
as we are in a position to proceed to the
next stage of the project we will be in
touch with the many readers who have
kindly offered their services as volunteer
testers.
We are sorry that things have not moved
as swiftly and smoothly as we had
hoped. We will keep you informed in our
enewsletter, this magazine and on our
website at rnib.org.uk/libraryprojects.
Load2Learn now free
to schools
Load2Learn, the online resource that
helps improve the school experience
for learners who can’t read standard
print is now available free of charge to
registered users.
Delivered by RNIB and Dyslexia Action,
the service helps schools to better
support learners with dyslexia, who are
blind or partially sighted, or who have
a disability. Members can access over
1,900 textbook titles and 1,000 images,
downloadable as accessible documents.
Providing Load2Learn as a free service
will enable the resources to be widely
adopted and used to support even more
learners in schools today.
For more information about Load2Learn
please visit www.load2learn.org.uk,
email info@load2learn.org.uk or
call 0300 303 8313.
5

News
Plan now for your
holiday reading
Specialist insurance
We know it can be challenging to find
insurance products that meet your needs
if you’re blind or partially sighted.
That’s why RNIB is delighted to have
launched specialist insurance products
through our partners, Unique.
The days are a little longer, the sun
a little warmer and you may well be
starting to think about your summer
holiday… Well, now is the perfect time
to use the new Your Reading Choices
tool (http://readingsight.org.uk/
reading_tools/your_reading_choices)
to plan your holiday reading.
If you’re flying abroad with a budget
airline where every milligram of luggage
weight counts, you probably don’t want
to take a braille copy of War and Peace
with you. Your Reading Choices can
point you to lighter braille options, for
example, braille magazines.
Our policies are available to you, your
friends, family members or carers.
Choose from:
• Travel insurance and travel extras
• Home insurance
• Life assurance
• Funeral plans
Visit rnib.org.uk/insurance or call
0800 052 1311 to find out more or get a
quote.
For every policy sold, Unique makes a
donation to support our work. See
rnib.org.uk/insurance for more
information.
If you’re holidaying in the UK and have
internet access you could line up some
interesting titles on your Bookstream
bookshelf.
Set aside a few moments to check out
Your Reading Choices and you may
discover new ways of reading that will
make this year’s summer holiday the
most relaxing ever.
6

News
Travel safely
If you’d rather be out and about this
spring RNIB’s new travel pack could be a
great starting point for you or someone
you know to use public transport. The
pack contains a guide for safe and
independent travel, a customer service
guide and a DVD with top tips from
blind and partially sighted people about
using buses.
The pack is available in large print,
braille and on audio CD. Order your pack
by calling 0303 123 9999 or emailing
helpline@rnib.org.uk. Alternatively, you
can download the pack from
rnib.org.uk/travel
RNIB is also working closely with
operators to improve transport services
for blind and partially sighted people,
as well as campaigning for changes to
public transport. Find out more at
rnib.org.uk/travel
Shop Window available in DAISY
Shop Window is RNIB’s monthly magazine packed with consumer advice, best buys
and mouthwatering food articles. It costs just 43p per issue and is now available in
synthetic speech in DAISY audio as well as in braille and electronically. To subscribe
call 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk
7

Members writing competition winner
Members writing
competition winner
We are pleased to announce that Gladys
Taylor has won the sixth RNIB Member’s
writing competition with her short story
“A Haunting Memory”.
Gladys, 72, has been busy studying for
a degree in Creative Writing, Literature
and Linguistics, and is also part of a
writing group where she lives in Cupar,
but writing began with her passion for
reading. The judges were particularly
impressed with her use of metaphor and
imagery in recreating this memory from
her childhood, and Gladys herself said
“You can build a world with imagery –
it’s a way to see.”
The panel of judges, which included
Phillip Hoare, author of the
award-winning Leviathan, or The
Whale, and Di Speirs, Radio 4
Recordings Editor, were impressed with
the high standard of entries.
If you would like to enter next year’s
writing competition, and also receive
Vision magazine and a range of other
benefits, you can join RNIB as a member.
Just call the Membership Team on
0303 1234 555 or visit
rnib.org.uk/membership
You can listen to the full version of the
three winning entries at
rnib.org/visionmagazine and also
listen out for them on Insight Radio’s
talking books show in April.
Here’s an excerpt from the winning entry:
A haunting memory
by Gladys Taylor
Inside the hospital, the lady at the big
high desk looks down at me. She’s
got a squinty eye, and funny, twisted
wire specs that are tied to a black
string. She stares, and I say…
“You’ve got a man’s face.” Well,
she does. Her moustache sticks out
like the bristles on granny’s orange
hairbrush.
“Oh, shush!” Mammy grabs a card
from the lady, and we run along
corridors where green doors rush
past us, all looking the same. When
we turn the corner, the floor squeaks
at my rubber soles. “For God’s sake!
Can’t you do anything right? Quick,
that’s the door. Push it open.” So I
do, and rows of tired-looking saggy
chairs seem to look at us and creak
and sigh.
A nurse comes along, and she sounds
like daddy’s best shirt on ironing day,
sort of…crackly.
“Are you the McKenzie child?” My
mammy nods. “Then you’re late.”
8

