Audiobooks narrated by Lydia Leonard

"Brought to you by Penguin. A NATALIE PORTMAN'S BOOK CLUB PICK What happens when you find love, but life keeps getting in the way? When she first meets Adam, Coralie is new to London and feeling adrift. But Adam is clever, witty, and – he insists – half an inch taller than the average British male. His charming four-year-old daughter, Zora, only adds to his appeal. And yet ten years on, something important is missing from the life Coralie and Adam (though let’s face it, mostly Coralie) have built. Or maybe, having gained everything she dreamed of, Coralie has lost something she once had: herself. Set against an eventful decade that included the soap opera of five Prime Ministers plus Brexit and Covid, Consider Yourself Kissed puts the subjects of love and family on a grand stage, bringing to life how the intimate drama in our homes inescapably competes for energy and attention with the shared drama of our times. Consider Yourself Kissed is a captivating portrait of a woman in love which effortlessly balances sweetness with bite, the public with the personal, and humour with heart. 'A deeply enjoyable mix of romance, social comedy and political satire’ Sunday Times 'Actor Leonard reads this delightfully absorbing story of the rougher edges of a happy marriage, which also features acutely observed sociopolitical detail that firmly grounds us in the Britain of the past few years. Brexit, Covid and inflationary pressures might not sound like the ideal backdrop for a love story — but it works.' Financial TImes 'This summer's must-read . . . A sparkily enjoyable romantic comedy like one day and normal people' The Times © Jessica Stanley 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Jessica Stanley (Author), Lydia Leonard (Narrator)

Audiobook

Tyrant

"Brought to you by Penguin. Travel to the heart of a Roman dynasty beset by power struggles and betrayal in this latest chapter of the tale of Nero. The boy Nero lives. His mother Agrippina has married her way to power, tangling the Emperor Claudius in her skirts. The emperor may have a son and heir of his own, but Agrippina sees no obstacles to her ambition. Rome is a path through a marsh, lit by torches. Those who walk it are always one step from disaster – and the road itself is treacherous, slippery with blood. Claudius may have the world at his feet, but he has Agrippina in his bed. 'Breathtakingly good’ Bernard Cornwell ‘Deft and robust storytelling, that whips through the history with plenty of blood, guts and plot-twists’ The Times 'Pacy and propulsive, cracking with energy, violence and stirring speeches, Iggulden chronicles power struggles, political machinations and the bloodthirsty ravages of up-close combat' Daily Mail ‘A master of the historical novel’ Washington Post © Conn Iggulden 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Conn Iggulden (Author), Lydia Leonard (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nero

"Brought to you by Penguin. TYRANTS AREN'T BORN. THEY'RE RAISED. Travel to the heart of a Roman dynasty drenched in danger and intrigue in master storyteller Conn Iggulden's bold and brilliant return to Rome as he tells the story of NERO – last of the the Julio-Claudian emperors . . . ANCIENT ROME, AD 37 It begins with a man’s hand curled around another’s throat. Emperor Tiberius first dispatches a traitor. Then his whole family. Next all his friends. It is as if he never existed. THIS IS ROMAN JUSTICE. Into this fevered forum, a child is born. His mother is Agrippina, granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. But their imperial blood is no protection. The closer you are to the heart of the empire, the closer you are to power, intrigue, and danger. She faces soldiers, senators, rivals, silver-tongued pretenders, each vying for position. One mistake risks exile, incarceration, execution. Or, worst of all, the loss of her infant son. For Agrippina knows that opportunity waits, even in your darkest moments. Her son is everything. She can make this boy, shape him into Rome itself – the one all must kneel before. BUT FIRST, THEY MUST SURVIVE . . . This then is the story of Nero's birth and raising under the watchful and scheming eye of his mother Agrippina – a woman every man crossed at his peril. 'A master storyteller' Daily Express 'Epic and in a class of his own' Daily Mirror PRAISE FOR CONN IGGULDEN 'Breakthtakingly good’ Bernard Cornwell ‘Magnificent’ The Times 'Pacy and propulsive, cracking with energy, violence and stirring speeches, Iggulden chronicles power struggles, political machinations and the bloodthirsty ravages of up-close combat' Daily Mail Readers love Nero 'Iggulden draws you into Rome, its brutality and its glory, and brings it back to life with such seamless ease' ***** Reader Review 'Absolute quality from first to last page, atmospheric with a real feel for time and place' ***** Reader Review 'It was fascinating to see the seeds being planted that will lead to the Nero becoming the tyrant we know through the ancient historians, but told in such a contemporary and accessible way' ***** Reader Review 'An absolutely immersive experience throughout that throws you into the politics of Ancient Rome' ***** Reader Review © Conn Iggluden 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Conn Iggulden (Author), Lydia Leonard (Narrator)

Audiobook

You Are Here

"Marnie is stuck. Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that increasingly feels like it’s passing her by. Michael is coming undone. Reeling from his wife’s departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells. When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship. But can it survive the journey? A new love story by beloved bestseller David Nicholls, You Are Here is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding the way home."

David Nicholls (Author), Lee Ingleby, Lydia Leonard (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Sting in the Tale: Five Eerie Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

"Five full-cast BBC Radio Dramas to send a chill up the spine Thrilling, creepy, and utterly unforgettable, these five stories of strange voices, haunting passions, and terrifying nightmares will stay with you forever... In No Conferring, four students from Bracewell College, Cambridge, attempt a Christmas bonding week in order to prepare for their upcoming University Challenge appearance. But the isolated moorland cottage stay soon goes very, very wrong. Written by Jonathan Holloway. Myrtle, Mahonia and Rue finds a young landscape gardener who loves her work, but will do anything to escape the terrible nightmares she suffers from. Her only hope is a drastic course of action... Written by Bryony Glassco. Voices from Another Room sees an artist troubled by the voices he thinks he's hearing - voices discussing his murder. And what is worse: the voices are in the future, and the murder is due to happen at any moment. Written by Philip Martin. In Sally Go Round the Moon, Sally is working hard at her job - perhaps too hard. Is it stress that's making her hear the voice of a child no one else can? Or is she really being haunted? Written by Natalia Power. Ghosting is the tale of a young novelist, who agrees to some ghostwriting work on the memoir of supermodel Vita. Soon he discovers exactly how seductive Vita is - but how much will he risk for his work, and for Vita herself? Written by Gregory Evans. Featuring a star-studded cast including Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders, Life of Riley, Common as Muck), Claire Cage (Casualty, Submarine), Damian Lynch (EastEnders, Tommies, Little Britain), Jaimi Barbakoff (The Archers, Black Mirror, The Power), Lydia Leonard (The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Ten Percent), Rachel Atkins (Absolute Power, Ed Reardon's Week, Mrs Sidhu Investigates), Jimi Mistry (Coronation Street, East is East, The Syndicate), and Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War, Lewis), this is just the collection for those who love the chilling, spine-tingling dramas of The Man in Black, The Price of Fear, and Fear on 4. ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Briony Glassco, Gregory Evans, Jonathan Holloway, Natalia Power, Philip Martin (Author), Chris Moran, Chérie Taylor Battiste, Claire Cage, Damian Lynch, Frances Jeater, Full Cast, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Honeysuckle Weeks, Ioan Meredith, Jaimi Barbakoff, Jimi Mistry, Kenny Blyth, Lydia Leonard, Neil Dudgeon, Rachel Atkins (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing

"A Memoir of My Former Self reveals the shape of Hilary Mantel's life in her own dazzling words, narrated by a prestigious cast of actors and notable literary figures connected to Hilary’s work. From her unique childhood to her all-consuming fascination with Thomas Cromwell that grew into the Wolf Hall Trilogy, Hilary Mantel had a celebrated career as a novelist. Alongside this, she long contributed to newspapers and journals, unspooling stories from her own life and illuminating the world as she found it. This strand of Hilary’s writing was an integral part of how she thought of herself. 'Ink is a generative fluid,' she explains. 'If you don't mean your words to breed consequences, don't write at all.' A Memoir of My Former Self collects the finest of this writing over four decades. Mantel's subjects are wide-ranging. She discusses nationalism and her own sense of belonging; our dream life flopping into our conscious life; the mythic legacy of Princess Diana; the many themes that feed into her novels - revolutionary France, psychics, Tudor England - and other novelists, from Jane Austen to V. S. Naipaul. She writes about her father and the man who replaced him; she writes fiercely and heartbreakingly about the battles with her health she endured as a young woman, and the stifling years she found herself living in Saudi Arabia. Here, too, is a selection of her film reviews - from When Harry Met Sally to RoboCop - and, published for the first time, her stunning Reith Lectures, which explore the process of art bringing history and the dead back to life. Compelling, often very funny, always luminous, it is essential listening from one of our greatest writers. Voiced by Ben Miles, Lydia Leonard and Aurora Dawson-Hunte; all of whom have featured in stage adaptions of Hilary’s work. With contributions from actress Jane Wymark, narrator of Hilary’s memoir Giving up the Ghost. Readings from authors Anne Enright; the first Laureate for Irish Fiction and winner of the 2007 Booker Prize, and Sarah Waters; British Book Award Author of the Year and two-time Booker Prize nominee. Joining the cast are Hilary’s long-time literary agent Bill Hamilton and her publisher for nearly twenty years, Nicholas Pearson. 'A smart, deft, meticulous, thoughtful writer, with such a grasp of the dark and spidery corners of human nature' - Margaret Atwood"

Hilary Mantel (Author), Anne Enright, Aurora Dawson Hunte, Ben Miles, Bill Hamilton, Jane Wymark, Lydia Leonard, Nicholas Pearson, Sarah Waters (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Six Mothers-in-Law of Henry VIII: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy

"Jonathan Coy stars as the much-married King in this unreliable Tudor history 'A brilliant concept... does exactly what it says on the tin' The Times From his tiny room at Hampton Court, the royal chronicler records the comings and goings of the King of England, his six Queens - and his six mothers-in-law. Introducing us to these redoubtable ladies, he relates the surprising part they played in the destiny of Henry VIII and his unfortunate wives. We meet Catherine of Aragon's duenna, Dona Elvira, whose introduction of paella, flamenco and bullfighting to his home leads Henry to seek his pleasures elsewhere; Lady Boleyn, whose gentleman admirer threatens danger for her daughter Anne; and Lady Margaret, whose attempt to overturn hundreds of years of tradition leads to a dramatic confrontation. There's also meddling matriarch Mrs Loew, whose devious dealmaking costs Henry dear; good-time grandmother Duchess Agnes, who encourages Catherine Howard to play the field - and neglect her husband; and Catherine Parr's mother, whose impact on the King's court will be life-changing for Henry - and for his Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell... Created by Barry Grossman (The Attractive Young Rabbi), this tongue-in-cheek historical spoof stars Jonathan Coy as King Henry VIII, with a star cast including Carla Mendonça, Lydia Leonard, Jasmine Hyde, Marcia Warren and Geoffrey McGivern. Production credits Created and written by Barry Grossman Episode 3 written by Jim Eldridge and Episode 4 by Rene Basilico Produced by John Fawcett Wilson Music composed by Jim Parker Cast Henry VIII - Jonathan Coy Thomas Cromwell - Milton Johns Chronicler - Alfred Burke Catherine of Aragon - Carla Mendonça Dona Elvira - Sheila Steafel Wolsey - John Rowe Pope - Stephen Greif Lady Boleyn - Diane Fletcher Anne Boleyn - Lydia Leonard Maurice Crumb - David Holt Jane Seymour - Jasmine Hyde Lady Margaret - Eve Matheson Sir John - John Webb Antonio - Jonathan Kydd Anne of Cleves - Sasha Pick Mrs Loew - Aletta Lawson Court fool - Chris Emmett Hans Holbein/Sir Richard - Peter van Dissel Catherine Howard - Helen Longworth Duchess Agnes - Marcia Warren William of Winchelsea - Geoffrey McGivern Simon of Southwark - Gyuri Sarossi Catherine Parr - Rachel Atkins Mother - Sally Grace First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 November-22 December 2003 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Barry Grossman (Author), Alfred Burke, Carla Mendonca, Diane Fletcher, Full Cast, Jasmine Hyde, Jonathan Coy, Lydia Leonard, Marcia Warren, Milton Johns, Rachel Atkins, Sally Grace, Sheila Steafel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Unmade Movies: Harold Pinter's The Dreaming Child: A BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the unproduced screen

"Harold Pinter's unproduced screenplay of Karen Blixen's intriguing short story of love and loss 'An important addition to the Pinter canon' The Stage The annals of movie history are full of lost treasures - spectacular scripts from world-renowned writers that could have been classics, had they only been made. Now, for the first time, some of these forgotten gems have been brought to life, fully realised as vivid, cinematic radio productions. Scripted by major 20th Century writers, including Harold Pinter, Arthur Miller, Alfred Hitchcock and Dennis Potter, they star a host of A-list actors and feature richly evocative, atmospheric soundtracks. The Dreaming Child, one of seven 'unmade movies' available on audio, is an eerie, enigmatic drama set in Bristol in 1868. Emily Carter, married to a wealthy man, is haunted by her first love, who died at sea. Unable to have children, she and her husband Tom adopt a young slum child - but Jack is no ordinary boy, and seems to have an uncanny knowledge of his new home and family... Renowned for his critically-acclaimed plays, Harold Pinter also wrote many outstanding film scripts, including Accident, Betrayal and The Pumpkin Eater. The Dreaming Child was commissioned in 1997 by actress Julia Ormond, who wanted to produce and direct, but the project never got the green light - until now. Lydia Leonard (Last Christmas) stars as Emily, with Bertie Carvel (The Sister) as Tom, Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) as Peggy and Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax) as the narrator, who provides the 'establishing shots' - the stage directions and descriptions from the screenplay. Moving, mesmerising and mysterious, this remarkable production is a triumphant fulfilment of Pinter's great artistic vision. Production credits Written by Harold Pinter Based on 'The Dreaming Child' by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) Adapted by Joanna Hogg and Laurence Bowen Directed by Joanna Hogg Produced by Laurence Bowen Sound design: Wilfredo Acosta A Feelgood Fiction production for BBC Radio 4 Cast Narrator - Anne Reid Emily - Lydia Leonard Tom - Bertie Carvel Charlie - Joshua Silver Mrs Jones - Joanna Scanlan Miss Scott - Susan Woolridge Jack - Jack Hollington Peggy - Rose Leslie Bess - Bryony Hannah Mr Rudd - Karl Johnson Mr Carter - Malcolm Sinclair Children - Flynn Allen, Esme Allen-Quarmby, Isabella Blake-Thomas & Joey Price First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 March 2015 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Harold Pinter, Karen Blixen (Author), Anne Reid, Bertie Carvel, Full Cast, Lydia Leonard, Rose Leslie (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ditched: A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

"Doug Lucie's satirical sequel to 'Hitched' revisits the bride and groom, Emma and Richard, two years after their big day. The honeymoon is well and truly over and wedded bliss hasn't turned out to be, well, blissful. With their relationship at crisis point, Emma returns from America with her young daughter to discover her life isn't the only one that has changed. But just what has happened between Emma and Richard, and why has she returned home without him? When Richard in turn flies back to the UK, the stage is set for another unforgettable family encounter. With sparks sure to fly at a family reunion no one wants to attend, Emma and Richard must finally decide what the future holds for their marriage. Will it be Hitched or Ditched? Starring Harry Lloyd and Lydia Leonard as Richard and Emma, with Stephen Moore, Frances Barber, David Schofield, Cheryl Campbell, Adrian Lukis, Brendan Patricks, Alison Pettit and Lynn Farleigh."

Doug Lucie (Author), Adrian Lukis, Alison Pettitt, Brendan Patricks, Cheryl Campbell, David Schofield, Frances Barber, Harry Lloyd, Lydia Leonard, Lynn Farleigh, Stephen Moore (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Lydia Leonard