Audiobooks narrated by Ben Onwukwe

Bruce Chatwin: A BBC Radio Collection: On the Black Hill, In Patagonia and more

A collection of full-cast dramas and readings from the giant of travel writing – plus a bonus documentary Author and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was one of the 20th Century’s most charismatic writers. His first book, In Patagonia, changed the face of travel writing and made him a literary sensation. Collected here are dramatisations and readings of some of his best-known work, as well as a bonus programme shedding light on his relationships and writing. In Patagonia – Chatwin’s picaresque masterpiece has been described as ‘probably the most influential travel book written since the war’. This transportive dramatisation stars Russell Tovey as a writer on a quest to the very end of the world in search of mythical beasts. On the Black Hill – Recorded on location in the Black Mountains, this is the moving tale of the lifelong bond between two identical twins, and their unbreakable tie to the land they farm. Ioan Meredith stars as Lewis and Benjamin Jones. The Volga – Bruce Chatwin's account of his cruise down Russia's great brown waterway on the Maxim Gorky is read in two parts by Patrick Malahide. What Am I Doing Here? – Patrick Malahide reads three pieces taken from Chatwin’s posthumous collection of essays – ‘Your Father’s Eyes Are Blue Again’, ‘The Bey’ and ‘The Albatross’. Konstantin Melnikov – Bruce Chatwin’s recollection of a visit to the reclusive Russian architect in 1973 is a toast to fantastic projects ‘realised and unrealised’. Read by Patrick Malahide. The Songlines – Michael Siberry reads this 10-part abridged account of Chatwin’s travels across Australia in search of the Aboriginal ‘songlines’: invisible pathways that are both intricate sources of personal identity and territorial markers. The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin – Chatwin’s editor and biographer Susannah Clapp looks through the postcards she received from him over the years, reflecting on what these missives reveal about the iconic writer. Cast and credits Written by Bruce Chatwin Text copyright © Bruce Chatwin 1977 (In Patagonia), 1982 (On the Black Hill), 1987 (The Songlines) What Am I Doing Here? copyright © The Estate of Bruce Chatwin 1989 In Patagonia Cast: Russell Tovey, David Sterne, Noni Lewis, Hasan Dixon, Melissa Vaughan, Ewan Bailey, Florencia Cordeu, Helen Schlesinger, Julio Galán Directed by Ciaran Bermingham Adapted by Sebastian Bazckiewicz Production Co-ordinator: Jenny Mendez Piano: Satoshi Kubo Sound: Keith Graham and Jenni Burnett With thanks to Susannah Clapp First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Aug 2023 On the Black Hill Cast: Ioan Meredith, Gwen Watford, Ian Hogg, Robin Davies, Gerald James, June Barrie, Dorien Thomas, Sue Broomfield, Sue Soames, Peter Howell, Huw Tudor, Matthew Routley, Simon Price, Claire Watkins, Sian Watkins Directed on location in the Black Mountains by Adrian Mourby, BBC Wales Dramatised by Charles Way with Robert Blythe First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Mar 1987 The Volga Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11-12 May 1989 What Am I Doing Here? Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 Sep 1990 Konstantin Melnikov Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Sep 1990 The Songlines Abridged in ten episodes by David Buck Read by Michael Siberry First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Jun-3 Jul 1987 The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin Presented by Susannah Clapp First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 1 Jul 2009 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bruce Chatwin (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Clare Perkins, Ewan Bailey, Full Cast, Gwen Watford, Ian Hogg, Ioan Meredith, James Purefoy, Michael Siberry, Mo Sesay, Patrick Malahide, Russell Tovey, Susannah Clapp (Narrator)

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The End of Enlightenment: EMPIRE, COMMERCE, CRISIS

