Audiobooks narrated by Ben Arogundade

Daring to be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the Wolfson History Prize-winning author of Black Spartacus, a revelatory history of enslaved people's resistance to Atlantic slavery. The ending of the slave trade and abolition of slavery by European powers during the 19th century is generally told as the work of enlightened liberals fighting against entrenched slaving interests in Africa, the Caribbean, and European capitals. Sudhir Hazareesingh here turns this narrative on its head, showing how the enslaved resisted their oppressors from the earliest years of the Atlantic slave trade in the 16th century until the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1865, and how this opposition was the driving force for change. Daring To Be Free portrays the struggle for liberation from the perspective of the enslaved, wherever possible in their own words. It shines a light on the lives of revolutionaries like Toussaint Louverture, José Antonio Aponte, Nat Turner, and the pregnant rebel Solitude; freed writers of narrative accounts like Frederick Douglass and Ottobah Cugoano; and the countless maroons, insurgents and conspirators whose acts of defiance destabilised the slave order in the colonies and galvanized the movement for abolition in France, Britain, and the United States. Hazareesingh gives particular emphasis to the powerful roles of women as campaigners, disruptors and warriors. Drawing on written archives and oral history, as well as a rich body of secondary sources, the book traces the networks of cooperation that connected runaway settlements, covert rebellions and organized uprisings from Haiti, Jamaica, Brazil and Cuba to Mauritius and the United States. It shows us how the struggle for liberty was shaped not only by western Enlightenment ideals but by the spiritual, martial, and religious influences from the lives of the enslaved in Africa before the Middle Passage – and by the inspiring example of Haiti, the first successful anticolonial revolution and the first independent black state, which echoed down the 19th century. Daring To Be Free reshapes our understanding of Atlantic slavery by portraying how enslaved lives were defined not by their dehumanisation at the hands of colonialists and slavers but by their own resilience, solidarity, and commitment to freedom. It also examines the afterlife of the slave trade in contemporary discussions about the legacy of slavery and possibilities for redress, reparations, and memorial in our own time. © Sudhir Hazareesingh 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Sudhir Hazareesingh (Author), Ben Arogundade, Sudhir Hazareesingh (Narrator)

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A Good Life: The Perception OF Perfection (Revised Edition): An Autobiography

"What happens next? After the diagnosis? After the medication? After you learn to live with it, – do you ever? Following on from The Memoir of a Schizophrenic, this is a raw and honest second memoir by Karl Lorenz Willett, which continues to explore life managing schizophrenia while growing older. In a unique style that reflects Karl’s thoughts, A Good Life concentrates on his mental illness, personal struggles, and how faith in a higher power has influenced his journey. Although there is advice that medical practitioners might find helpful, most of Karl’s experiences are meant for his comrades and readers unfamiliar with what living with the illness could entail. Karl offers his unique insights on consciousness, the mind’s eye, theology, sociology, and cosmology. He also focuses on more personal matters, such as relationships and personal growth. Ultimately, A Good Life delivers an inspiring message of hope, resilience, and understanding to its readers. It highlights a healing journey and the overall process of finding balance inside and out, from which anyone can benefit. "

Karl Lorenz Willett (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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Now I Am Here: Winner of the RSL Christopher Bland Prize

"In Now I Am Here, we begin at the end. The armies of the National Defence Movement have been crushed and our unnamed narrator and his unit are surrounded. Prepared for defeat at the hands of the enemy and with only his sins for company, he turns to confession. As he recounts the events leading to his disastrous finale, we learn how this gentle man is gradually transformed into a war criminal, committing acts he wouldn't have thought himself capable. Chidi Ebere's debut is a profound reflection on how good people can do terrible things - precipitated by circumstances and the violence of war. Unflinching, thought-provoking and devastating, Now I Am Here resonates far beyond the individual story of our narrator. Perfect for readers of Uzo Iweala's Beasts of No Nation, Giles Foden's The Last King of Scotland and Abdulrazak Gurnah's Afterlives."

