Audiobooks narrated by Claire Skinner

BBC National Short Story Award 2013: (5 Shortlisted Titles)

The five shortlisted titles for the BBC National Short Story Award 2013 administered in partnership with Booktrust, containing: 'Mrs Fox' by Sarah Hall (read by Andrea Riseborough), 'Barmouth' by Lisa Blower (read by Rebekah Staton), 'Prepositions' by Lionel Shriver (read by Nancy Crane), 'Notes from the House of Spirits' by Lucy Wood (read by Hattie Morahan) and 'We Are Watching Something Terrible Happening' by Lavinia Greenlaw (read by Claire Skinner).

Various (Author), Andrea Riseborough, Claire Skinner, Hattie Morahan, Nancy Crane, Rebekah Staton (Narrator)

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Clarice Bean Spells Trouble

Clarice Bean is back and starring in her second novel! By Children's Laureate Lauren Child. There are so many things in life you can't explain. Like why isn't YOU spelt U? Why isn't WHY spelt Y? And why can just opening your mouth get you into some very BIG trouble? Clarice Bean is in non-stop trouble these days - almost as much as Karl Wrenbury, and he is the naughtiest boy in school. Clarice just wants to star in the school play and impress Mrs Wilberton in the spelling bee, but things aren't quite going to plan... Read by Claire Skinner, star of the hit BBC series 'Outnumbered'. (P) Orchard Books 2013

Lauren Child (Author), Claire Skinner (Narrator)

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Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now

A witty and insightful book about worries, starring Clarice Bean. Created by Children's Laureate Lauren Child and read by Claire Skinner, star of the BBC's 'Outnumbered'. It's the worry you hadn't even thought to worry about that should worry you the most. At least that's how it looks to Clarice Bean, who has been writing her worries in a notebook - things like Worry no. 1: infinity, or Worry no. 3: change. And now that her worst never-imagined worry has happened - her utterly best friend is moving away forever - Clarice doesn't even care about her tickets to the Ruby Redfort, girl detective, film premiere. That is, unless something happens to change things again... Lauren Child's trademark wit combines with spot-on insight in this hugely engaging story about childhood worries, unwanted changes and finding friendships in the most surprising places. 'A comic and poignant journey' - The Sunday Times (P) Orchard Books 2013

Lauren Child (Author), Claire Skinner (Narrator)

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Clarice Bean, Utterly Me

The brilliantly original first novel from Children's Laureate Lauren Child - starring Clarice Bean! Clarice Bean loves reading the adventures of Ruby Redfort, ace girl detective and secret undercover agent. Ruby is always going on exciting missions. Whilst all Clarice gets to do is go to the local shop on her own . . . But when Clarice and her best friend, Betty Moody, decide to do their school project on the Ruby Redfort books, they suddenly start finding mysteries everywhere. Like why are all the coats on the wrong hooks at school? Where has Grandad disappeared to? And just what is going on in the garden shed? Read by Claire Skinner, star of BBC series 'Outnumbered'. 'A real treat . . . has you laughing out loud' - Independent (P) Orchard Books 2013

Lauren Child (Author), Claire Skinner (Narrator)

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Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain

'There exists in all of us a song waiting to be sung which is as heart-stopping and vertiginous as the peak of the cathedral. That is the meaning of this quiet city, where the spire soars into the blue, where rivers and stories weave into one another, where lives intertwine.' One quiet evening in Salisbury, the peace is shattered by a serious car crash. At that moment, five lives collide - a flower seller, a schoolboy, an army wife, a security guard, a widower - all facing their own personal disasters. As one of those lives hangs in the balance, the stories of all five unwind, drawn together by connection and coincidence into a web of love, grief, disenchantment and hope that perfectly represents the joys and tragedies of small town life.

Barney Norris (Author), Christopher Benjamin, Claire Skinner, Hasan Dixon, James Doherty, Joe Jameson, Linda Bassett (Narrator)

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Lunch: Complete Series 1-4: BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Stephen Mangan and Claire Skinner star in all four series of the popular BBC Radio 4 comedy drama. ‘A wise and witty feast for the senses‘’ Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph Bill works as an economist in a right-wing institute giving succour to bankers and businessmen. Bella teaches yoga, waters the plants in Canary Wharf and holds Proust seminars for retirees. Years ago they shared a flat before Bill got married and moved to America. Now he's back and feeling a little off-kilter, so he decides to rekindle his friendship with Bella. Once a month they get together for lunch, where they talk about everything from politics to Proust, parenting and the perils of online dating. The only thing they never discuss is how much they love each other... In Marcy Kahan's delightful “platonic romantic comedy”, we join Bill and Bella as they meet, eat and disagree about everything; and over the course of four series, we learn their hopes and dreams and listen in as their lives change direction. Duration: 4 hours 40 mins approx.