Brought to you by Penguin. A landmark study of the Enlightenment from an eminent historian The End of Enlightenment offers a radical re-evaluation of one of the most important moments in human history. Tracing around the world the changing perspectives of economists, philosophers, politicians and polemicists, historian Richard Whatmore argues that, for figures as diverse as David Hume, Edmund Burke, Adam Smith and Mary Wollstonecraft, the Enlightenment was a profound failure. They had strived to replace superstition with reason, fanaticism with toleration, but witnessed instead terror and revolution, corruption, gross commercial excess and the continued growth of violent empire. Returning us to the tumultuous events and ideas of the eighteenth century, and digging deep into the thought of the men and women who defined their age, The End of Enlightenment is a lucid exploration of disillusion and intellectual transformation, a brilliant meditation on our continued assumptions about the past, and a glimpse of the different ways our world might be structured. ©2023 Richard Whatmore (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Richard Whatmore (Author), Ben Onwukwe, TBD (Narrator)

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The One Eyed King

Are you afraid of the dark? They weren't. They've adapted to it. The world has changed beyond all recognition. Six years ago an unknown and dangerous virus left humanity blind. The world is doomed to an eternity in total darkness. People have adjusted as best they can, adjusting their senses to the new reality; phones have echolocation instead of large screens, cars are self-driven and radio killed the TV. But when a dead body is found in the city, the clues indicate that the killer must be a person who can see… In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And he has only started his killing spree.

Jakub ćwiek (Author), Ben Onwukwe (Narrator)

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Blade of the Poisoner: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Fantasy Adventure plus bonus story Penelope’s Pendant

Embark on a perilous quest into a magical realm where a young boy must do battle with monsters and demons in order to survive. Immerse yourself in an epic fantasy adventure, based on the book by the hugely popular science fiction writer Douglas Hill, and brought to life in this full-cast performance. When his village is destroyed by the evil Prince Mephtik, young Jarral Gullen must search for answers. With the help of his three friends Archer, Scythe and the Lady Mandragorina - a band of magically talented adventurers - Jarral must make a terrifying journey into the unknown. Only then will he be able to answer the questions that haunt him. Will he be able to discover what strange talents he possesses? And why does the spectre known as the Poisoner want to hunt him down? Marked with the tainted sword of Prince Mephtik, Jarral is doomed to die a terrible death unless both the blade and the prince are destroyed by the next full moon. The band of friends must complete their treacherous quest to Mephtik's demon-guarded fortress - but can Jarral connect with his power in time, and will he live long enough to use it? This exclusive edition includes a bonus fantastical story of magic and mayhem - Penelope's Pendant. When eleven-year-old Penny finds a pendant on the beach she discovers that it gives her the power to move herself and other objects through space. But when the pendant's maker comes to claim it, Penny doesn't want to let it go. Starring Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh alongside James Holland, Eric Allen, Elizabeth Bell, Ben Onwukuwe, Susan Sheridan and Hugh Dixon, these adventures will delight fans of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels and J.R.R. Tolkien's Tales from the Perilous Realm. Blade of the Poisoner Written by Douglas Hill Dramatised by Wally K Daly Produced by Peter Fozzard Music by Peter Howells Special Effects by Dick Mills Jarral the Man - Eric Allen Jarral the boy - James Holland Archer - Elizabeth Bell Carver - Ben Onwukwe Dorrina - Adjoa Andoh Mandra - Susan Sheridan Prince Mephtik - Hugh Dixon Yorrold - David Bannerman Soldiers - Nigel Carrington, Charles Millom and Neil Roberts Cryltor Tabatang - James Thomason Flammarock - Bret Usher Whiney - Richard Pierce Innkeeper - Anne Windsor Other parts played by Auriol Smith and Charles Millom First Broadcast BBC Radio 5, July 1991 Penelope's Pendant Written by Douglas Hill Adapted by Paul Copley Penelope - Keeley Forsyth Trish - Vicky Fox Alan - Jason Lowe Ralph - Jonathan Tristram Tony - Matthew Raybould Errol - Richard Redpath Gummy - James Buckley Mother - Joanna Myers Narrator - Paul Copley Glumdole - Barry Kaylor First Broadcast BBC Radio 5, 2 April 1991 ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Douglas Hill (Author), Adjoa Andoh, Ben Onwukwe, Elizabeth Bell, Eric Allen, Full Cast, Hugh Dixon, James Holland, Keeley Forsyth, Paul Copley, Susan Sheridan (Narrator)

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Windrush: 75 Years of Modern Britain

The oral history of Britain’s first West Indian immigrants and their descendants In 1948 the former troop ship Windrush made the 30-day journey across the Atlantic from Jamaica. The arrival of its 500 passengers, the first generation of Caribbean migrants in the UK, was the initial step in the formation of a new identity: the black Briton. Fifty years later, Mike and Trevor Phillips spoke to those on the Windrush itself, as well as those who followed, to tell the story of Britain in the second half of the twentieth century through the eyes of the outsiders who became insiders. Now updated to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the ship’s voyage and including reflections on its political and cultural legacy in 2023, Windrush is an essential record of this transformative era in British social history.