Chidi Ebere (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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Content Warning: Everything

"Bloomsbury presents Content Warning by Akwaeke Emezi, read by Ben Arogundade. A triumph ... A wholly original and creative mind' NEW YORK TIMES ‘A multi-genre phenomena, it’s a triumph of a creative mind’ GLAMOUR ‘Frightens and astonishes ... Combines Maya Angelou’s passion and Sylvia Plath’s devastating self-inquisition' GUARDIAN ‘Emezi is a dream of a writer’ BOLU BABALOLA A fiercely contemporary collection which renegotiates the contract between poet and reader in the light of this moment in human history, from the bestselling author of The Death of Vivek Oji Content Warning: Everything concerns itself with the fugitive nature of being in the world especially, but not exclusively, within blackness. The poems reshape possibilities for poetry by paying close attention to the author's rhythm of thought, making a series of durable anthems from the noise of the contemporary moment. In this bold debut poetry collection, Akwaeke Emezi – award-winning author of Freshwater, PET, The Death of Vivek Oji and Dear Senthuran – imagines a new depth of belonging. Crafted of both divine and earthly materials, these poems travel from home to homesickness, tracing desire to surrender and abuse to survival, while mapping out a chosen family that includes the son of god, mary auntie, and magdalene with the chestnut eyes. Written from a spiritfirst perspective and celebrating the essence of self that is impossible to drown, kill, or reduce, Content Warning: Everything distills the radiant power and epic grief of a mischievous and wanting young deity, embodied. C 2023 Akwaeke Emezi P 2023 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC"

Akwaeke Emezi (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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The Dancing Face: A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo

"Brought to you by Penguin. A sensational, original thriller that examines the powerful link between identity, sacrifice and possession, and questions our compulsive need to chase after ambitions that leave devastation in their wake University lecturer Gus knows that stealing the priceless Benin mask, The Dancing Face, from a museum at the heart of the British establishment will gain an avalanche of attention. Which is exactly what he wants. But such a risky theft will also inevitably capture the attention of characters with more money, more power, and fewer morals. Naively entangling his loved ones in his increasingly dangerous pursuit of righteous reparation, is Gus prepared for what it will cost him? 'This book is brutal, deep, cunning and unbearably beautiful' Independent Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation. © Mike Phillips 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Mike Phillips (Author), Ben Arogundade, Bernardine Evaristo (Narrator)

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Essays: Penguin Modern Classics

"Brought to you by Penguin. The articles collected in George Orwell's Essays illuminate the life and work of one of the most individual writers of this century - a man who elevated political writing to an art. This outstanding collection brings together Orwell's longer, major essays and a fine selection of shorter pieces that includes 'My Country Right or Left', 'Decline of the English Murder', 'Shooting an Elephant' and 'A Hanging'. With great originality and wit Orwell unfolds his views on subjects ranging from a revaluation of Charles Dickens to the nature of Socialism, from a comic yet profound discussion of naughty seaside postcards to a spirited defence of English cooking. Displaying an almost unrivalled mastery of English plain prose, Orwell's essays created a unique literary manner from the process of thinking aloud and continue to challenge, move and entertain. This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Bernard Crick. (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

George Orwell (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture

"Brought to you by Penguin. Shortlisted for THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION, 2020 The Haitian Revolution began in the French Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue with a slave revolt in August 1791, and culminated a dozen years later in the proclamation of the world's first independent black state. After the abolition of slavery in 1793, Toussaint Louverture, himself a former slave, became the leader of the colony's black population, the commander of its republican army and eventually its governor. During the course of his extraordinary life he confronted some of the dominant forces of his age - slavery, settler colonialism, imperialism and racial hierarchy. Treacherously seized by Napoleon's invading army in 1802, this charismatic figure ended his days, in Wordsworth's phrase, 'the most unhappy man of men', imprisoned in a fortress in France. Black Spartacus draws on a wealth of archival material, much of it overlooked by previous biographers, to follow every step of Louverture's singular journey, from his triumphs against French, Spanish and British troops to his skilful regional diplomacy, his Machiavellian dealings with successive French colonial administrators and his bold promulgation of an autonomous Constitution. Sudhir Hazareesingh shows that Louverture developed his unique vision and leadership not solely in response to imported Enlightenment ideals and revolutionary events in Europe and the Americas, but through a hybrid heritage of fraternal slave organisations, Caribbean mysticism and African political traditions. Above all, Hazareesingh retrieves Louverture's rousing voice and force of personality, making this the most engaging, as well as the most complete, biography to date. After his death in the French fortress, Louverture became a figure of legend, a beacon for slaves across the Atlantic and for generations of European republicans and progressive figures in the Americas. He inspired the anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass, the most eminent nineteenth-century African-American; his emancipatory struggle was hailed by those who defied imperial and colonial rule well into the twentieth. In the modern era, his life informed the French poet Aimé Césaire's seminal idea of négritude and has been celebrated in a remarkable range of plays, songs, novels and statues. Here, in all its drama, is the epic story of the world's first black superhero. ©Sudhir Hazareesingh 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Sudhir Hazareesingh (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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Who Are We?: How Identity Politics Took Over the World

