Audiobooks narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

"Brought to you by Penguin. NARRATED BY BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. * The Orwell Prize Finalist 2025 * A brother and sister lost and found, in a novel that seizes your heart and enthrals your mind, from the author of the Patrick Melrose series. ‘We set off in opposite directions and walked around the world until we met, and I’m very pleased we have…’ It is summer. Sebastian is in treatment following a breakdown that has left him with a fragile hold on reality and a hunger to connect with the mother who abandoned him. His therapist, Martin, also faces challenges, including his adopted daughter Olivia’s tenuous relationship with her biological mother. Olivia, meanwhile, is producing a radio series on natural disasters, which itself seems to be running parallel to the events unfolding in her personal life. Over a year, their fates collide in outrageous and poignant ways, revealing their destinies in a new light. Parallel Lines is a novel about connection, family, love, and the cascading consequences of our choices. PRAISE FOR EDWARD ST AUBYN: ‘Perhaps the most brilliant English novelist of his generation’ ALAN HOLLINGHURST ‘I love Edward St Aubyn’ DONNA TARTT ‘Nothing can prepare you for the rich, acerbic comedy of St Aubyn’s world’ ZADIE SMITH © Edward St Aubyn 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Edward St Aubyn (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch (Narrator)

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Rumpole: A BBC Radio Collection: 32 BBC Radio full-cast dramas

"An irresistible collection of sparkling stories featuring John Mortimer's beloved comic creation Horace Rumpole is the most erudite, astute, and seldom defeated of barristers in the annals of the Old Bailey. In these 32 dramas, arranged in order of broadcast, four distinguished actors don the wig and white band to portray our hero as he recalls his long, eventful career. Timothy West stars as the older Rumpole in eight cases in which he proves, despite scurrilous rumours to the contrary, that he is alive, well and as adept as ever at getting to the heart of crimes ranging from sexual assault to terrorism. He also has hopes of becoming a QC at last - but his marriage to She Who Must Be Obeyed is under pressure... Joining Timothy West for another seven legal adventures, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young, feisty, devastatingly acute Rumpole. We flash back to the 1950s, as he meets and marries Hilda, embarks on his first big murder case 'alone and without a leader', and defends clients including an aristocrat, a shoplifting clergyman and a gardener accused of blackmail. Returning as young Rumpole, Cumberbatch takes us through six more curious cases. It is 1964, and Horace takes on a new pupil - Phyllida Trant, the 'Portia of our Chambers' - only to find himself becoming smitten with her. Forced to consider the path his life has taken, he comes close to giving up the law... With the Sixties swinging, Julian Rhind-Tutt gives us a Rumpole in his prime, recounting ten tales which find the tireless defender swapping sides to appear for the prosecution; coming to the aid of a doctor accused of unprofessional conduct; and suffering the indignity of wrongful arrest. We leave him facing a life-changing decision: after many years of falling in and out of love with both women, will he finally leave Hilda to be with Phyllida? Also included is a special 90-minute Christmas episode starring Desmond Barrit, in which Rumpole indulges in a little seasonal, charitable blackmail and solves an audacious crime at the panto. Production credits Written by John Mortimer Adapted by Richard Stoneman Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4 Sax quartet version of Gershwin's 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' arranged by Julie Hodge and performed by 'Sax' (Luiza Beddoes, Kate Mylnar, Janine Ng and Julie Hodge) Pantomime music written by Neil Brand Cast Older Horace Rumpole - Timothy West/Desmond Barrit Young Horace Rumpole - Benedict Cumberbatch/Julian Rhind-Tutt Hilda - Prunella Scales/Joanna David Young Hilda - Jasmine Hyde/Cathy Sara Phyllida - Cathy Sara/Patience Tomlinson 'Soapy Sam' Ballard - Michael Cochrane Claude Erskine-Brown - Nigel Anthony Fig Newton - David Shaw-Parker/Geoffrey Whitehead Bonny Bernard - Bruce Alexander/Nicholas Le Provost/Matthew Morgan Judge Bullingham - Christopher Benjamin/David Shaw-Parker/Stephen Critchlow Liz Probert - Elaine Claxton First broadcast BBC Radio 4 between 25 December 2001 and 9 May 2018 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

