Audiobooks narrated by John O’farrell

The Write Stuff: 40 Episodes from the Panel Game of Literary Correctness

Highlights from the light-hearted literary quiz chaired by James Walton The Write Stuff is the book-based panel show that takes a witty and whimsical look at well-known authors and their work. Host James Walton challenges the erudite contestants with tricky literary teasers, which they endeavour to answer using a combination of knowledge and guesswork. Each episode is themed around an ‘Author of the Week’, who is the subject of the introductory rounds in which the panellists read out favourite quotations from their writing and field questions about their life. Among the intervening rounds are ‘Connections’, ‘Odd One Out’, a music round, an archive round and a fast-paced, fingers-on-buzzers round of general literary knowledge. And for the rib-tickling finale, the contestants are tasked with penning parodies in the style of the chosen author, resulting in comic gems such as Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men on a Club 18-30 Holiday’, a hardboiled crime novel in the style of Virginia Woolf, and a Twitter thread by Jane Eyre. Collected here are 40 of the finest episodes from the show’s 17 series, featuring iconic writers from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to James Joyce, Anton Chekhov, William Wordsworth and John Milton. Pitting their wits against each other are the fiercely competitive team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh, aided by celebrity guests including Stephen Fry, Miles Kington, Philippa Gregory, Sue Limb, Simon Brett, Lynne Truss, John O’Farrell, Natalie Haynes and Mark Billingham. Also included is a Christmas special, filled with festive quizzing and seasonally themed pastiches. Clever, funny and decidedly unstuffy, this knockabout show is a must for bookworms, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys mixing some laughter with their literature. Production credits Compiled, written and presented by James Walton Produced by John Rolph, Katie Marsden, Dawn Ellis, Alexandra Smith and Sam Michell Readers: Rachel Atkins, Beth Chalmers and Becky Hindley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: Jane Austen 31 July 1998 DH Lawrence 28 August 1998 Charles Dickens 4 September 1998 Arthur Conan Doyle 14 July 1999 The Brontë Sisters 21 July 1999 James Joyce 28 July 1999 Oscar Wilde 11 August 1999 William Wordsworth 11 April 2001 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 10 April 2002 Virginia Woolf 17 April 2002 George Orwell 2 April 2003 Dylan Thomas 12 May 2004 Rudyard Kipling 26 May 2004 Alexander Pope 9 June 2004 Samuel Pepys 16 June 2004 The Write Stuff at Christmas 29 December 2004 Lord Byron 25 May 2005 John Milton 22 June 2005 Charles Dickens 29 June 2005 Henry James 19 June 2006 Thomas Hardy 17 July 2006 F Scott Fitzgerald 9 April 2007 John Keats 16 April 2007 Jonathan Swift 7 April 2008 Hans Christian Andersen 14 April 2008 George Eliot 28 April 2004 DH Lawrence 3 November 2008 Marcel Proust 19 October 2010 Daniel Defoe 27 January 2012 Gustav Flaubert 3 February 2012 HG Wells 24 February 2012 The Brontës 12 May 2013 Mark Twain 19 May 2013 Greek Tragedy 26 May 2013 William Blake 9 June 2013 Gerald Manley Hopkins 19 October 2014 Jerome K Jerome 26 October 2014 Henry Fielding 2 November 2014 Virginia Woolf 9 November 2014 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

James Walton (Author), James Walton, John O’farrell, Lynne Truss, Mark Billingham, Natalie Haynes, Nigel Williams, Sebastian Faulks, Simon Brett, Stephen Fry, Sue Limb, Various (Narrator)

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A Look Back at the Future: The BBC Radio 4 Spoof Comedy Series