Book quiz
Book quiz
We have teamed up with audio book publishers AudioGo to offer you a fantastic
opportunity to win audio books or downloads worth up to £50.
Stupendous sidekicks
The hero may get all the glory but
they couldn’t do it without their trusty
sidekick. Name these fabulous friends.
1. Robinson Crusoe was very lonely until
he found this companion.
2. Phileas Fogg needs a valet to help him
get around the world in eighty days.
3. Tom Sawyer’s friend was so interesting
that he became the hero of his own
story.
4. Inspector Rebus needs this
policewoman’s assistance to solve
crimes in the Ian Rankin novels.
5. Don Quixote persuaded this fellow to
join him on his adventures.
6. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo wouldn’t
have completed his journey without
the encouragement of this hobbit.
Send your answers by email to
readon@rnib.org.uk, telephone
01733 37 53 33 or mail to RNIB National
Library Service, Highbank House,
Exchange Street, Stockport, SK3 0ET by
30 June 2013.
The winner of last issue’s Creepy
conundrums quiz was Mrs L Johnson
from West Bromwich.
There will be a book quiz in each
monthly enewsletter throughout 2013.
Subscribe today – email
readon@rnib.org.uk
9

Author profile
Author profile:
Anne Zouroudi
Robert Kirkwood
from Insight
radio talked to
Anne Zouroudi
about her crime
series The Greek
Detective and
why she decided to give her books to
RNIB’s Talking Book Service.
Describe your series for us.
It’s a series of seven books set in modern
Greece on fictional Greek islands and
features a detective called Hermes
Diaktoros. I’m just finishing the seventh
book which will be out In 2014.
Your detective has been described
as part Poirot and part Precious
Ramotswe with “a rotundity all of his
own”. Would you agree?
Yes, he has been compared to Hercule
Poirot, and the books do have an Agatha
Christie feel to them – gentle but with a
dark edge. They are similar in that Poirot
and Hermes are both snappy dressers
but they operate in very different ways;
Poirot solves mysteries with his “little
grey cells” whereas Hermes relies on his
heart to dispense his kind of justice.
We have all six of your published
titles in RNIB’s talking book library. I
believe that is down to you?
I’m a strong supporter of RNIB. I do
have some family experience of sight
problems. My grandmother went blind
and she relied on talking books. It’s a
great honour for me to be in a position to
give my books to RNIB.
You’ve already written about two
blind characters. How did that come
about?
I only realised that after a library event in
Sheffield so it was done subconsciously.
In The whispers of Nemesis there is a
character called Dennis who is blind and
then, in The Doctor of Thessaly, the
eponymous doctor is blinded by having
chemicals thrown in his face.
You did an event in Birmingham where
you read in the dark, what was that
like?
It was a very enjoyable event. I was a
little bit nervous about it. I was given a
little reading light to put on my head and
the audience was effectively plunged into
darkness while I read to them from The
bull of Mithros. I think the audience
found it a really interesting experience –
it gave them an experience of immersing
yourself in the reading without looking
at, or turning a page and they felt that
they concentrated more. It had a slightly
creepy feeling, a bit like reading in
candlelight.
You’ve participated in several blind
and partially sighted reading groups.
How did you find them?
Just the same as any other reading group
10

Author profile
really. There was lots of interest and
questions. It’s been interesting because
they have been mixed groups with
sighted people too.
Most of your books have been
narrated by Sean Barrett. What kind
of job has he done with them?
He’s fabulous. The reading groups told
me that the reader is absolutely crucial
to the quality of the experience of
reading the book. Sean has a fabulous
voice, he did the voice over for the World
at War series, I describe it as chocolate
brown; it’s a lovely rich voice that really
conveys the sedate pace of the Greek
islands.
Books in Anne Zouroudi’s
Greek detective series
available from the Library:
The messenger of
Athens
TB 19382
The taint of Midas
TB 19383
The Doctor of Thessaly
TB 19384
The Lady of Sorrows
TB 19385
The whispers of Nemesis
TB 19386
The bull of Mithros
– available soon.
11

Narrator profile
Narrator profile:
Peter Wickham
Peter Wickham has recorded over 90
books for RNIB’s Talking Book service.
He spoke to Kim Normanton.
How did you get started with talking
books?
Like most people I started out by doing
rep but then moved on to quite a lot
of radio work which is how I came to
be doing audio books really. I’m very
grateful to RNIB because two things
happened in consequence of that. I was
approached by a commercial audio book
company which gave the whole exercise
a rather more profitable aspect and I was
given the opportunity to write, produce
and indeed sometimes voice audio
described films which was just the most
fascinating and enjoyable work.
Can you just tell us about your
background and where you got your
acting training?
I’m originally from New Zealand but my
family came to live in England when I
was quite young. I’ve lived all over the
place but I trained in Sidcup at the Rose
Bruford College.
How do you go about preparing to
narrate a book?
At the very beginning I used to read
the book at least twice, and sometimes
even three times, but I’m afraid as the
years have passed I’ve become a little bit
12
economical with my own time. I read the
book through carefully and mark it with
stress marks, for example with initials in
the margins, indicating who’s speaking
because sometimes you get a page of
dialogue with no indication of who’s
speaking at all and you have to work it
out. Otherwise you can get it horribly
wrong. I also write all sorts of notes
about voice character to inform the way
I read.
Do you like doing accents?
Yes, although there are some people who
are brilliant and I don’t think I’m one of
those. I enjoy doing it and I think I’ve
got better.
Do you have a particular accent that
you are known for?
I tend to get Antipodean books because
of my background. To be honest I
worked very, very hard when I was young
to get rid of my New Zealand accent
because there was no market for it in
those days. Russell Crowe even got rid of
his and got an Australian one.
A lot of people will know you for the
Colin Forbes books. How many are
there in that series that you’ve done?
I can’t remember now but it’s about
15. I have become familiar with all the
cast because, in the Colin Forbes books
particularly, there is a group of half a
dozen who are core to all the books
that I’ve read. The only confusion came
when, in order to distinguish them early
on, I gave one of them a Welsh accent.
In about book ten there was a moment