John Clifford Mortimer (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Desmond Barrit, Full Cast, Jasmine Hyde, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Prunella Scales, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Double Blind

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the author of the internationally acclaimed Patrick Melrose books: a major new novel exploring some of the biggest ideas and most pressing questions of our times. Double Blind follows three close friends and their circle through a year of extraordinary transformation. Set between London, Cap d'Antibes, Big Sur and a rewilded corner of Sussex, this thrilling, ambitious novel is as compelling about ecology, psychoanalysis, genetics and neuroscience as it is about love, fear and courage. When Olivia meets a new lover, Francis, just as she is welcoming her dearest friend Lucy back from New York, her life expands precipitously. Her connection to Francis, a committed naturalist living off-grid, is immediate and startling. Eager to involve Lucy in her joy, Olivia introduces the two -- but Lucy has news of her own that binds the trio unusually close. Over the months that follow, Lucy's boss Hunter, Olivia's psychoanalyst parents, and a young man named Sebastian are pulled into the friends' orbit, and not one of them will emerge unchanged. Expansive, playful and compassionate, Double Blind investigates themes of inheritance, determinism, freedom, consciousness, and the stories we tell about ourselves. Most of all, it is a perfect expression of the interconnections it sets out to examine, and a moving evocation of an imagined world that is deeply intelligent, often tender, curious, and very much alive. 'The experience of St Aubyn is indelible' Jonathan Franzen 'Extraordinary' Sam Mendes 'A joy' Zadie Smith 'Among the giants of English fiction' Edmund White © Edward St Aubyn 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Edward St Aubyn (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch (Narrator)

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Last Days of Grace: A BBC Radio 4 drama

"A cricketing legend faces his final innings in this moving BBC radio drama starring Kenneth Cranham and Benedict Cumberbatch Easter Monday, 1908, and there's snow on the ground as ageing icon W.G. Grace arrives at the Oval to contemplate another day in his lifelong cricketing obsession. He can't face the thought of sitting in the clubhouse and meeting the same old people - so instead, he trudges out in the cold to the groundsman's hut, where he encounters a young stranger. Their talk turns, naturally, to cricket, and the two men recall the highlights of Grace's long career: his debut for the All-England team in 1866, when he made 100 runs on the first day, and his first Test Match at the Oval in 1880 where he scored 152 against Australia, becoming England's first centurion. But those triumphs occurred decades ago, and Grace no longer dominates the world of cricket as he once did. At nearly 60, he knows in his heart that it's time to retire, but he cannot bear the idea of giving up the game he loves. Can the stranger persuade him to bow out with dignity? Written by Nick Warburton, who won the 2007 Peter Tinniswood Award for Best New Play on Radio, this poignant, bittersweet drama stars Kenneth Cranham as Grace, with Benedict Cumberbatch as the young man and Christopher Martin-Jenkins as the Voice of Cricket. Produced by Steven Canny Cast W.G. Grace - Kenneth Cranham GF - Benedict Cumberbatch Voice of Cricket - Christopher Martin-Jenkins First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2008"

Nick Warburton (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Kenneth Cranham (Narrator)

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The Biggest Secret: A BBC Radio 4 Drama

"In the early hours of 5 June 1944, Captain Rob Collins, who is languishing in hospital, receives a call that will take him on a journey through England that will change his life. Mike Walker's play is an epic journey across England poised on the edge of a historical moment: D-Day. It is set on June 5th, the day before the invasion that will change the course of history - but an invasion only a very few know is about happen... Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliet Stevenson, and Claudia Harrison. Credits Narrator...Juliet Stevenson Capt Collins...Benedict Cumberbatch Cpl Cunningham...Claudia Harrison Jack Harris...Danny Webb Gloria Harris...Kaye Wragge Ray Harris...Joseph Tremain Tim...Ben Tibber Gen Eisenhower...Colin Stinton Flt Lt Paul Parker...Bertie Carvel Lilly...Emily Chennery Eddie...Ricci Harnett Lancaster Skipper...Jamie Glover Lancaster Crew...Carl Prekopp/Simon Nehan Warders...Chris MacDonnell/John Rowe Rosie...Alice Hart Sea Captain...David Leonard 1st Lieutenant RN...Andrew Mackintosh G.I....John Guerrasio Monty...Philip Fox Nursing Sister...Joanna McCallum Directed by Jeremy Howe First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 June 2004"

