Audiobooks narrated by Harriet Walter

Thomas Mann: Buddenbrooks, Death in Venice, The Magic Mountain: Three BBC Radio full-cast dramas

"Dramatisations of Thomas Mann’s three bestselling novels One of Germany’s greatest and most revered writers, Thomas Mann won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. A vocal critic of Nazism, he had to leave his homeland when Hitler came to power, and lived in exile in Europe and America for the rest of his life. Collected here are full-cast adaptations of his three most famous novels. Buddenbrooks – Drawing on Mann’s own experience as the son of a wealthy merchant in 19th-century Lübeck, his debut novel follows four generations of Buddenbrooks as they struggle to maintain the family business in the face of change. Powerful, humorous and heartbreaking, this epic drama traces the decline of a civilisation as well as a family. Starring Terence Edmonds, Harriet Walter, James Laurenson and Timothy Spall. Death in Venice – Seeking inspiration, a famous German writer travels to Venice, but finds only decay and disease behind the city’s gorgeous facades. Then he notices a beautiful young Polish boy, and is consumed by a fatal obsession... Clive Francis stars as Aschenbach, with Peter England as Tadzio. The Magic Mountain – When Hans Castorp pays a social visit to a Swiss sanatorium, he is himself diagnosed with TB and ends up staying for seven years. Trapped on the mountain, he becomes acquainted with his fellow inmates – including the humanist, the radical, the dionysiac and the inamorata – who represent a microcosm of European society and culture in the run-up to World War One. Paul Scofield stars in this radio version of Thomas Mann’s masterpiece. First published 1901 (Buddenbrooks), 1912 (Death in Venice), 1924 (The Magic Mountain) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Thomas Mann (Author), Clive Francis, Full Cast, Harriet Walter, James Laurenson, Paul Scofield, Peter England, Terence Edmonds, Timothy Spall (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Graham Greene BBC Radio Drama Collection: The Early Years: Eight full-cast productions including

"Alan Bennett, Claire Skinner, Charles Dance and Judi Dench are among the star casts of these superlative BBC Radio productions Graham Greene was the 20th century’s master of plot, an expert chronicler of Catholic guilt, Cold War intrigue, conflict and crime. A prolific polymath, his work incorporated serious novels, thrillers, short stories, screenplays, stage plays and more. This wide-ranging box set includes the finest examples of his early work, written between 1932 and 1948, and contains over 15 hours of unmissable drama. It includes captivating adaptations of his classic novels Stamboul Train, Brighton Rock, The Confidential Agent, The Power and the Glory, The Ministry of Fear and The Heart of the Matter, performed by an array of A-list actors including Joseph Millson, Claire Skinner, Kenneth Cranham, Stephen Rea, Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Tom Hollander. Also featured are Greene’s only original radio play, The Great Jowett, starring Alan Bennett as the titular Oxford don, and an adaptation of his BAFTA-nominated screenplay The Fallen Idol, starring acclaimed classical actor Richard Pasco and a young Judi Dench. Concluding this definitive collection are two bonus pieces. Great Lives: Graham Greene sees war reporter Tim Butcher and presenter Matthew Parris exploring the strange world of Graham Greene, and in a fascinating 1971 interview from Radio 4’s Now Read On, the author himself discusses his novels with Magnus Magnusson – and reveals which book he considers to be his best... Contents Stamboul Train Brighton Rock The Great Jowett The Confidential Agent The Power and the Glory The Ministry of Fear The Heart of the Matter The Fallen Idol Great Lives: Graham Greene Now Read On Text copyright © 1932 (Stamboul Train), 1938 (Brighton Rock), 1939 (The Great Jowett, The Confidential Agent), 1940 (The Power and the Glory), 1943 (The Ministry of Fear), 1948 (The Heart of the Matter, The Fallen Idol) With thanks to Keith Wickham of the Radio Circle for supplying several of the audio recordings. © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Graham Greene (Author), Alan Bennett, Charles Dance, Claire Skinner, Full Cast, Harriet Walter, Joseph Millson, Judi Dench, Kenneth Cranham, Richard Pasco, Stephen Rea, Tom Hollander (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Usual Desire to Kill