Marcy Kahan (Author), Claire Skinner, Stephen Mangan (Narrator)

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Lunch: Series 5: BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Stephen Mangan and Claire Skinner star in the final series of the popular BBC Radio 4 comedy drama. 'A wise and witty feast for the senses'' Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph Bill works as an economist in a right-wing institute giving succour to bankers and businessmen. Bella teaches yoga, waters the plants in Canary Wharf and holds Proust seminars for retirees. Years ago they shared a flat before Bill got married and moved to America. Now he's back and feeling a little off-kilter, so he decides to rekindle his friendship with Bella. Once a month they get together for lunch, where they talk about everything from politics to Proust, parenting and the perils of online dating. The only thing they've never discussed is how much they love each other... In Marcy Kahan's delightful "platonic romantic comedy", we join Bill and Bella as they meet, eat and disagree about everything; and, in this final series, end up ordering room service in a hotel room after too much tapas.

Marcy Kahan (Author), Claire Skinner, Stephen Mangan (Narrator)

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Lunch: The Complete Series 1-5: The hit BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

Stephen Mangan and Claire Skinner star in all five series of the popular BBC Radio 4 comedy drama. Bill works as an economist in a right-wing institute giving succour to bankers and businessmen. Bella is a confirmed socialist who teaches yoga and waters the plants in Canary Wharf. Years ago they shared a flat before Bill got married and moved to America. Now he's back and feeling a little off-kilter, so he decides to rekindle his friendship with Bella. Once a month they get together for lunch, where they talk about everything from politics to Proust, parenting and the perils of online dating. The only thing they never discuss is how much they love each other.... In Marcy Kahan's delightful 'platonic romantic comedy', we join Bill and Bella as they meet, eat and disagree about everything; and over the course of five series, we learn their hopes and dreams and listen in as their lives change direction and come together. Cast and credits Bill……………………..Stephen Mangan Bella………………….Claire Skinner Written by Marcy Kahan Produced and directed by Sally Avens First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-19 July 2013 (Series 1), 22-26 September 2014 (Series 2), 11-15 May 2015 (Series 3), 18-22 July 2016 (Series 4), 24-28 July 2017 (Series 5)

Marcy Kahan (Author), Claire Skinner, Stephen Mangan (Narrator)

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Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City

Superstar, author and illustrator Rob Biddulph dazzles in Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City, the first title in an adventure series for boys and girls of 8+. Fizzing with magic, danger, friendship and art, this exciting, funny, middle-grade debut is from the bestselling creative genius behind #DrawWithRob. Some legends are born, some are drawn . . . Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can't fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she's stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she's pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad. 'A wildly imaginative, big-hearted celebration of creativity' - Anna James, bestselling author of the Pages & Co series 'Look at this utter beauty . . . This book is EPIC' - Laura Ellen Anderson, bestselling author of Amelia Fang

Rob Biddulph (Author), Claire Skinner (Narrator)

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The Katherine Mansfield BBC Radio Collection: Dramatisations and readings of selected stories