Narrator profile
when they said “he was going back to
the East End” and I thought hells bells
I’ve got to change, I’ve got to turn him
into an East Ender now after ten books
as a Welshman. But there was no way
I could have known because nowhere
previously had Colin Forbes said it so I
had to suddenly make a bit of a change.
What would you say is your most
memorable read?
It was quite some years ago and going
back to when RNIB was based in Great
Portland Street. Under the leadership
of Christopher Scott, another narrator,
seven of us read the entirety of the King
James Bible. It took us two or three
years because we were doing it bit by
bit. It was a wonderful feeling when we’d
finished it.
It left me with an incredible sense of awe
at the people who wrote it with such an
extraordinary quality of language. There
were many phrases you’d come across
and think that’s where it came from.
Is there a book that you’d really like
to narrate?
There’s just been a series on television
of the Father Brown stories. I would love
Books read by Peter Wickham include:
The final dive: the life and death of
‘Buster’ Crabb by Don Hale
(TB 18388).
Martyr by Rory Clements (TB 17646).
to read those because I think they are so
beautifully written, so clever, so thought
provoking.
Finally, what are you reading at the
moment?
The daughters of Mars by Thomas
Keneally who wrote Schindler’s Ark. It’s
an extraordinary book about two sisters
who are nurses in Australia in 1914 and
sign up to go abroad and be military
nurses. Inevitably their first port of call
was Gallipoli and then on to the Western
front. Obviously a lot of historical
research has gone in to it, and it gives an
extraordinary view of the first war from
a different perspective. I’m enjoying
reading it immensely.
Margaret Rutherford: dreadnought
with good manners: a biography by
Andy Merriman (TB 18972).
Tall animal tales: amazing true
stories from the star of TV’s Animal
Hospital by Rolf Harris (TB 17048).
13

Books of my life
Books of my life:
Vidar Hjardeng
Vidar Hjardeng has been a journalist
all his professional life and is currenty
Diversity Manager at ITV News. He is
also kept extremely busy working on
the boards of lots of different charities
and organisations including Vocaleyes,
Radar, SHAPE as well as RNIB. Vidar also
received an MBE for his work in 2012.
Kim Normanton talked to him about the
books of his life.
What role have books had in your life?
Going back as far as I can remember
books have played a really important role
in my life. It was a real privilege to be
asked to take part in this feature – quite
a challenge though because there are so
many books I’d like to include!
Is there a book from your childhood
which stands out?
It comes down to two books for me –
firstly The Hobbit, which my teacher
read to us at Junior School at the end of
the school day. I’ve always loved
having books read to me so that was a
fantastic education and a real pleasure.
But ultimately I’d have to pick one of the
Narnia series by CS Lewis: The Lion, the
Witch and the wardrobe. I had a vivid
imagination as I was growing up and to
be taken into a magic world was really
exciting; it still gives me a buzz even as
an adult.
Were CS Lewis books available in
braille when you were a child or how
did you access them?
At that time I still had sufficient sight
in one eye to be able to read print with
a magnifier, albeit incredibly slowly and
laboriously. In my twenties I learned
braille so I do now have the basics but
don’t tend to use it much as I prefer
talking books.
Where does your unusual name come
from?
My father is Norwegian and came across
to Newcastle where he met my mum and
stayed.
What about your second book?
I studied languages at Manchester
University. It was a very literary-based
course and my favourite period of
literature then was the 19th century. So
I’ve opted for Gustav Flaubert’s novel
Madame Bovary. Emma Bovary lives in
a small town in France and is married to
the local Doctor, a decent man. But she’s
easily bored and wants to experience
excitement and luxury. The novel is
about how she tries to escape what she
sees as a drab existence.
14

Books of my life
Was it good to be able to read such a
classic novel in French?
Yes, absolutely. It was also my first
connection with talking books.
Throughout university there were lots
of English titles we had to read and
at the time my mother spent hours
recording them onto cassette for me. I
owe a lot to her for that. At the same
time I got tremendous support from
talking books which opened up another
way of discovering literature for me.
My eyesight was stable at this time so
I could also plough my way through
printed text but it was laborious.
What’s your next book?
One of the dimensions an audio
book can give you is to bring an
autobiographical novel to life. They are
often read by the author themselves
and that’s quite personal especially if it’s
done well. My professional life has been
associated with news and current affairs
so I’ve read a lot of political biography
and autobiography. One that stands out
for me is Hillary Clinton’s autobiography
Living history which she read herself
in around 2003 so is arguably a bigger
figure now than she was then. Through
this book I found myself having an
enormous appreciation of her life and
her side of the story.
What’s next on your list?
It’s a gripping, beautifully written story
by Kazuo Ishiguro called The remains of
the day. It’s a novel that captures British
life in the 1930s against the backdrop of
Hitler’s rise to power and the lead up to
World War II. It illustrates the British stiff
upper lip and the fact that you couldn’t
reveal your innermost feelings. A lot of
the book focuses on that and I think the
author gets to grips with it particularly
well.
Do you have a favourite talking book?
Yes, it’s one that I have reviewed before
for Vision, RNIB’s membership magazine.
It’s Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – a
popular choice but a great story of
good triumphing over evil. It also shows
the strength of the human spirit with
richly described characters. Perhaps a
more sentimental reason for this being
my personal favourite is the fact that
it’s about Christmas. I love Christmas
for all sorts of reasons; for its religious
significance, for the music and the fact
that you keep in touch with people.
If you’d like to read Vidar’s choice of
books:
The lion the witch and the wardrobe
by CS Lewis (braille 2v, giant print and
TB 1934)
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
(braille 4v, giant print and TB 1337)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
(braille 2v, giant print and TB 896)
Living history – Hilary Clinton’s
autobiography is available
commercially on audio CD
The remains of the day by Kazuo
Ishiguro (braille, giant print and
TB 8107).
15

Booker bonanza
Booker bonanza: AD Miller
Author AD Miller was shortlisted for the Booker prize in
2011 for Snowdrops, a novel that explores an Englishman’s
experiences during one particularly harsh winter in Moscow.
He spoke to Clare Carson about the book.
How did it feel to be on the shortlist
for the Booker prize?
It’s a wonderful thrill for it to end up on
the shortlist for the Booker prize. I’ve
always wanted to write fiction and this
is my first novel. When I was writing it I
wasn’t altogether sure that it would be
published so it’s not something that you
anticipate happening.
Was the story going on in your
head while you were the Moscow
correspondent for the Economist?
The idea for the book germinated in
Moscow but I wrote the book mostly
after I returned to London. The term
“snowdrops” is a Russian slang word
for a corpse that is buried in the snow
during the winter and emerges in the
thaw in the spring. I guess it grabbed
me both as a stark encapsulation of
the harshness of life in Russia for some
people but also as a kind of novelistic
image with potential metaphorical value.
It suggested to me things that we try
to oppress in our lives that eventually
catch up with us. My book is a first
person book and the narrator is a thirty
something slightly drifting English
16
lawyer. I hit upon his voice and the main
image in the book and they were the two
main ingredients.
In the story he gets drawn into a
tangled web of mystery and danger.
Is it based on true fact or is that the
novelist in you coming out?
It is based on true fact in the sense
that the kinds of crime and corruption
that my book describes and the sorts
of vulnerabilities that ordinary Russian
people have, if they don’t have powerful
connections, are real. The other
important part of the story, which is the
suggestible susceptible ex-pat narrator,
is also drawn from real life too.
This book is set specifically in the years
of the mid-noughties before the credit
crunch in the Russian oil boom in which
there was a kind of reciprocal corruption
between some new Russian businessman
and western accountants and lawyers
and bankers who were in town to sort of
service their needs and didn’t always ask
too many questions about the kind of
people they were dealing with and where
the money came from.

Booker bonanza
You said you always wanted to be a
novelist. Where does your ability to
write come from?
Well, I don’t know about the ability to
write but the urge to write in my case is
a very old one. I wrote lots of very bad
poetry when I was a teenager and I’ve
written another book called The Earl of
Petticoat Lane which is a story about
immigration and class in London in the
first half of the 20th Century. I’ve written
a lot of journalism and that’s a kind of
writing that I value and enjoy. So where
does the urge to write come from – I
don’t know but if you’ve got it then it’s
difficult to shed even if you want to.
The descriptions in your novel
are so evocative. Do you have any
connection with people with sight
loss?
I don’t actually, but I am very pleased
you say that, it’s a very perceptive
observation. I did want the book to
convey, in a very sensory way, what it
was like living in Moscow and particularly
during the winter. I wanted to convey
what that smelt, felt and looked like. You
also mentioned that there’s also a lot left
unsaid that’s something I worked really
hard on as well. It relies a lot on readers
making judgements about the narrator
and noticing things that he is missing
out, deceiving himself or attempting to
deceive readers.
And what do you do next once
you’ve written a book that has been
nominated as a Booker?
Well, I would definitely like to write
another novel. I’ve thought hard about
what it ought to be but so far I think I’ve
mostly eliminated bad ideas rather than
come up with any really good ones. I’ve
almost written a couple of short stories
that I hope to polish off sometime soon.
At the moment my wife and I have a
five-month-old baby as well as a
three-year-old daughter and I have a
job, so it’s not going to emerge anytime
soon I think.
Snowdrops is available
from the Library in braille
3 volumes, giant print and
as a talking book
TB 19032.
17

Have you tried?
Have you tried...
a new start?
Ever wondered what it would be like to
just pack up and start all over again? All
of these books will give you a taste of
what it might be like but without any of
the hassle.
Moving into an old
farmhouse at the foot of
the Luberon Mountains
between Avignon and
Aix was the beginning
of an exotic and
bewildering new life for
Peter Mayle and his wife in A year in
Provence (braille 5v; TB 8719).
Anthony Bailey found himself in
America, lost and found. Evacuated to
the USA and fostered for the next four
years by the Spaeth family Anthony has
to adapt quickly to a whole new way of
life (braille 3v).
Elizabeth Gilbert is in her
thirties, settled in a large
house with a husband who
wants to start a family. But
she doesn’t want any of it.
So she begins her quest. In
Rome, she indulges herself
and gains nearly two stone in weight. In
India, she finds enlightenment through
scrubbing temple floors. Eat, pray, love:
one woman’s search for everything
(braille 10v; TB 17336).
18
Jon Katz doesn’t go quite
as far as Elizabeth but
does leaves the suburbs
for a remote farm in order
to give Border Collie
puppy Rose a true taste
of herding life as revealed
in A home for Rose: how
my life turned upside down for the
love of a dog by Jon Katz (braille 5v;
giant print 3v; TB 16691).
In Reaching for the stars Lola Jaye’s
step-by-step guide, shows that with
plenty of self belief, confidence and
hard work, anything is possible. She had
always dreamt of being a writer but her
journey to getting published wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t until years later, after several
rejections, that she finally got her first
book deal (braille 3v; giant print).
Who moved my cheese?
an amazing way to deal
with change in your work
and in your life by Spencer
Johnson is an amusing and
enlightening story of four
characters who live in a maze
and look for cheese to nourish them
and make them happy. The cheese is a
metaphor for what you want to have in
life (braille 1v; TB 17329).
On a larger scale Days that changed
the world by Hywel Williams describes
50 days that marked the end of an era or
the start of something new (braille 5v;
TB 15406).