"'Hilarious and heartbreaking' MONICA ALI 'Deeply funny and knowing' MEG WOLITZER 'Witty, moving' ANN NAPOLITANO 'Poignant, funny and brilliantly told' POSY SIMMONDS An often hilarious, surprisingly moving portrait of a long-married couple, seen through the eyes of their wickedly observant daughter - for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums. Miranda's parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983. Miranda's father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Her mother likes to bring conversation back to the War, although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter. At the end of a visit, she reports 'the usual desire to kill'. Read by Harriet Walter, The Usual Desire to Kill is a wry, propulsive, exquisitely observed debut about a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them. This is an extraordinary novel from a seasoned playwright with a flare for dialogue and, in the end, immense empathy for the mysterious intimacies of marriage, family, and love. 'Hilarious and heartbreaking. Barnes's dialogue is pitch-perfect, and her characters dance off the page and straight into your heart' Monica Ali, author of Love Marriage 'Camilla Barnes deftly deciphers the secret language of one family, often with deeply funny and knowing results. I loved spending time in the very specific, complicated and memorable world of this novel' Meg Wolitzer, author of The Wife 'I love nothing more than reading about eccentric families, and the family in The Usual Desire to Kill is just that. Miranda and her sister work to uncover the true story of their parents' marriage, only to have their brilliant, quirky mother and father deflect them at every turn. Barnes has written a witty, moving novel about characters who, even when they seem incapable of speaking honestly, are worth listening to nonetheless' Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful 'An account of two ageing, secretive, disputatious and thoroughly maddening parents - poignant, funny and brilliantly told through gritted teeth' Posy Simmonds, author of Cassandra Darke"

Camilla Barnes (Author), Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

Macbeth: Made Super Super Easy

"The author provides an in depth, detailed interpretation of Shakespeare's popular tragic play, Macbeth. The book outlines in detail the characters, themes, plot and typical exam questions with explanations of the play alongside the text, making it super super easy to understand. The book in audio form can be easily grasped with it's clear and distinct narration."

Evelyn Samuel (Author), Evelyn Samuel, Gary Bakewell, Harriet Walter, Hugh Ross, John Beau, Margaret Robertson, Mark Bonner, Maureen Beatty, Shirley Dixon (Narrator)

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A Voyage Around the Queen

"THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE TIMES and SUNDAY TIMES BEST MEMOIR OF 2024 … 'GENIUS' A BOOK OF THE YEAR for theSPECTATOR, MAIL ON SUNDAY, NEW STATESMAN, FINANCIAL TIMES, INDEPENDENT, TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY EXPRESSand THE TABLET. From one of the funniest writers of our time, the award-winning author of One Two Three Four and Ma'am Darling turns his attention to Queen Elizabeth II in an unforgettable and fascinating biography. 'A crown jewel among royal biographies' OBSERVER ‘Extraordinarily original, enlightening and fresh’ SPECTATOR 'Absolutely fascinating' Ruth Langsford, LOOSE WOMEN 'A very unusual masterpiece' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Brilliantly funny and well-researched' FINANCIAL TIMES Virginia Woolf compared her to a caterpillar; Anne Frank kept pictures of her on the wall of her annex; Jimi Hendrix played her tune; Haile Selassie gave her a gold tiara; Dirk Bogarde watched Death in Venice with her; Andy Warhol envied her fame; Donald Trump offended her; E.M. Forster confessed he would have married her, if only she had been a boy. Queen Elizabeth II was famous for longer than anyone who has ever lived. When people spoke of her, they spoke of themselves; when they dreamed of her, they dreamed of themselves. She mirrored their hopes and anxieties. To the optimist, she seemed an optimist; to the pessimist, a pessimist; to the awestruck, charismatic; and to the cynical, humdrum. Though by nature reserved and unassuming, her presence could fill presidents and rock gods with terror. For close to a century, she inhabited the psyche of a nation. Combining biography, essays, cultural history, dream diaries, travelogue and satire, the bestselling and award-winning author of Ma'am Darling and One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time presents a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most public yet private of sovereigns. – 'An unconventional tribute that offers a snapshot of almost a century of social history with a mix of royal insanity, and superior anecdotes, from farts and corgis to Paul McCartney and poets laureate' THE TIMES and SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2024 'An enthralling reverie on memory, identity, coincidence and meaning – testing, teasing, charming, moving and deceptively wise' RORY STEWART ‘An entertaining and revealing digest … fascinating … Craig Brown has captured something essential about Britain’s curious relationship with royalty’TLS 'Completely and utterly brilliant and exquisitely funny and fascinating. This book is, dare I say, majestic. Craig Brown has no peers – I would curtsey to him if I met him' MARINA HYDE 'Wonderfully readable … At once sympathetic but clear-eyed, kind but sharp' NEW STATESMAN 'Brown is as sharp and dryly funny as his subject'EVENING STANDARD 'You wouldn’t think the world needed another book about Queen Elizabeth – but how wrong you’d be. Craig Brown’s wholly original and enthralling biography is absolute heaven from start to finish’ INDIA KNIGHT 'Craig Brown continues to reinvent the art of biography… utterly fascinating' JASON COWLEY Craig Brown's book One Two Three Four won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in 2020."