A landmark collection of BBC Radio productions of the works of Katherine Mansfield - plus bonus dramas and documentary One of the great Modernist authors, Katherine Mansfield was a short story virtuoso, redefining the genre with her subtle, powerfully perceptive tales. A prolific writer, she penned over 60 stories and several poetry collections before her death from TB in 1923, aged only 34. This outstanding collection opens with Radio 4's 2020 series And Other Stories: Katherine Mansfield. It comprises dramatisations of 'Marriage a la Mode', 'Something Childish But Very Natural', 'Bliss', 'Daughters of the Late Colonel', 'The Garden Party', 'Ma Parker' and 'Her First Ball', all starring Hattie Morahan, as well as readings of 'The Stranger', 'Miss Brill', 'A Cup of Tea', Poison' and 'The Doll's House', narrated by Hugh Bonneville, Barbara Flynn, Hattie Morahan and Blake Ritson. Morven Christie reads Mansfield's newly-discovered early short story 'Little Episodes', and selected stories from her first collection In A German Pension - 'Germans at Meat and Frau Fischer', 'The Sister of the Baroness', 'The Modern Soul', 'The Advanced Lady' and 'Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding' - are dramatised with a cast including Claire Skinner, Eleanor Bron and Emma Cunniffe. Also included are eight of her lesser-known tales: 'A Dill Pickle' (read by Clare Corbett), 'Mr Reginald Peacock's Day' (read by Brian Gear), 'Sun and Moon' (read by Lin Sagovsky), 'Psychology' and 'Pictures' (read by Eileen Atkins), 'The Voyage' (read by Indira Varma), 'Honeymoon' (read by Emilia Fox) and 'The Fly' (read by Sam Dale). In addition, her evocative poem 'Winter Song' is read by Sir Derek Jacobi. Two original dramas explore moments in the life of the great author. Katie Hims' Luxembourg Gardens reimagines Katherine Mansfield's last day in Paris and stars Hattie Morahan, while Cherie Rogers' An Oddly Complete Understanding looks at Mansfield's friendship with Virginia Woolf and stars Rosalind Shanks and Penelope Wilton. The passionate correspondence between Katherine Mansfield and her husband John Middleton Murray is revealed in Darling Mouse, Precious Worm, read by Kerry Fox and Michael Maloney. And in Great Lives: Katherine Mansfield, Jacqueline Wilson assesses the impact of Mansfield's brilliant but tragically short career. Track listing: 1. Bliss 2. Something Childish But Very Natural 3. Marriage a la Mode 4. Daughters of the Late Colonel 5. The Garden Party 6. Life of Ma Parker 7. Her First Ball 8. The Stranger 9. Miss Brill 10. A Cup of Tea 11. The Doll's House 12. Poison 13. Little Episode 14. Germans at Meat and Frau Fischer 15. The Sister of the Baroness 16. The Modern Soul 17. The Advanced Lady 18. Frau Brechenmacher Attends a Wedding 19. Dill Pickle 20. Mr Reginald Peacock's Day 21. Sun and Moon 22. Psychology 23. Pictures 24. The Voyage 25. Honeymoon 26. The Fly 27. Winter Song 28. Luxembourg Gardens by Katie Hims 29. An Oddly Complete Understanding by Cherie Rogers 30-34. Darling Mouse, Precious Worm - letter between Katherine Mansfield and John Middleton Murray 35. Great Lives: Katherine Mansfield - with Jacqueline Wilson

Katherine Mansfield (Author), Andrew Sachs, Claire Skinner, Derek Jacobi, Eileen Atkins, Emilia Fox, Hattie Morahan, Hugh Bonneville, Indira Varma, Penelope Wilton (Narrator)

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Trevor's World of Sport: The Complete Series 1-3

Neil Pearson stars in Andy Hamilton's BBC Radio 4 comedy series about a sports agent with a conscience One of the main movers and shakers at TS Sports Stars agency, Trevor Heslop is honest, decent and sensitive. Unfortunately, he works in a world of cut-throats and corruption, with nightmare clients and a rapacious partner with the morals of a barracuda. Add to that his dysfunctional family - estranged wife Meryl and teenage son Toby - and it's a miracle he manages to stay afloat in the shark tank that is his life. In these eighteen episodes, he grapples with a Buddhist (and a specially trained bear), tackles a footballer who's just issued his seventeenth public apology, ends up in court as a witness while trying hard not to lie and proposes taking on the firm's first Muslim client - but do his colleagues think this is a good idea? As he copes with the ultimate client from hell, Ralph, struggles to keep his dignity and his staff, and tries to save his reputation from being destroyed by a ruthless tennis star, can Trevor retain his decency in an increasingly indecent world? Written by Andy Hamilton, whose radio credits include the Sony Award-winning Old Harry's Game, this funny, fast-moving comedy stars Neil Pearson as Trevor, Paul Reynolds as Sammy and Michael Fenton Stevens as Ralph, with guest appearances from Kevin R. McNally, Doon Mackichan and Kayvan Novak.

Andy Hamilton (Author), Claire Skinner, Neil Pearson, Paul Reynolds (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Claire Skinner