Reader review
Reader review
Jackie Cairn enjoyed The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
“If you enjoy crime fiction that takes you
on a journey of suspense, covering many
surprising twists and turns, then this
book is for you.
Wolf Hadda
is the son of
a Cumbrian
woodcutter.
Growing up
to become
a successful
entrepreneur
and
marrying the
sweetheart of
his dreams,
his life
appears complete. But the hammering
at the door of his Holland Park home
one morning changes everything. Wolf
is suddenly parachuted from universal
business acclaim to paedophile and
fraudster. During the next seven years in
prison, Wolf realises that the only way he
may be released is to admit to the crimes
and deceive both his psychiatrist, Alva
Ozigbo, and the authorities.
Once deemed fit to re-enter society,
Wolf is on a mission to seek the truth
and exact revenge. But his efforts to do
so bring him into danger as he fights
to clear his name. Who set him up and
why?
This is a gripping story, made all the
more enjoyable thanks to reader David
Thorpe. His ability to keep the reader
entertained throughout the 17 hours
38 minutes is due to his obvious flair in
creating voices for the various characters
in the book. Apart from the drama and
suspense, it is also possible to enjoy the
wit and strong personalities that define
the main protagonists in this hugely well
written crime thriller. It is indeed easy
to see why author Reginald Hill won
so many accolades. The book ebbs and
flows in a carefully constructed web of
intrigue that holds the reader’s attention
throughout.
I am a new member of the talking
book service, having decided to take
advantage of so many more titles than
the braille library is able to offer. The
Woodcutter was recommended to me
after my partner, himself a longstanding
talking book member, said how much he
had enjoyed it. And how right he was! I
would urge any crime fiction enthusiast
to give this one a listen to.”
The Woodcutter is available in braille,
giant print and TB 18811.
19

On our bedside table
On our bedside table
This time we feature several short book
reviews of popular books provided by
the people who work behind the scenes
on Read On.
20
Lynne Livingstone
works in RNIB’s Reader
Services team and read
The Radleys by Matt
Haig (TB 18930).
“The Radleys have problems: a
disintegrating marriage, a bullied
teenage son and a daughter battling
an addiction. The Radleys have also
been hiding a secret
for years. They are
vampires. It was
fascinating watching
this most normal
family coming to terms
with their natures. It’s
Joanna Trollope meets
Twilight and I loved it.”
Jo Franks works in
RNIB’s Products and
Publications team and
read The Daughter of
Time by Josephine Tey
(braille 3V, TB 1396).
“Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard
finds himself bored and frustrated in
hospital with a broken leg so he turns
to investigating the alleged crimes of
Richard III whose bones were recently
found in a car park in
Leicester. Was he really
a villain? The answers
that Inspector Grant
reveals are really quite
surprising.”
Kim Normanton is Read
On’s audio producer.
She is reading The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
(braille 9v, giant print,
TB 17729).
“It’s set in Mississippi in 1962 and is
written from three distinct perspectives
which are cleverly interwoven. The book
has a really strong sense of time and
place: you’re in the deep American South
in the early sixties. Civil rights have got
under way – there’s an awareness that
things might be about to change but
they haven’t hit Mississippi yet. Author
Kathryn Stockett has a good ear for
dialogue and the book really moves
along at a fast pace. For me, most
interesting is that the
author is white and
writing about black
maids, a brave thing to
do. It’s very readable
– not quite To kill a
mockingbird but it
reminds me a little of
that book.”

On our bedside table
Clare Carson, Read On
audio presenter read
The Silver Pigs by
Lindsey Davis
(TB 10320).
“This is Lindsey Davis’ first novel. I
interviewed Lindsey, who is partially
sighted herself, a couple of years ago
and was enthralled by her talking about
the hero in her books: Marcus Didius
Falco. He is a crack detective in Rome,
back in the days when Vespasian was
Emperor. This is a wonderful story
about how he sets up in
business and also travels
to Britain to solve a crime.
There is also a love story
intertwined with it. I loved
it and it helped pass the
time on a 10 hour flight
to America recently.”
Karen Porter works
in RNIB’s Publishing
team. She read The
Lighthouse by Alison
Moore, shortlisted for
the Booker Prize in
2012 (braille, giant
print and TB 20038).
“This is the story of Futh, a lonely
middle-aged man who decides to go on
a walking holiday in Germany. Woven
around it is Esther’s story, the unhappy
landlady of the hotel in which Futh
stays. As the story unfolds you gradually
discover more about Futh’s past, and
how events,
misunderstandings and
missed opportunities
have shaped him. It’s
a rather melancholy
book – quite short and
beautifully written but
left me feeling rather sad.”
Deb Ryan is Reader
Services Manager for
RNIB and the Editor of
Read On. She read The
Snow Child by
Eowyn Ivey (TB 19614,
giant print 4v).
“Based on a traditional story this is one
of the most atmospheric, beautifully
written books I have ever read.
Set in the twenties, Mabel and Jack
move to Alaska to start afresh after the
tragic loss of a child. One night, Mabel
makes a child out of snow. The next
morning, the snow child is gone, but
there is a trail of small footsteps leading
into the woods. The story unfolds as
the child becomes part of the family,
although she always yearns for the life
in the forest she had, and we see the
healing effect she has on the couple. The
question of whether the child is real or
not haunts the book and
you are left to make up
your own mind. At times
sad (I admit I cried), it
is still an uplifting book
about hope and the power
of love.”
21

