Audiobooks narrated by Rowena Cooper

Paupers and Pig Killers from the diaries of William Holland: A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

A BBC Radio dramatisation of the real-life diaries of a West Country village parson, writing at the turn of the 19th Century 'A good diary can provide an unsurpassed entry into society, and the diary of William Holland is a very good diary indeed' The Spectator On October 25th, 1799 - his 18th wedding anniversary - cantankerous Somerset parson William Holland begins his diary, chronicling events at the vicarage and in the small farming community of Over Stowey. He would keep it for the next 19 years, candidly recording the small trials of day-to-day life - from chaotic church services and unruly locals to lazy servants and irksome in-laws. As the new century dawns, he finds himself dealing with parish problems and domestic dramas: including a madman in the poorhouse, a drunkard in the pulpit, and his wife's prattling cousin in the house. At harvest time, he has his work cut out collecting tithes from the local farmers, and his troubles are further compounded by an escaped cow, some curious medical complaints, and an audacious plum-plunderer... Paying a social visit to Bath with his family, the hectic pace has him longing for the relative peace and quiet of home. And back at the parsonage, his life is transformed when his manservant Robert resolves to give up drinking and womanizing. But will it last? Full of humorous observations and comic incident, this delightful journal paints a unique picture of a wonderful collection of characters, and the entertaining and often hilarious things that happen to them. Dramatised by Eric Pringle, it is brought to life by a full cast of well-known actors, and stars Ronald Pickup as William Holland, Rosemary Martin and Rowena Cooper as his wife, Mary, and Gavin Muir as Robert. Production credits Written by William Holland Dramatised by Eric Pringle Directed by Cherry Cookson Cast William Holland - Ronald Pickup Mary - Rosemary Martin/Rowena Cooper Robert - Gavin Muir Miss Dodwell - Tessa Worsley Mr Amen - Gordon Gostelow Farmer Morle - David Collings William Frost/Farmer Landsey - David Timson Rector Reekes/Ben Hunt - John Hartley Thomas Poole/Farmer Trant/Porter - Stephen Critchlow Mrs Southcomb - Margaret Courtenay Farmer CottleMr Lewis - Andrew Branch Margaret/Hannah/Betty/Little Will - Jane Whittenshaw Sally Hill/Grace - Caroline Strong With Tilly Gaunt, Giles Fagan and Ben Crowe First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 7-21 February 1996 (Series 1), 29 October-12 November 1999 (Series 2) © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Eric Pringle, William Holland (Author), Andrew Branch, David Collings, Full Cast, Gavin Muir, Gordon Gostelow, Margaret Courtenay, Ronald Pickup, Rosemary Martin, Rowena Cooper, Tessa Worsley (Narrator)

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Moll Flanders

Born in Newgate Prison and abandoned soon after, Moll Flanders is searching for a secure place in society. Her desire to belong propels her into all kinds of trouble from numerous marriages, bigamy and incest to theft. Charting her progress from an innocent but determined young girl to a contentedly resigned elderly woman, Defoe's novel casts a light on the splendours and iniquities of life in 18th century England and America. It is a tale of sin and repentance, portrayed through a rich pageant of comical scenes.

Daniel Defoe (Author), Rowena Cooper (Narrator)

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The Lost Dog

Tom Loxley is holed up in a remote cottage in the bush, trying to finish a book on Henry James and the Uncanny when his dog goes missing, trailing a length of orange twine, tied with firm knots. Tom's lonely childhood in India taught him to tie knots but not to hold on...The house belongs to Nelly Zhang, an elusive artist with whom Tom has become enthralled. The narrative spans ten days while Tom searches for his dog... and loops back in time to take the reader on a breathtaking journey into glittering worlds far beyond the present tragedy, from an Anglo-Indian childhood to the brittle contemporary Melbourne art scene, from Tom's scratchy, unbearably poignant relationship with his ailing mother to the unanswered puzzles in Nelly's past - her husband also disappeared in the bush. And the reader fears for Tom as well as for the dog. Set in present-day Australia and mid-20th century India, here is a haunting, layered work that vividly counterpoints new cityscapes and their inhabitants with the untamed continent beyond. With its atmosphere of menace and an acute sense of the unexplained in any story, it illuminates the collision of the wild and the civilised, modernity and the past, home and exile. The Lost Dog is a mystery and a love story, an exploration of art and nature, a meditation on ageing and the passage of time. It is a book of wonders: a gripping contemporary novel which examines the weight of history as well as different ways of trying to grasp the world

Michelle De Kretser (Author), Rowena Cooper (Narrator)

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Moll Flanders

Daniel Defoe (16601731) was a writer in a time of great political uncertainty and his stories reflect this. His heroine has to overcome seemingly impossible odds to ensure her own survival, which she does in a number of ingenious and outrageous ways! A really eclectic listening experience that is both bawdy and shocking and tropical and hardy.

Daniel Defoe (Author), Rowena Cooper (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Rowena Cooper