Brian Perkins and Kate Robbins ‘remember’ 21st Century years yet to happen in this futuristic 1994 comedy show First broadcast (with the aid of a crystal ball) in summer 1994, the Sony Award-winning show returns for a second series starring the ‘Godfather of Radio 4’, Brian Perkins, and Spitting Image impressionist Kate Robbins. This time, they turn their comic gaze on six roller-coaster years from the 21st Century: 2001, 2005, 2010, 2021, 2025 and 2099. Among the extraordinary events of this turbulent era were the invention of the Telepathone, the first ego transplant, the rise of the Church of the Latter Day Agnostics, and America’s invasion of Narnia. So strap in for a thrilling trip back to the extraordinary, turbulent era when ‘Toddler Power’ ran rampant, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party became the breakthrough third force in British politics – and time ran backwards… Predicted by Spitting Image writers Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Pete Sinclair – who also play supporting roles in the sketches – this sharp, satirical show features special guest comedians Jeremy Hardy, John O’ Farrell, Griff Rhys Jones, Tony Hawks, Nigel Planer and Hugh Dennis. Cast and credits Starring Brian Perkins and Kate Robbins Special guests: Jeremy Hardy, John O’Farrell, Griff Rhys Jones, Tony Hawks, Nigel Planer, Hugh Dennis Predicted by Spitting Image writers Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Pete Sinclair Produced by Caroline Leddy First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 2001 9 July 1994 2005 16 July 1994 2010 23 July 1994 2021 30 July 1994 2025 6 August 1994 2099 13 August 1994 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

John O'farrell, Mark Burton, Pete Sinclair (Author), Brian Perkins, Griff Rhys Jones, Hugh Dennis, Jeremy Hardy, John O’farrell, Kate Robbins, Mark Burton, Nigel Planer, Pete Sinclair, Tony Hawks, Various (Narrator)

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Whispers: The Complete Series 1-3: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Panel Game

Gyles Brandreth presents the quiz show with scandal on its mind Hosted by the least discreet man in Britain, broadcaster and national treasure Gyles Brandreth, Whispers is the panel game that celebrates all things scurrilous and salacious. Running the gauntlet of gossip are two teams of two guests, who test their wits and wit as they try to tell the difference between fact, fiction and outlandish speculation. In the opening round, they are challenged to work out whether a given allegation is true, false or a 'whisper' (a rumour that was widely circulated, but never proven). Subsequent rounds include 'Scandal of the Week', in which they must flesh out the bare bones of a celebrity biography by buzzing in with the missing information; and 'Loose Connections', where their task is to pinpoint the sensational or bizarre link between two well-known personalities. At the end of each show, five bonus points are allocated to anyone who can identify a fib told by Gyles earlier in the game. Team captains Anthony Holden, Stella Duffy and Lucy Moore are joined by panellists including Lynne Truss, Jennie Bond, Julian Fellowes, Richard Herring, Louise Doughty and John O'Farrell to probe the follies and foibles of the famous and infamous. Did Queen Victoria take cannabis? What's the connection between Salman Rushdie and The Beatles? And was Bonaparte really attacked on his wedding night by Josephine's dog? Find out in the quiz that puts naughty before nice and dishes the dirt on the bad boys and girls of history. Production credits Devised and presented by Gyles Brandreth Written by Nick Hildred and Hugh Rycroft Produced by Elizabeth Freestone and Victoria Lloyd Series 1 featuring: Anthony Holden, Stella Duffy, Rosie Millard, Jenny Colgan, Lynne Truss, Rowan Pelling, Jennie Bond, Geoffrey Durham Series 2 featuring: Anthony Holden, Lucy Moore, Geoffrey Durham, Valerie Grove, Lynne Truss, Michèle Brown, Simon Fanshawe, Charles Collingwood Series 3 featuring: Anthony Holden, Lucy Moore, Penny Junor, Julian Fellowes, Richard Herring, Louise Doughty, Dan Tetsell, John O'Farrell First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 October-10 December 2003 (Series 1), 15 September-20 October 2004 (Series 2), 5 October-9 November 2005 (Series 3) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Gyles Brandreth (Author), Anthony Holden, Charles Collingwood, Dan Tetsell, Geoffrey Durham, Gyles Brandreth, Jennie Bond, Jenny Colgan, John O’farrell, Julian Fellowes, Louise Doughty, Lucy Moore, Lynne Truss, Penny Junor, Richard Herring, Stella Duffy (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by John O’farrell