Literary news
Literary news
Jackson Brodie returns
A second series of Case Histories is in
production, based on Kate Atkinson’s
novels and starring Jason Isaacs as
Jackson Brodie. (RNIB has all four
Jackson Brodie novels for loan and sale.)
Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth
comes to Channel 4
Channel 4 has
broadcast a
mini-series based on
Kate Mosse’s 2005
novel Labyrinth The
cast includes Vanessa
Kirby, Jessica Brown
Findlay, Katie McGrath,
Tom Felton, Sebastian
Stan, Emun Elliott, Tony Curran, and
John Hurt. The novel is available in
braille 8v; giant print 7v; TB 14559
and for sale in DAISY audio – order no
800136, £6.99.
Da Vinci Code sequel
Dan Brown will publish his sixth novel,
Inferno, on 14 May. Harvard professor
of symbology Robert Langdon finds
himself at the centre of a mystery based
on Dante’s classic work – Inferno.
Philippa Gregory novels
adapted for TV
Philippa Gregory’s bestselling historical
novel series The Cousins’ War has been
adapted for a BBC television series.
The White Queen is set against the
backdrop of War of the Roses and tells
the thrilling story of the women caught
up in the ongoing conflict for the throne.
The White Queen is a rich tale of love
and loss, seduction and deception,
betrayal and murder, vibrantly woven
through the stories of three different yet
equally driven women, in their quest for
power as they manipulate behind the
scenes of history – Elizabeth Woodville,
Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville.
It will be broadcast on BBC One this
year. RNIB has The Cousins’ War novels
available for loan or sale.
The Casual Vacancy to
air on BBC
BBC One is to air a series
based on JK Rowling’s
best-selling novel The
Casual Vacancy (braille
9v, TB 20041, DAISY
audio – order no 803972,
£9.99). The programme
is expected to air 2014
and JK Rowling will be closely involved
with the collaboration.
22

Literary news
The two faces of
January
A big screen adaptation of Patricia
Highsmith’s novel The Two Faces of
January is scheduled for release this year.
Starring Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten
Dunst.
Six degrees of
separation
A great actor in a great screen
adaptation can lead you to books you
didn’t know before or simply hadn’t
got round to reading yet. Rufus Sewell
may have had that effect on you as
Lucas Romer in the BBC’s Restless a
couple of months ago or as Aurelio Zen
a year before. Here are some books (or
series of books) that have benefited
from his talents in film or television
adaptations…
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.
Flora has been expensively educated to
do everything but earn her own living.
When she is orphaned at 20, she decides
her only option is to go and live with her
relatives, the Starkadders,
at Cold Comfort Farm. What
relatives though. Flora feels
it incumbent upon her to
bring order into the chaos
(braille 5v, TB 1714).
Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen detective
novels offer an insight into Italian
society over two decades through the
experiences of the middle-aged and
somewhat jaded antihero.
We have ten Aurelio Zen books for you
to borrow or buy: Ratking (braille 6v,
TB 9449); Vendetta (TB 12178); Cabal
(TB 9618); Dead lagoon (braille 7v,
TB 10508); Cosi Fan Tutte (TB 18409);
A long finish (TB 15112); Blood rain
(TB 15037); And then you die
(TB 12904); Medusa (TB 14035) and
Back to Bologna (braille 3v, TB 14489).
The last book in the series, End Games,
will be available as a talking book in the
near future.
Restless by William Boyd. During
the long, hot summer of 1976, Ruth
Gilmartin discovers that her very English
mother, Sally is really Eva Delectorskaya,
a Russian émigré and one-time spy. In
1939, Eva is a beautiful 28-year-old
living in Paris. As war breaks out, she is
recruited for the British Secret Service
by Lucas Romer, a mysterious, patrician
Englishman. Since then, Eva has carefully
rebuilt her life – but
once a spy, always
a spy. And now, she
must complete one
last assignment. This
time, though, she
needs her daughter’s
help (braille 4v,
giant print 3v,
TB 14908).
23

Julia Donaldson interview
Meet Children’s Laureate
Julia Donaldson
After a morning full of children
performing her work at the Cheltenham
Literary Festival, Children’s Laureate
Julia Donaldson found time to speak to
Clare Carson.
Do you consciously try to encourage
children to think that a book is not
just a two dimensional thing?
I think it’s great fun to act out the book
but some children don’t like or aren’t
familiar with the printed page and this
might be way into books for them.
When did you first start writing
children’s books?
I wrote a song called “A squash and a
squeeze” for children’s TV, and then
years later it was turned into a book.
Since then I’ve
been writing
books but I still
write songs and
we never do a
performance
without singing a
song.
With over 15 million copies of The
Gruffalo sold and over 150 books to
your name, are you aware that you
are making a difference in households
with small children?
It’s very gratifying and touching when
people thank you for making bedtime
so enjoyable because I remember vividly
how enjoyable it was sharing a chuckle
or a tear with my own children, and you
can discover so much about them.
Do special duties come with being the
Children’s Laureate?
It’s really a pleasure, not a duty,
spreading the word about reading and
enjoyment of books. There are a few
events in the diary that you have to
do but mainly it’s up to you to bring
something of yourself to the job. In my
case, because I have this background of
music and drama, that’s what I’m aiming
24