Mike Walker (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Claudia Harrison, Full Cast, Juliet Stevenson (Narrator)

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Tom and Viv: The heart-breaking story of TS Eliot's marriage to Vivienne Haigh-Wood

"Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the heart-breaking story of TS Eliot's marriage to Viv Haigh-Wood. Michael Hastings' best known play charts the turbulent, doomed marriage of the young TS Eliot and the charismatic Vivienne Haigh-Wood. This moving, highly-charged study has been described as 'one of the most important plays of the 20th century'. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Tom, Lia Williams as Viv, David Haig as Maurice and Judy Parfitt as Rose. Adapted and directed by Peter Kavanagh."

Michael Hastings (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Full Cast, Lia Williams (Narrator)

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The Raj Quartet: The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence & A Division

"An epic full-cast dramatisation of Paul Scott’s classic series of novels charting the last days ofthe British Raj. Spanning the years from 1942 to 1947, this landmark saga explores the relationships between an array of soldiers and civilians stationedin India, as the sun sets on British colonial rule. As The Jewel in the Crown opens, World War II is at its height and Gandhi is calling for the British to leave. When Daphne Manners arrives in Mayapore, she meets two men who will change her life: Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick. She begins to fall for Hari, but Ronald Merrick - the local police superintendent – becomes infatuated with her and seethes with hatred for Hari. The Day of the Scorpion finds Merrick worming his way into the Layton family, and his treatment of Hari Kumar is revealed. In The Towers of Silence, it is summer 1945, and as the war ends Mabel Layton’s companion Barbie Batchelor is forced to leave her home in Pankot. In A Division of the Spoils, Sergeant Guy Perron arrives to witness India’s independence, while the Laytons plan for their future – but the division of the country will spark tragic consequences for many. The extensive, star-studded cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House, Motherland), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster), Geraldine James (who also starred in the film of The Jewel in the Crown), Mark Bazeley (Broadchurch), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Kulvinder Ghir (Goodness Gracious Me) and Nina Wadia (Eastenders). Dramtised by John Harvey (The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence) and Shelley Silas (A Division of the Spoils). Produced and directed by Sally Avens (The Jewel in the Crown, A Division of the Spoils) and Jeremy Mortimer (The Day of theScorpion, The Towers of Silence). Music by Raiomond Mirza."

Paul Scott (Author), Anna Maxwell Martin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Full Cast, Geraldine James, Kulvinder Ghir, Mark Bazeley, Nina Wadia, Prasanna Puwanarajah (Narrator)

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Rumpole: The Age of Miracles & other stories: Three BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

"Benedict Cumberbatch plays Horace Rumpole in this fourth collection of dramatic court cases Rumpole and the Bubble Reputation Erskine-Brown is working on a sordid ABH and affray case which allegedly occurred in a Soho night club. When he and Rumpole visit the disreputable scene of the crime, they meet Maurice Machin, the editor of the Daily Beacon, whose paper is being sued for libel. Rumpole and the Age of Miracles Hilda's distant relation, The Reverend Timothy Donkin, looks set to be defrocked as Canon of Lawnchester Cathedral unless Rumpole can convince an Ecclesiastical Court that adultery did not take place in the nearby Saint Edithna Hotel. Rumpole and the Tap End Tony Timson finds himself in hot water when charged with the attempted drowning of his wife April, while sharing a bath with her. Rumpole not only defends Tony, but also finds he must protect Judge Guthrie Featherstone QC, who upsets women everywhere with sexist pronouncements about their proper place in the tub."

