Rare audio recordings of authors reading their short stories have been published for the first time by the British Library.
A three-CD set, The Spoken Word: Short Stories features authors ranging from Kingsley Amis to Harold Pinter reading from their own work. It is selected from an archive of recordings that stretches back to BBC broadcasts made in the late 1940s and early 1950s and also includes a rare live recording of William Trevor made by the British Library.
“Although the audiobook sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years, relatively few products feature a contemporary author reading his or her own prose,” said Steve Cleary, curator of drama and literature at the British Library. “Historical recordings of authors reading their own prose works are even more rare.
“The pleasure of this set lies both in its literary-historical importance and in the differing sensibilities of the authors present, resulting in a varied programme that includes examples of the classic literary short story form alongside ghost stories, tall tales and fantastic fables.”
Priced at £20.37, the
set is available from the British Library Shop (tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7735 / e-mail: bl-bookshop@bl.uk) and online at www.bl.uk/shop as well as other UK bookshops.