Julia Donaldson interview
to bring to the role. I’m encouraging
children to act out their favourite picture
books. I’m also very keen on libraries so
I’m going to do a libraries tour where I
hope children will come along prepared
to act out something.
Have you had much connection with
children with sight loss?
To be honest I have
more connection
with hearing loss as
I have a degree of
hearing loss myself.
I love seeing stories
signed. I wrote a
book called Freddie
and the fairy who
mishears a child’s wishes and I have
recorded that for RNIB Talking Books. It
really got me thinking because the way
I originally ended the book you had to
see the pictures for the joke to work so I
completely rewrote the ending so that it
worked for the blind and partially sighted
children listening to it.
At the talking book launch there was
a little boy who had Freddie and the
fairy from Living Paintings which had
raised illustrations and braille and he
sat stroking the images. That set me
thinking a lot and I might get more
involved in that side of things.
Do you have a favourite book of your
own?
The snail and
the whale is a
favourite from a
words point of
view as I think
it’s the most
poetic.
Some of Julia’s books available from the Library:
Cave baby
A hairy mammoth
takes a cheeky
little baby on a
thrilling ride (giant
print)
Freddie and the fairy
Freddie is desperate for a pet, so
when he rescues Bessie-Belle and
she offers to grant his wishes he
knows just what to ask for. The only
problem is that Bessie-Belle can’t
hear very well (TB 18886).
The gruffalo
A rhyming story
about a clever
little mouse and
a monster (giant
print; TB 17117).
25

Julia Donaldson interview
The snail and the whale
One tiny snail longs to see the
world and hitches a lift on the tail
of a whale (giant print).
Stick man
Stick Man lives in the
family tree with his
Stick Lady Love and
their stick children
three (giant print,
TB 16556).
A squash and a squeeze
A little old lady thinks her house is
a squash and a squeeze but, on the
advice of a wise old
man and the help
of a few farmyard
animals, she soon
discovers that it’s
not as small as she
thought (giant
print).
Braille is fascinating! Discuss
Are you a braille user?
Do you teach braille?
Do you transcribe braille?
Or do you wish you could do some of
these things?
If so we would like to invite you to
enter the annual ONKYO braille essay
competition. This year the competition
is open to anyone who is interested
in braille. The piece of writing can be
creative or factual, just so long as it
is about the role of braille or life with
braille and is original and imaginative.
The competition takes place all over the
world and is sponsored by a Japanese
technology company, ONKYO. British
entrants compete for the European Prize
and should send their entries to RNIB
who select the best 5 essays to represent
the UK. The winning entry will receive
$2,000 and there is a further $4,000 of
prize money on offer in both junior and
senior sections.
The UK has been very fortunate to have
had a number of winners over the years.
Last year one of our younger braille
users, Alexia Sloane (aged 11) won the
“fine works” prize in the junior section.
To read Alexia’s essay and download the
entry pack, go to
www.rnib.org.uk/essay or
phone Sarah Martin on 01733 37 51 54
for more details.
The closing date is 20 May 2013.
26

Children’s book news
Children’s book news
Summer Reading
Challenge 2013
Creepy House is the National Summer
Reading Challenge for 2013. Step inside
the creepy house with our gang of
intrepid detectives; investigate clues and
explore three different spooky zones!
You will need to read six books over
the school summer holidays in order to
complete the Challenge and you can
participate in activities in your local
public library. You can read any books
you like, including audio books, and
you can read them either by yourself or
with help. On completion, you will be
rewarded with a medal and a certificate.
We have been working with the Reading
Agency and will once again be producing
the pack for the Challenge in alternative
formats (large print and braille).
We will be producing themed booklists
which will be ready for you in
mid-June. Register now (contact details
on p28) and prepare to be “creeped”!
Carnegie shadowing
Once again RNIB National Library Service
is working to enable young people
with sight loss to take part in the CILIP
Carnegie Medal shadowing scheme.
The Carnegie Medal has been awarded
annually to the writer of an outstanding
book for children since 1936 and was
named after the philanthropist, Andrew
Carnegie. Children’s Librarians from all
over the country judge the books and
children in schools and public libraries
come together to discuss the shortlisted
titles as part of the Carnegie Shadowing
Scheme, although individuals can also
shadow the award independently.
This is a fantastic opportunity for young
blind and partially sighted people to
comment on the shortlisted titles for this
prestigious book award. The books can
be borrowed from RNIB in contracted
braille, DAISY audio and giant print –
register now to get involved.
27

Books for children
Children’s book
recommendations
New beginnings
Spring has sprung at last! So we thought
we would cheer ourselves up after a
dreary winter with stories about spring,
sunshine and new beginnings.
Giant print readers can have some lunch
with The very hungry caterpillar. In
this lovely classic story by Eric Carle,
we meet a caterpillar at the point of
hatching from his egg, and live through
his first week as he eats his way through
a multitude of treats.
The end of the story
is the caterpillar’s
beginning… as a
beautiful butterfly.
Young talking book readers might like to
take a trip to Greendale where they will
find Postman Pat and the spring fair
(TB13668). The villagers
are busy spring cleaning
and sorting jumble for the
fair. Julian can’t wait to
spend his pocket-money
and ends up choosing a
very unusual present.
A giant print chapter book with a
springtime theme is Lucy Daniels’ Lamb
in the laundry. Mandy and James are
helping out at the farm and decide to
hand-rear a little black lamb that is
rejected by its mum.
However, the lamb
disappears. Will they be
able to find it before it’s
too late?
Step into The secret garden and enjoy a
classic book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
where new beginnings are
aplenty. Mary arrives from
India to live with her uncle
in a large house in Yorkshire
and is miserable until she
discovers a special place.
Older readers may enjoy the fantasy
element of Stephen Gately’s
The tree of seasons.
The eponymous tree is
a doorway into a world
with four kingdoms, each
of which is forever stuck
in either spring, summer,
autumn and winter.
Nothing evokes a sense of springtime
and sunshine like Cider
with Rosie. Laurie Lee’s
timeless memoir about
growing up in a rural village
is a heart-warming read and
just perfect for this time of
year.
For further information about any of
these features or books for children and
young people contact the Children’s
Librarian on 0161 429 1975; email:
childrenslibrarian@rnib.org.uk.
28

Children’s magazines
New email magazines
Get five of the best children’s magazines
from National Talking Newspapers
and Magazines email service. Children
and young people of all ages can tuck
into Match of the Day, Aquila, BBC
Horrible Histories, Top of the Pops
and First News. You’ll get them all for
the great price of just £19.50 per year,
which covers more than 130 magazine
issues delivered straight to your inbox!
Visit tnauk.org.uk/children or call
01435 86 61 02 to subscribe.
Match of the Day
Match of the Day
magazine – as seen
on TV. Check out the
latest footie gossip,
games, quizzes and
the best interviews
around.
Aquila
Our monthly
magazine for factoids
aged 6 -12. Jam
packed with science,
wildlife and world
facts as well as
hilarious jokes and
challenging puzzles.
BBC Horrible Histories
Don’t miss the
gruesome Horrible
histories magazine –
history with all the
nasty bits left in!
From terrible Tudors
to awful Egyptians,
you’ll find all of
history’s nastiest
nuggets inside.
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
magazine features
chart information,
star gossip, fashion
and beauty advice,
quizzes, song lyrics
and more. Find out
the latest on the hottest bands and
tunes around.
First news
Our weekly magazine
bursting with current
affairs and news
for 7-14 year olds,
covering all the latest
stories from the
UK and around the
world. Special features include Kids in
the Commons, science news and features
from young reporters.
29

Behind the scenes
Behind the scenes:
Robert Saggers
Robert Saggers is RNIB’s Heritage Services
Manager. Clare Carson caught up with him
at RNIB’s talking book studios.
What does your job involve?
My job is very exciting at the moment.
I’m managing the three different
collections which have been brought
together to form Heritage Services.
These are the Research Library, Modern
Records, which are all the reports
and minutes which are produced on a
daily basis and the Archive. It’s quite
inspiring to have all the material at your
fingertips.
Tell us about what you’ve brought in.
I have a photograph dated 1915 from
the Worcester College for the blind sons
of gentlemen. The photo shows the
Worcester first four rowing out on the
Thames. We have a whole collection
of these photographs from Worcester
College and one of the challenges is to
put them all into order.
Has managing the Archive been a
journey of discovery for you?
Absolutely. It’s wonderful. A lot of the
collection still needs to be catalogued
and we are literally opening boxes and
finding undiscovered treasures all the
time. We have photographic archives,
we have original shellac recording
discs going back to the 1920s, we
might come across folders of reports
and we have lots of material that has
been bequeathed to us from other
organisations.
30

Behind the scenes
I’ve also brought along a brailler from the
late 1940s. This is a matrix brailler from
the Coventry Gauge and Tool Company.
It looks like a small typewriter with keys
coming out of the end which are flat.
This one still has a little bell that rings to
tell you when the paper is running out.
The later ones didn’t have that.
Dr William Moon created a system of
embossed lettering in 1847. Can you
tell us about the woman claiming to
be related to him?
We were left a large amount of
correspondence from Miss Lillian Moon,
who claimed originally to be the great
granddaughter of Dr Moon. Her story
changed over time to being his niece and
eventually his great niece. She wrote to
lots of eminent people and organisations
but it turned out that she had no
connection to the Moon family at all.
However, we are left with a wonderful
collection of correspondence which
draws together lots of contemporary
documents from different blind societies
of the time so it’s an interesting social
study in itself.
We are hoping to make this kind of
material more accessible to the public
and perhaps to have some kind of
display area in RNIB’s Judd Street office
so that we can show some of these
things off.
And finally, I have a Swiss made braille
alarm clock probably from the 1930s.
One of the problems we have is a great
number of artefacts which have simply
arrived over the years without any notes.
It’s part of the fun working with these
things that we have to play detective to
find out more about them.
If someone wants to come and use
this amazing resource what should
they do?
It’s best to get in touch with us first to
get the most from your visit. You can
call us on 0207 391 2052 or email us
heritageservices@rnib.org.uk
You can also find more about us
on our web pages at
rnib.org.uk/heritageservices
31

Switch and save
Switch to paying for your RNIB Talking Book Service by Direct
Debit and you can save £7 on your annual subscription – pay just
£75 instead of £82!
Or spread your payments across the year and pay only £7.50 a
month for ten months – with two months off.
Switch to Direct Debit today and make the savings you need. Just
call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
32