Mike Phillips, Trevor Phillips (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Cathy Tyson, Debra Michaels, Howard Saddler, Joel Trill (Narrator)

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Time Come: Selected Prose

'Key to understanding black British history' - Sunday Times 'Sharp and still relevant' - Zadie Smith 'A mosaic of wise, urgent and moving pieces' - Kit de Waal Recognized as one of the great poets of modern times, and as a deeply respected and influential political and cultural activist and social critic, Linton Kwesi Johnson is also a prolific writer of non-fiction. In Time Come, he selects some of his most powerful prose – book and record reviews published in newspapers and magazines, lectures, obituaries and speeches – for the first time. Written over many decades, it is a body of work that draws creatively and critically on Johnson’s own Jamaican roots and on Caribbean history to explore the politics of race that continue to inform the Black British experience. Ranging from reflections on the place of music in Caribbean and Black British culture as a creative, defiant response to oppression, to his penetrating appraisals of music and literature, and including warm tributes paid to the activists and artists who inspired him to find his own voice as a poet and compelled him to contribute to the struggle for racial equality and social justice, Time Come is a panorama of an exceptional life. A collection that ventures into memoir, it underscores Johnson’s enduring importance in Britain’s cultural history and reminds us of his brilliant, unparalleled legacy. With an introduction by Paul Gilroy 'A book to be savoured and re-read' - Derek Owusu 'An outstanding collection' - Caryl Phillips 'A necessary book from a writer who continues to inspire' - Yomi Sode 'Incisive, engaging, fearless' - Gary Younge

Linton Kwesi Johnson (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Linton Kwesi Johnson (Narrator)

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The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency: The Complete BBC Radio Series

The collected radio adaptations of Alexander McCall Smith's hugely popular novels, dramatised by the author himself 'Must-listen... simply wonderful' The Telegraph When Precious Ramotswe receives an inheritance from her father, she decides to set up Botswana's very first private detective agency - 'for the problems of ladies, and others'. Aided by the loyal, resourceful Grace Makutsi, and multiple cups of red bush tea, she sets out to investigate cases including missing husbands, wayward wives, unscrupulous con artists and unexpected deaths. She may not be an old-school investigator like her idol, Clovis Andersen, but her warm heart, empathetic nature and common-sense approach enable her to solve the most curious of mysteries - and win the heart of gentle motor mechanic Mr JLB Matekoni... Included here are all 35 stories from the acclaimed BBC radio series, written and adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his own internationally bestselling books. These charming dramatisations are brought to life with vibrant, evocative African music and a first-rate cast, including Claire Benedict and Janice Acquah as Mma Ramotswe, Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi and Joseph Marcell and Ben Onwukwe as Mr JLB Matekoni. Written and dramatised by Alexander McCall Smith Produced and directed by Gaynor MacFarlane, Kirsty Williams and Eilidh McCreadie Cast Mma Ramotswe - Claire Benedict/Janice Acquah Mma Makutsi - Nadine Marshall Mr JLB Matekoni - Joseph Marcell/Ben Onwukwe Mr Polopetsi - Paterson Joseph/Steve Toussaint Mma Potokwani - Janice Acquah/Adjoa Andoh/Sarah Niles Phuti Radiphuti - Nyasha Hatendi/Jude Akuwidike Violet Sephotho - Anna Bengo/Sarah Niles Charlie - Jude Akuwudike/Tyronne Lewis/Maynard Eziashi Fanwell - Beru Tessema/Kedar Williams-Stirling With Gbemisola Ikumelo, Bhasker Patel, Ben Thomas, Peter Gevisser, Heather Imani, Tehmina Sacranie, Nancy Crane, Noma Dumezweni, Chuk Iwuji, Alibe Parsons, Emmanuel Ighodaro, Willie Jonah, William Gaminara, Aicha Kossoko, Don Warrington, Danny Sapani, Ndidi Ama, Ayesha Antoine, Sam Dale, Naomi Taylor, Mo Sesay, Babou Ceesay, Obi Abili, Eleanor Crooks, Kulvinder Ghir, Sudha Bhuchar, Amaka Okafor, Kai Francis-Lewis, Jason Barnett, Clare Perkins, Barbara Barnes, Saffron Coomber, Lorna Gayle, Debbie Korlay First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 September 2004-23 September 2019 Episode list: The Daddy The Bone The Maid Tears of the Giraffe The Chief Justice of Beauty The Confession The Kalahari Typing School for Men The Admirer How to Handle Men through the Application of Psychology House of Hope The Return of Note The Ceremony There Is No Such Thing as Free Food The Best Profession for a Blackmailer A Very Rude Woman Talking Shoes The Miracle at Speedy Motors Tea Time for the Traditionally Built The Seller of Beds An Exceptionally Wicked Lady Canoeing for Ladies A Late Van Just Glimpsed The Saturday Big Tent Wedding A Man from a Far Place The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection The Modern Husband Course The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe The Dish of Yesterday This Is Not A Rubbish Boy The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine The Fat Cattle Club Precious and Grace House of Unexpected Sisters The Colours of All the Cattle © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alexander McCall Smith (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Claire Benedict, Full Cast, Janice Acquah, Joseph Marcell, Nadine Marshall (Narrator)