"Brought to you by Penguin. The way we think and live, who we vote for and who we fear, has become ever more dictated by our personal identity. In his ground-breaking book, Gary Younge argues that we have recoiled into refuges of race or class, religion or national identity to survive in a state seemingly indifferent to our lives. Ranging from his Stevenage childhood to present day America, from the borders of Europe to division in South Africa, Younge explores the issues that bind the powerful elite and the poor immigrant, the fundamentalist and the conservative. In this powerful dissection of modern society Gary Younge challenges us not to succumb to what divides us, but through solidarity to search for a common - and higher - ground. 'Deals intensely and critically with urgent questions facing a globalised world' The Times 'With brilliant clarity, Gary Younge carefully guides us through a political minefield' Andrea Levy 'An indispensable guide to 'identity' in politics, and a terrific read' Margaret Atwood 'An absorbing and thoughtful discussion of identity' Financial Times © Gary Younge 2010 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Gary Younge (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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The Search Party: You won’t believe the twist in this compulsive new Top Ten ebook bestseller from the ‘Stephen King-like’ Simon Lelic

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'HUGELY GRIPPING' Mark Billingham 'HEART-STOPPING' Elly Griffiths 'CLEVER AND ATMOSPHERIC' Mark Edwards 16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing. Five friends set out into the woods to find her. But they're not just friends... THEY'RE SUSPECTS. You see, this was never a search party. It's a witch hunt. And not everyone will make it home alive... THE CHALK MAN meets THE HUNTING PARTY in this gripping story; witness four suspects as, alongside DI Fleet, you attempt to discover the truth about what happened to Sadie... WHAT AUTHORS ARE SAYING ABOUT SIMON LELIC 'I've spent every free moment of the last few days feasting on The Search Party . . . a bloody good read and the very definition of unpredictable. Twisty, creepy, brilliantly paced and with a denouement I never saw coming' John Marrs 'Skilful and compelling' Observer, THRILLER OF THE MONTH 'A chillingly complex, well-crafted web. The voices cry out from Simon Lelic's pages as if they are standing right next to you' Jane Corry © Simon Lelic 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Simon Lelic (Author), Ben Arogundade, Fiona Button, Jack Rowan, Joe Gaminara, Nicole Davies, Sacha Dhawan (Narrator)

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Blonde Roots: From the Booker prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other

"Brought to you by Penguin. FROM THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER RECIPIENT OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD Welcome to a world turned upside down. One minute, Doris, from England, is playing hide-and-seek with her sisters in the fields behind their cottage. The next, someone puts a bag over her head and she ends up in the hold of a slave-ship sailing to the New World . . . In this fantastically imaginative inversion of the transatlantic slave trade - in which 'whytes' are enslaved by black people - Bernardine Evaristo has created a thought-provoking satire that is as accessible and readable as it is intelligent and insightful. Blonde Roots brings the shackles and cries of long-ago barbarity uncomfortably close and raises timely questions about the society of today. 'A bold and brilliant game of counterfactual history. Evaristo keep[s] her wit and anger at a spicy simmer throughout' Daily Telegraph 'So human and real. Re-imagines past and present with refreshing humour and intelligence' Guardian 'A brilliant satire whose flashes of comedy make the underlying tragedy all the more poignant' Scotland on Sunday LONGLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION 2009 WINNER OF THE ORANGE YOUTH PANEL AWARD 2009 FINALIST FOR THE HURSTON WRIGHT LEGACY AWARD 2010 © Bernadine Evaristo 2008 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Bernardine Evaristo (Author), Ben Arogundade, Charlotte Beaumont (Narrator)

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On the Origin of Species: Penguin Classics

"Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by accomplished voice actor Ben Arogundade who is known for his voice work in Doctor Who and Horizons. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by William Bynum and the cover design is by Damien Hirst. The Origin of Species is one of the most important and influential books of its time and remains one of the most significant contributions to philosophical and scientific thought. The theories Darwin sets out here had an immediate and profound impact on the literature and philosophical thought of his contemporaries, and continue to provoke thought and debate today. Written for the general public of the 1850's, The Origin of Species laid out an evolutionary view of the world which challenged contemporary beliefs about divine providence and the fixity of species. He also set forth the results of his pioneering work on the interdependence of species: the ecology of animals and plants."

Charles Darwin (Author), Ben Arogundade (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Ben Arogundade

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