The Talking Library

The day started with a phone call to Fiona Hutchinson, to unfortunately explain that I was stereotypically running late, and a bit disorientated as to where I was supposed to be. After a small amount of anxiety about finding a new place; an approximate ten minute walk from Borough station is where I found the home of a charity called Listen Books.

Why am I looking for a book with ears? I was invited by RASP publishing to record the two poems I have published in their audiobook version of the poetry anthology Forgotten Letters. With a large amount of their subscribers being dyslexic, having a visual impairment and other physical disabilities, it was a great opportunity to reach an empathetic audience.

With a bit of help from Jenny as my SatNav on the phone (as my iPhone was on the blink, so I couldn’t use maps). I eventually made it to their door, and was greeted by Fiona Hutcheson the Copyright and Communications Manager, signed in and met the friendly bunch upstairs. I was then swiftly whisked off down stairs to meet Will Parker (using the visual mnemonic “Shakespeare dressed as Spiderman” so I could remember his name). Did a couple of takes and hopefully has a few expletives I made as I stumbled over my words a few times, edited out. The poems recorded were “Where Ya Comin’ From” and “The sWord”.

A great charity that allows people to access the written word where they may have not ever been able to. With Stephen Fry as a patron and The Baroness Warnock DBE as president, I didn’t feel in the slightest a intimidated (yeah right!).