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Stories for 4 Year Olds

A classic collection of tales to tell children of about four, featuring beloved characters and lively stories chosen by children’s book expert, Julia Eccleshare Paddington Bear has a magical moment, the animals of Brambly Hedge are struggling at the dusty mill: Lara’s godmother sorts out a noisy lion and Rapunzel is rescued from the tower… These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

Julia Eccleshare (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Rebecca Yeo, Sarah Ovens, Sid Sagar, Thomas Judd (Narrator)

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Stories for 5 Year Olds

A classic collection of tales for young readers of about five, featuring beloved characters and lively stories by Michael Bond, Jill Barklem, Elizabeth Laird and others, chosen by children’s book expert, Julia Eccleshare. Paddington Bear tries to buy a birthday present, the animals of Brambly Hedge set off to the seaside; A greedy queen insists on having the biggest tree in the world, but will Cinderella get to go to the ball? These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

Julia Eccleshare (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Rebecca Yeo, Sarah Ovens, Sid Sagar, Thomas Judd (Narrator)

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Stories for 6 Year Olds

A classic collection of tales for young readers of about six, featuring beloved characters and lively stories by P.L. Travers, Jill Barklem, Michael Morpurgo and others, chosen by children’s book expert, Julia Eccleshare. The Banks family are searching for a nanny; Macaw the parrot helps out at the fish and chip shop and a stonecutter dreams of becoming an emperor… These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

Julia Eccleshare (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Rebecca Yeo, Sarah Ovens, Sid Sagar, Thomas Judd (Narrator)

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Stories for 7 Year Olds

A classic collection of stories by P.L Travers, Penelope Lively, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen, Alexander McCall Smith and others, specially chosen for young readers of around seven by children’s book expert, Julia Eccleshare. Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael on a gravity-defying tea party on the ceiling; Meet the boy who rescues a beached dolphin: Can the barber keep the secret of the Rajah’s big ears? These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

Julia Eccleshare (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Rebecca Yeo, Sarah Ovens, Sid Sagar, Thomas Judd (Narrator)

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Stories for 8 Year Olds

A classic collection of stories by Michael Rosen, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Morpurgo and others, specially chosen for young readers of around eight by children’s book expert, Julia Eccleshare. Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael on a topsy-turvy day; a boy watches over a beautiful swan… These classic stories are wonderful to share and enjoy with your child at any time of the year, or would make the perfect birthday gift.

Julia Eccleshare (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Rebecca Yeo, Sarah Ovens, Sid Sagar, Thomas Judd (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Ben Onwukwe