John Clifford Mortimer (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Full Cast, Jasmine Hyde, Nigel Anthony (Narrator)

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Rumpole: The Sleeping Partners & other stories: Three BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

"Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young, devastatingly acute Horace Rumpole in this third thrilling collection of court cases Rumpole and the Old Boy Net: With the help of his new pupil, Miss Phillida Trant, Rumpole must defend Mr Napier Lee, who is charged with blackmail. But the alleged victim of the blackmail went to public school with the defendant, and Mr Lee won't sneak on his old school chum... Rumpole and the Sleeping Partners: After a legal ball in the Savoy Hotel, Rumpole and Hilda argue about Rumpole's drunken behaviour and Rumpole decides to sleep the night on his sofa in chambers - strictly against the rules. But there he finds his colleague Erskine-Brown with Phillida Trant, 'working late'... Rumpole and the Portia of our Chambers: Rumpole comes close to giving up the law when forced to consider the path his life has taken by a combination of his attraction to his pupil Phillida, an unsettling case involving an Irish terrorist, and a visit from an old flame of Hilda's."

John Clifford Mortimer (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Full Cast, Jasmine Hyde, Timothy West (Narrator)

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The Pillow Book: Series 1-11: A full-cast historical crime drama

"A thriller and love story set in 10th-century Japan. Lady Shonagon is an imperial courtesan, living at the court of the Japanese Emperor in the 10th century. When a series of disturbing thefts within the palace walls throws the court into confusion and unrest, Shonagon is appointed guide and assistant to Lieutenant Yukinari as he investigates. Together, Shonagon and Yukinari must solve the mysteries and escalating crimes that plague the Japanese court, and their romance blossoms in the tightly enclosed world behind the high palace walls. But soon Shonagon's lover Tadanobu becomes uncomfortable with how closely they are working together... The Pillow Book is inspired by the writings of Sei Shonagon, a poet and lady-in-waiting to the Empress of the 10th Century Japanese court. The work of the real-life Sei Shonagon consists of essays, lists, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages about her daily life. This full-cast drama stars Ruth Gemmell as Sei Shonagon, with Yukinari played by Mark Bazeley in Series 1-3 and Cal Macaninch in series 4-11. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Tadanobu is Series 1. Directed by Lu Kemp."

Robert Forrest (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Cal Macaninch, Full Cast, Mark Bazeley, Ruth Gemmell (Narrator)

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Rumpole: The Gentle Art of Blackmail & other stories: Four BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

"Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young Horace Rumpole in this second stellar collection of court cases, also starring Timothy West as the older Rumpole Rumpole and the Man of God It is 1959, and Rumpole must defend a clergyman accused of shoplifting who, although he clearly did not commit the crime, is curiously reluctant to be cross-examined under oath. Meanwhile, Hilda (she who must be obeyed) has big news… Rumpole and the Explosive Evidence Rumpole defends a well-known safe blower and exposes the underhand behaviour of one Dirty Dickerson, a senior police officer who is quite prepared to tamper with evidence. Rumpole and the Gentle Art of Blackmail In 1964 Rumpole returns to Oxford, where he studied law, to defend a young gardener who is accused of blackmailing the Master of St Joseph’s College. Their friendship had provoked rumours of homosexuality – still illegal in those days – and the Master says he has been threatened with a public accusation. Rumpole and the Expert Witness Rumpole is asked to defend a GP, Dr Ned Dacre, who is accused of murdering his wife, Sally. The plot thickens when the local pathologist turns out to have history with Dr Ned…"

John Clifford Mortimer (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch, Full Cast, Timothy West (Narrator)

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The Order of Time

"Winner of Audiobook of the Year at The Specsavers National Book Awards 2018 Penguin presents the audio edition of The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, read by Benedict Cumberbatch. The bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics takes us on an enchanting journey to discover the meaning of time Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe. With his extraordinary charm and sense of wonder, bringing together science, philosophy and art, Carlo Rovelli unravels this mystery, inviting us to imagine a world where time is in us and we are not in time. 'A global superstar. . . Rovelli is making the grammar of the universe accessible to a new generation' - Channel 4 News"

Carlo Rovelli (Author), Benedict Cumberbatch (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch