Audiobooks narrated by Natalie Haynes

No Friend To This House: A Gripping Feminist Retelling of Greek Myth From the Bestselling Author of

"No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea, written and read by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes. 'Haynes is the modern embodiment of the best of Homer' - Radio Times This is what no one tells you, in the songs sung about Jason and the Argo. This part of his quest has been forgotten, by everyone but me . . . Jason and his Argonauts set sail to find the Golden Fleece. The journey is filled with danger, for him and everyone he meets. But if he ever reaches the distant land he seeks, he faces almost certain death. Medea - priestess, witch, and daughter of a brutal king - has the power to save the life of a stranger. Will she betray her family and her home, and what will she demand in return? Medea and Jason seize their one chance of a life together, as the gods intend. But their love is steeped in vengeance from the beginning, and no one - not even those closest to them - will be safe. Based on the classic tragedy by Euripides, this is Medea as you've never seen her before . . . Praise for Natalie Haynes: 'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood on Stone Blind 'Fiercely feminist . . . A many-layered delight' - The Guardian on A Thousand Ships 'Passionate and gripping' - Madeline Miller on The Children of Jocasta"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 9-11: Further Comical Tales from Ancient Greece an

"Three more series of Natalie Haynes’ BBC Radio 4 show combining comedy with classicism – plus Christmas special ‘Saturnalia’ ‘Rock star mythologist’ and reformed comedian Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here, she explores key tales from the classical era that still have resonance today. Whether biographical, mythological or epic, they are always hilarious and revelatory – and they tell us more about contemporary humanity than seems possible of stories from several thousand years ago. Series 9 sees her standing up for Martial, whose satirical epigrams were both perfectly crafted and absolutely filthy; recounting the powerful story of Demeter's fight to get justice for her daughter Persephone; profiling the charismatic and bloodthirsty Athene, goddess of wisdom, war and...handicrafts; and looking at Livia, the first Empress of Rome and faithful wife to Augustus, who has gone down in history as a serial killer. In Series 10, she discusses Cleopatra, (brilliant and charismatic, but probably not an Elizabeth Taylor lookalike); Hesiod (cataloguer of the gods and author of a flatpack wagon manual); and Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty, who is mostly depicted naked and/or wet). Examining Artemis, she discovers that the celebrated huntress was not averse to the odd human sacrifice; and investigating Aesop, she finds that everything we think we know about this famous fable writer is contradicted somewhere. And it’s a similar story with Tacitus, whose fascinating works are long on persuasive prose, but short on evidence… Two tales of Alexandria open Series 11, as Natalie goes on to tell the stories of the Nine Earthly Muses; Hera, queen of the Olympian gods; the Roman love poet Catullus; and the overlooked ‘domestic goddess’ Hestia. And in a tour de force solo performance, Natalie takes on Virgil's great poem ‘The Aeneid’ in 28 minutes... and wins. Joining Natalie for some witty conversation and well-informed analysis are guest experts including Robin Ince, Adam Rutherford, Dan Snow and Edith Hall. Also included is a special festive show, ‘Saturnalia’, in which Natalie celebrates the midwinter festival of Ancient Rome, described by Catullus as ‘the best of days’, in the company of André Vincent and Professor Llewelyn Morgan. Expect anarchy, jokes, cross-dressing, sweets, drinking games and the wearing of traditional pointy hats... Production credits Presented by Natalie Haynes Music by Sarah Gabriel and Sarah Angliss Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery and Beth O’Dea Special guests: Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Robin Ince, Dr Emma Southon, Jane Draycott, Professor Edith Hall, Alicia Stallings, Dr Adam Rutherford, Dan Snow, André Vincent, Dr Islam Issa, Nikita Gill and Dr Daisy Dunn First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 November-19 December 2023 (Series 9), 8 July-12 August 2024 (Series 10), 24 December 2024 (‘Saturnalia’), 22 July-2 September 2025 (Series 11) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Write Stuff: 40 Episodes from the Panel Game of Literary Correctness

"Highlights from the light-hearted literary quiz chaired by James Walton The Write Stuff is the book-based panel show that takes a witty and whimsical look at well-known authors and their work. Host James Walton challenges the erudite contestants with tricky literary teasers, which they endeavour to answer using a combination of knowledge and guesswork. Each episode is themed around an ‘Author of the Week’, who is the subject of the introductory rounds in which the panellists read out favourite quotations from their writing and field questions about their life. Among the intervening rounds are ‘Connections’, ‘Odd One Out’, a music round, an archive round and a fast-paced, fingers-on-buzzers round of general literary knowledge. And for the rib-tickling finale, the contestants are tasked with penning parodies in the style of the chosen author, resulting in comic gems such as Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men on a Club 18-30 Holiday’, a hardboiled crime novel in the style of Virginia Woolf, and a Twitter thread by Jane Eyre. Collected here are 40 of the finest episodes from the show’s 17 series, featuring iconic writers from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to James Joyce, Anton Chekhov, William Wordsworth and John Milton. Pitting their wits against each other are the fiercely competitive team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh, aided by celebrity guests including Stephen Fry, Miles Kington, Philippa Gregory, Sue Limb, Simon Brett, Lynne Truss, John O’Farrell, Natalie Haynes and Mark Billingham. Also included is a Christmas special, filled with festive quizzing and seasonally themed pastiches. Clever, funny and decidedly unstuffy, this knockabout show is a must for bookworms, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys mixing some laughter with their literature. Production credits Compiled, written and presented by James Walton Produced by John Rolph, Katie Marsden, Dawn Ellis, Alexandra Smith and Sam Michell Readers: Rachel Atkins, Beth Chalmers and Becky Hindley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: Jane Austen 31 July 1998 DH Lawrence 28 August 1998 Charles Dickens 4 September 1998 Arthur Conan Doyle 14 July 1999 The Brontë Sisters 21 July 1999 James Joyce 28 July 1999 Oscar Wilde 11 August 1999 William Wordsworth 11 April 2001 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 10 April 2002 Virginia Woolf 17 April 2002 George Orwell 2 April 2003 Dylan Thomas 12 May 2004 Rudyard Kipling 26 May 2004 Alexander Pope 9 June 2004 Samuel Pepys 16 June 2004 The Write Stuff at Christmas 29 December 2004 Lord Byron 25 May 2005 John Milton 22 June 2005 Charles Dickens 29 June 2005 Henry James 19 June 2006 Thomas Hardy 17 July 2006 F Scott Fitzgerald 9 April 2007 John Keats 16 April 2007 Jonathan Swift 7 April 2008 Hans Christian Andersen 14 April 2008 George Eliot 28 April 2004 DH Lawrence 3 November 2008 Marcel Proust 19 October 2010 Daniel Defoe 27 January 2012 Gustav Flaubert 3 February 2012 HG Wells 24 February 2012 The Brontës 12 May 2013 Mark Twain 19 May 2013 Greek Tragedy 26 May 2013 William Blake 9 June 2013 Gerald Manley Hopkins 19 October 2014 Jerome K Jerome 26 October 2014 Henry Fielding 2 November 2014 Virginia Woolf 9 November 2014 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

James Walton (Author), James Walton, John O’farrell, Lynne Truss, Mark Billingham, Natalie Haynes, Nigel Williams, Sebastian Faulks, Simon Brett, Stephen Fry, Sue Limb, Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

We’ve Been Here Before: The Complete Series 1 and 2: The BBC Radio Comedy Panel Show

"Clive Anderson and guests poke fun at the past in this panel show with a yesteryear twist Originally broadcast on Radio 4 in 2003-4, We’ve Been Here Before is the topical, satirical, historical panel game that aims to show beyond all doubt that there’s nothing new in the news. Hosted by award-winning comedian, broadcaster and Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Clive Anderson, it takes a wry, witty look at long-gone days through a present-day lens, as the panellists battle it out to discover who’s got the best memory for detail when it comes to raking up the past. Gyles Brandreth, Jimmy Carr, Chris Addison, Mark Steel, Natalie Haynes, Richard Herring, Robin Ince and Steve Punt are among the stellar guests striving to identify news clips from years gone by, and to spot the parallels with contemporary events. From reality TV, BBC-bashing and striking unions to celebrity American presidential hopefuls, European referendums and Prime Ministers under pressure, they find that the stories they sift through sound strangely familiar. Still funny and relevant over 20 years after it first aired, this entertaining series is the ultimate proof that what goes around comes around. It’s a blast from the past with a modern perspective – and any similarity to current events is entirely the idea... Production credits Presented by Clive Anderson Reader: Lewis MacLeod Produced by Adam Bromley (Series 1) and Ed Morrish (Series 2) Series 1 featuring: Gyles Brandreth, Jimmy Carr, John O'Farrell, David Quantick, Jon Holmes, Simon Brett, Lewis Shaffer, Steve Punt, Robin Ince, Maureen Lipman, Simon Brett Series 2 featuring: Gyles Brandreth, John O'Farrell, Arthur Smith, Arabella Weir, Natalie Haynes, Richard Herring, Mark Steel, David Quantick, Chris Addison, Nick Revell, Helen Atkinson-Wood First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1-29 August 2003 (Series 1), 11 June-2 July 2004 (Series 2) © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

Clive Anderson (Author), Arthur Smith, Chris Addison, Clive Anderson, David Quantick, Gyles Brandreth, Jimmy Carr, John O'farrell, Lewis Macleod, Maureen Lipman, Natalie Haynes, Richard Herring, Robin Ince, Simon Brett, Steve Punt, Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth

"Captivatingly read by the author, Natalie Haynes. In Divine Might Natalie Haynes, author of the bestselling Pandora's Jar, returns to the world of Greek myth and this time she examines the role of the goddesses. We meet Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father's head: goddess of war and wisdom, guardian of Athens. We run with Artemis, goddess of hunting and protector of young girls (apart from those she decides she wants as a sacrifice). Here is Aphrodite, goddess of sex and desire - there is no deity more determined and able to make you miserable if you annoy her. And then there's the queen of all the Olympian gods: Hera, Zeus's long-suffering wife, whose jealousy of his dalliances with mortals, nymphs and goddesses lead her to wreak elaborate, vicious revenge on those who have wronged her. We also meet Demeter, goddess of agriculture and mother of the kidnapped Persephone, we sing the immortal song of the Muses and we warm ourselves with Hestia, goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire. The Furies carry flames of another kind - black fires of vengeance for those who incur their wrath. These goddesses are as mighty, revered and destructive as their male counterparts. Isn't it time we looked beyond the columns of a ruined temple to the awesome power within?"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 5-8: More comical tales from Ancient Greece and Ro

"Four more series of Natalie Haynes' BBC Radio 4 show taking a comic look at the ancient world Author, broadcaster and 'rock star classicist' Natalie Haynes is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greece and Rome. In these four series, she explores some of the most prominent historical and mythological figures from the classical world, telling their stories through a mix of stand-up comedy and conversation. Series 5 asks how much Aristotle knew about elephants' tongues and bivalves on Lesbos; introduces us to Claudia Severa and other Roman-British women; and investigates Suetonius - biographer of the Caesars - and why Augustus used hot nuts to soften the hair on his thighs. Natalie also recounts the original epic story of Homer's The Iliad from memory (complete with magic bra and a very sulky Achilles). In Series 6, Natalie stands up for Helen of Troy (expect new insights into feathery sex); Penthesilea, Amazon warrior queen, (with a natty line in ankle boots); Eurydice (chased by a sex pest and killed by a snake on her wedding day); and Penelope (lots of suitors, but fortunately an adept weaver). Natalie also discusses Medusa, beloved sister and mother (but a hairdresser's nightmare); gives us the lowdown on Pandora (she of the box, which turns out to be a jar); tells the story of Jocasta (still spellbindingly shocking today); and asks whether Clytemnestra was the worst wife in Greek mythology (she murdered her husband, but was a good mother). Guests include Dr Adam Rutherford, Professor Edith Hall, Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Dr Paul Roberts, Anita Anand, and Chris Riddell. Production credits Presented by Natalie Haynes Music by Sarah Gabriel and Sarah Angliss Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery Special guests: Dr Adam Rutherford, Professor Edith Hall, Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Dr Paul Roberts, Anita Anand, and Chris Riddell First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 December 2019-13 January 2020 (Series 5), 17 May-7 June 2020 (Series 6), 18 May-8 June 2021 (Series 7), 13 September-4 October 2022 (Series 8) © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stone Blind: the breathtaking Sunday Times bestseller

"Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 This audio edition is read by the author, Natalie Haynes. In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before. 'Natalie Haynes energizes the melodrama of ancient Greek gods with a divine level of storyteller's flair...Listeners who enjoy transformative retellings of Greek myths will find much to relish in this production.' - AudioFile 'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood via Twitter 'Beautiful and moving' - Neil Gaiman 'So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters' Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt. When Poseidon commits an unforgiveable act against Medusa in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can: on his victim. Medusa is changed forever - writhing snakes for hair and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. She can look at nothing without destroying it. Desperate to protect her beloved sisters, Medusa condemns herself to a life of shadows. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . ."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

"'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!' - Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale This audio edition is expertly and enthusiastically read by the author, Natalie Haynes. The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories. Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. And still, today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women's stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora - the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world - was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate. Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes - broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist - redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk. After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Thousand Ships

"'A gripping feminist masterpiece' Deborah Frances-White Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020 One of the Guardian's and TLS's 'Best Books of 2019' In A Thousand Ships, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective, for fans of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker. This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . . In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen. From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women embroiled in the legendary war. Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships Natalie Haynes puts the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story. 'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War' – Madeline Miller, author of Circe"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 1-4: A comical guide to Ancient Greece and Rome

"All four series of Natalie Haynes’ BBC Radio 4 show combining comedy with classicism Writer, broadcaster and recovering comedian Natalie Haynes mixes comedy and conversation to bring the ancient world entertainingly up to date in these four radio series. Each episode sees her profiling a key figure from ancient Greece and Rome, and, aided by her special guests, creating a stand-up show around them. Series 1 investigates Petronius and the worst dinner party in history; asks whether Sophocles invented the TV detective with Oedipus; explains how Virgil was responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and introduces us to the notorious Aspasia. In Series 2, Natalie stands up for Aristophanes (expect a chorus of frogs and a sex strike); Ovid (featuring frottage at the races); Plato (a bit chunky, but a good wrestler) and Agrippina (pretty well connected and handy with the purse strings). Series 3 discusses Sappho, whose scorching poetry is now mainly lost; brings us some thousand-year-old gossip about Cicero; gives us the lowdown on Lucian, the forgotten inventor of science fiction; and tells the story of Juvenal, history’s first great stand-up comedian. Finally, Series 4 explores Phryne, the Greek courtesan famed for her wit and beauty; Horace, the Roman poet who made friends of enemies through his writing; Euripides, whose Medea still shocks us today; and Livy, who gave us Hannibal crossing the Alps and the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Guests include Martin Rowson, Richard Dyer, Victoria Rimell, Professor Edith Hall, Frank McGuinness, Andrew Collins, Pamela Helen Stephen, Gordon Cutting, Dr Llewelyn Morgan, Sarah B. Pomeroy, Dr Ian Jenkins, Cate Haste, Rosie Wyles, Fiona Laird, Michael Squire, Philippa Perry, Stella Duffy, LiTTLe MACHiNe, Mark Stephens, Matthew Sweet, Armando Iannucci, Katy Brand, Ben Okri, Mark Ravenhill and Al Murray. Produced by Christine Hall and Mary Ward Lowery A BBC Studios production"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Attila The Hen

"BBC Radio 4 programme all about the fashion for keeping chickens in your back garden, a hobby which shows no sign of waning. Natalie Haynes has heard some dark rumours about the true habits of the hen. Can they be true? However her own knowledge is limited entirely to chicken lives in Ancient Rome. Natalie hears from chicken breeders and keepers; but perhaps the most keen insight is from ornithologist Mark Cocker, who explains how things look from the chickens' own perspective. Poultry and people can be very good for one another, but like any relationship it does require respect! Last broadcast on 29 March 2011 and produced by Christine Hall."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Natalie Haynes