Short Stories volume 2: British and Irish authors read their own work (audio CD)

The Spoken Word

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Following the success of Short Stories volume 1, the British Library is proud to present a companion volume of top writers reading their own work. The 12 short stories featured on this CD range from humorous anecdotes to more extended pieces investigating social issues, and the authors include such prestigious names as Beryl Bainbridge, E M Forster, Somerset Maugham, Harold Pinter, Alan Sillitoe, Osbert Sitwell, Rose Tremain, William Trevor and Fay Weldon. As before, the majority of the recordings take the form of historic broadcasts sourced from the BBC, to which a handful of rare live recordings have been added. All the recordings are published here for the first time.

Listen to extracts from tracks in Windows Media Player:
W Somerset Maugham reading from The Wash Tub
Beryl Bainbridge reading from Kiss Me, Hardy

Track listing
DISC ONE
1. Somerset Maugham, The Wash Tub
2. Beryl Bainbridge, Kiss Me Hardy
3. William Trevor, Teresa`s Wedding
4. Harold Pinter, The Examination

DISC TWO
1. Rose Tremain, Extra Geography
2. E M Forster, Mr Andrews
3. Sean O`Faolain, The Lonely Woman`s Friend
4. Osbert Sitwell, Staggered Holiday

DISC THREE
1. Alasdair Gray, A New World
2. Alan Sillitoe, On Saturday Afternoon
3. Fay Weldon, New Year’s Day
4. Julian Barnes, Interference

Reviews
`when [authors] are as famous as Osbert Sitwell, Harold Pinter, Beryl Bainbridge and Fay Weldon, there is no doubt of the extra dimension offered by hearing them narrate.` Christina Hardyment, Times Online
`This CD collection is a must for fans of the genre. The 12 classic stories featured are all read by their authors... A particular joy is hearing Beryl Bainbridge reading Kiss Me, Hardy, her delicious tale of white lies and awkward encounters aboard a cruise ship.'Melonie, The Lady
`... a feast of short stories read by their writers, mined from the library’s rich archives.` Skytrain.com
`Largely unheard since their original performances or BBC broadcasts between 1939 and 2011, these readings of 12 short stories by their authors are a treasure trove ... A third volume from the BBC and British Library archives would be most welcome!` Rachel Redford, The Spectator