Craig Brown (Author), Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

Atonement

"Brought to you by Penguin. This new audio edition of Ian McEwan’s beloved modern classic is narrated by Olivier Award winner and Emmy nominee Harriet Walter, who starred as Emily Tallis in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Atonement. Her recent credits range from The Crown to Succession and Ted Lasso. On the hottest day of the summer of 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her sister Cecilia plunge naked into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching her too is Robbie Turner who, like Cecilia, has recently come down from Cambridge. By the end of that day, the lives of all three will have been changed for ever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had not even imagined at its start. Briony will have witnessed mysteries, and committed a crime for which she will spend the rest of her life trying to atone. 'This new recording of Atonement is exquisitely read by the Succession actor Harriet Walter […] McEwan pulls off a bold narrative trick that causes the listener to question the foundations of his storytelling and the nature of fiction' The Guardian 'The best thing he has ever written' Observer ‘Atonement is a masterpiece’ The Times **ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY** © 2001 Ian McEwan (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Ian McEwan (Author), Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

J.L. Carr: A Month in the Country and The Harpole Report: Two BBC Radio Full Cast Dramatisations

"Two stunning dramatisations from one of the twentieth century’s most beloved authors Sink into the lyrical landscapes and beautifully observed lives of J. L. Carr’s finest stories, brought to life in these glorious, full-cast dramatisations starring Shaun Dingwall (Noughts and Crosses, Top Boy) and Rupert Evans (Man in the High Castle, Bridgerton). This BBC Radio collection includes the Booker nominated, A Month in the Country. Be transported to the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby where, in the aftermath of the First World War, survivor Tom Birkin spends a summer uncovering a medieval mural in the local church. Birkin discovers treasures he thought the war had blown away forever. A tender and beautiful story about spirituality and healing in the aftermath of horror. The Harpole Report tells the humorous story of idealistic young teacher, George Harpole, who decides to shake things up when he becomes acting head of Tampling St Nicholas Primary School. There’s stiff resistance, improper suggestions and children running riot, but true romance may be just around the corner… J. L. Carr served in the RAF in WWII and after the war worked as a teacher, publisher and writer. His novel, A Month in the Country, won the Guardian Fiction Prize and was also turned into a film starring Colin Firth and Natasha Richardson. Since his death in 1994, Carr has become recognised as one of the great British writers; funny and heart-breaking in equal measure. Immerse yourself in this timeless and very English collection. Cast and credits Written by J. L. Carr A Month in the Country Adapted by Dave Sheasby Produced by David Hunter Birkin - Rupert Evans Alice - Hattie Morahan Keach - Stephen Critchlow Moon - Blake Ritson Kathy - Leah Brotherhead Station Master - Tony Bell First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 November 2010 The Harpole Report Dramatised by Jonathan Smith Directed and produced by Bruce Young George Harpole - Shaun Dingwall Emma Foxberrow - Hattie Morahan Mr Tusker - Christian Rodska Mr Theaker - Sam Dale Mrs Blossom - Lesley Nicol Mrs Rita Grindle-Jones - Jane Whittenshaw Mr James Pintle - David Holt Mrs Sue Byrd - Susie Riddell Other parts played by the cast First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 March 2012 ©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

J.L. Carr (Author), Anna Hope, Caitlin Mottram, Christian Rodska, Full Cast, Harriet Walter, Hattie Morahan, Jane Wittenshaw, Kate Eaton, Richard Hope, Rupert Evans, Shaun Dingwall, Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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The Book of Virtues: 30th Anniversary Edition

"Help your children develop moral character with this updated, 30th anniversary edition of the perennial classic The Book of Virtues. Almost 3 million copies of the Book of Virtues have been sold since it was published in 1993. It is one of the most popular moral primers ever written, an inspiring anthology that helps children understand and develop character—and helps parents teach it to them. Thirty years ago, readers thought that the times were right for a book about moral literacy. Back then, Americans worried that schools were no longer parents' allies in teaching good character. As the book's original introduction noted, "moral anchors and moorings have never been more necessary." If that was true in the 1990s, it is even more true today. The explosion of information with the Internet has left many unsure of what is valuable and what is not. Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Loyalty. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Hard work. Self-discipline. Faith. These remain the essentials of good character. The Book of Virtues contains hundreds of exemplary stories offering children examples of good and bad, right and wrong. Drawing on the Bible, American history, Greek mythology, English poetry, fairy tales, and modern fiction, William J. and Elayne Bennett show children the many virtuous paths they can follow—and the ones they ought to avoid. For the 30th anniversary edition, the Bennetts have slimmed down the book's contents, while also finding room to introduce such figures as Mother Teresa, Colin Powell, and heroes of 9/11 and the War in Afghanistan. Here is a rich mine of moral literacy to teach a new generation of children about American culture, history, and traditions—ultimately, the ideals by which we wish to live our lives. The updated edition of The Book of Virtues will continue a legacy of raising moral children far into a new century."

Elayne Glover Bennett, William J. Bennett (Author), Andrea Martin, Barbara Bush, Charlton Heston, Claire Bloom, Dana Ivey, David Mccallum, Dorian Hairwood, Ed Asner, Elayne Glover Bennett, Eunice Wong, Faith Prince, Fritz Weaver, Harriet Walter, Janina Edwards, Jenn Bennett, Joe Morton, Kate Nelligan, Kirby Heyborne, Leon Nixon, Matt Stango, Michael York, Richard Thomas, Robert Petkoff, Timothy Andrés Pabon, Tom Selleck, Tonya Pinkins, William J. Bennett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Saving Missy

"Beth Morrey's brand new, joyful and uplifting novel, LUCKY DAY, is available to pre-order now *The Sunday Times bestseller* Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find where you truly belong… Seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn’t it? Missy Carmichael is prickly, stubborn – and terribly lonely. Until a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new. Something wonderful. Missy was used to her small, solitary existence, listening to her footsteps echoing around the empty house, the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock. After all, she had made her life her way. Now another life is beckoning to Missy – if she’s brave enough… ‘A touching, deftly written debut that celebrates community and kindness’ Sunday Times ‘Moving and optimistic… will delight readers right up to the very last page’ Stylist ‘Bittersweet, tender, thoughtful and uplifting . . . I loved it’ Nina Stibbe A Sunday Times #6 hardback bestseller w/e 15th Feb"

Beth Morrey (Author), Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

War and Peace: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

"Paterson Joseph, John Hurt, Lesley Manville and Harriet Walter are among the stellar cast of this landmark BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic saga. ‘Tolstoy’s imagined world is recreated on air brilliantly by the extraordinary cast’ The Spectator One of the greatest novels of all time, War and Peace explores historical, social, ethical and religious issues on a scale never before attempted in fiction, and reflects the panorama of life at every level of Russian society during the 19th Century. Adapted for radio by Timberlake Wertenbaker, this riveting, wide-ranging drama follows the fortunes of four Russian aristocratic families during the Napoleonic War. Told in flashback over ten episodes, it moves from fashionable society soirées in St Petersburg and Moscow to the battlefields of Austerlitz and Borodino, as protagonists Pierre, Natasha, Marya and Nikolai describe to their children the events that shaped their lives and those of every Russian who lived through this turbulent time. First broadcast on New Year's Day 2015, this dynamic full-cast dramatisation features specially composed music by Stephen Warbeck. It stars Paterson Joseph as Pierre, Phoebe Fox as Natasha, Natasha Little as Marya and Sam Reid as Nikolai, part of a stunning cast including Alun Armstrong, Simon Russell Beale and Roger Allam. Duration: 10 hours approx."

Leo Tolstoy (Author), Full Cast, Harriet Walter, John Hurt, Lesley Manville, Paterson Joseph (Narrator)

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The Secret Garden

"Harriet Walter and Beryl Reid star in this full-cast adaptation of the much-loved children's classic. When spoilt young orphan Mary Lennox is brought back from India to live in her uncle’s house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds the blunt ways of the staff at Misselthwaite Manor an unpleasant shock. Bored and miserable, it seems as though life in England will be awful. But Misselthwaite has hidden delights and, when Mary begins to discover them, nothing is the same again. First, there is the secret garden – and with it comes a boy who knows all the wonders of the country. He can even talk to the birds! Then, as the old house gives up its biggest secret, Mary forms a magical friendship. Frances Hodgson Burnett's charming story is played out with all the freshness and warmth of the original novel in this BBC Radio full-cast dramatization."

Frances Hodgson Burnett (Author), Beryl Reid, Full Cast, Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Unexpected Man

"Sir David Suchet and Dame Harriet Walter star in Yasmina Reza’s The Unexpected Man, translated by Christopher Hampton. A notorious author shares a train compartment with a long-time reader. But can they connect with each other through a silent tide of self-doubt and second-guessing? Includes an interview with cast members Sir David Suchet and Dame Harriet Walter. An L.A. Theatre Works performance featuring Sir David Suchet and Dame Harriet Walter."

Yasmina Reza (Author), David Suchet, Harriet Walter (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Harriet Walter