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I truly enjoyed narrating Angus Donald's Outlaw series, which has been highly praised on Audible and elsewhere.  Angus has now launched The Wormkind Chronicles, which is a thrilling new take on the Arthurian legends and a very exciting new project for me to record. ...

I get to narrate quite a lot of crime fiction.  This is certainly among the better-written and has been a pleasure to read for WF Howes.  I really hope there will be more in the series.  Finalising my episodes (as Leo) in the ManCave Studio over the next couple of...

We have released an interview about the process of creating our book series. We opted to invite Jon's son Sam to run it.  Sam joined our D&D campaign fifteen years ago, and he now runs his own. The relaxed conversation runs over two half hour episodes, and the...

Three new crime thrillers out from me as audiobooks this month, all penned by CJ Grayson and set in Darlington, where the fictional death toll is pretty high! Great fun recording in Chippenham with the lovely people of Chatterbox Audio 

It was a treat to record a few animal voices for Nature Nurture's inspiring Wild Workout Project.  Click on the images to learn more and hear some of the samples.           "Aimed at children aged 2 – 11 with an emphasis on grown-ups joining in too, the exercise...

 I'm currently narrating Herbert Spencer's best-known work for Ukemi and WFHowes. His doctrine of Social Darwinism  (he was contemporary with Darwin) alleged that principles including natural selection within evolution apply to human societies, social classes, and...

The latest installment of Derek Birks' thrilling Wars of the Roses series is now available at Audible and other outlets.  Ned's story continues at a cracking pace. I have a few free copies of the full audiobook to give away.  Please let me know if you would like one. ...

Meanwhile more classical goings-on in the ManCave with two recordings of Seneca the Younger.  The first is his treatise 'On Benefits' for Ukemi Audiobooks:  subtle and comprehensively considered advice from Nero's chief political counsellor.  I'm not sure that Nero...

For several years I have been recording books and extracts for this fabulous charity based just down the road in Newbury. Living Paintings provide tactile books with audio descriptions to help enhance and transform the lives of blind and partially sighted people. ...

Nov 2022 sees the release of this great collection of short stories.  Don't be misled by the title; this isn't a fluffy bauble for the tree, Hills's writing is electric in places and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  It would make a great gift for someone you think...

More grim and gritty goings-on for Fabian.  The bulk of the action of this one takes place in Copenhagen, showing the darkly imagined underbelly of the police force and judicial system there as horribly corrupt. This looks to be the last in the series, but you never...

Fantastic to work with the delightful Susana Roza on a series of 16+ podcasts for Amplity Health on the subject of Managing/Coaching/Leading effectively.  Lots of interviews with very bright people and some giggles along the way too!

Very pleased to announce the release of the second book in Derek Birk's exiting Romans series, recorded in the ManCave.  There is a lot of action in this one, and insight into the state of the country at the end of the Roman Empire.  For research, I took a trip down...

Despite a sudden boom in local building work, I managed to get the first couple of books in this series of five recorded in the ManCave.  Looking forward to recording the remainder in Chippenham and St Agnes for Chatterbox.  Preview here on Audible

About to head to Oxford to read Robin Hood and the Castle of Bones, the latest in Angus Donald's thrilling and warmly reviewed Outlaw series.  I love reading these adventures of Alan Dale, the Trouvere among Robin's band, who gets himself into some serious scrapes in...

I don't often get to read books set in the future. This was a welcome departure and a revelation.  The novel has shades of 1984 and also presents a compelling vision of a world facing the consequences of our current massive climate crisis.  Coming soon from WFHowes...

I was delighted to lend my voice to this fundraiser for friends Johnny & Zanna Hoskins and their lovely family.  They run Spindle Flowers in Dorset and you can see their story in a 4 min video posted on YouTube here.  Spoiler alert - They did it!!

The third in Neil Lancaster's thrilling Tom Novak series (the second one I have read)  has just left the ManCave Studio, heading for the light of day. Tom heads back to Sarajevo where he needs all his wits and skills. Being a Serb brought up in Scotland and chatting...

I voiced the foreword and real-world reviews for this inspiring book, the accounts of which caused me serious pause for thought in the run up to Christmas.  If I do decide to quit (not quite yet), it will be this book I turn to!

As part of a local initiative, my wife Sabina and I chipped in with some contributions to a virtual advent calendar.  Her choice was this inspired reading of The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy, which I think she captured perfectly.  I don't normally let her in the...

I'm excited to announce the release of the first book in Derek Birks' Roman series.  This is a great adventure story, set at the end of the Roman Empire, and following the fascinating real historical figure of Ambrosius Aurelianus as he escapes Italy and travels...

I've been providing narration for documentaries on agricultural machinery for several years now.  I'm even beginning to be able to distinguish one tractor from another!  It's all the work of two brothers from Germany, Jörn and Tammo Gläser - great to work with, and...

I'm delighted to say that Angus Donald has decided to write more of the backstory of Robin Hood (and Alan Dale of course), starting with this adventure on the journey back from Crusading in the Holy Land. Angus' books are always great to read: he writes to be read...

I was delighted to receive news that my Ukemi recording of Piers Plowman not only made it as "Audiobook of the Week" (July 18th 2020) but was described by reviewer Christina Hardyment as a "sensational treatment". Here's the full review: To my shame, all I could...

This is perhaps not going to be everyone's cup of tea, let me say that! But for students of theology and sociology, you might want to put your kettle and your slippers on as Durkheim takes you through some early and continuing religious practises in a kind of...

I'm delighted to have now finished the next book in this fast-paced and compelling historical epic series set at the time of the Wars of the Roses, the second book (after Feud) of four in this saga.  Available here!

It's nearly a year since the audio release of Motive X.  Anyone following this series won't be disappointed with how the story builds and how Ahnhem keeps piling the tension on not only his main character Fabian Risk, but his family and colleagues too.  A very...

Delighted to lend my voice to this fantastic project by my friend Anat Shabi, who is the author of several adventure books helping kids and adults understand the wonders of the human body in an imaginative way.   Follow the link to watch King Kovid 19th making plans...

Like most people in these times of isolation due to Covid-19, I have lost a great deal of my regular employment. Things are likely to change permanently in the field of Learning and Development, more delivery passing onto virtual platforms, for example. Meanwhile, I...

One of my favourite recurring jobs - the Leading Departments simulation run by Advance HE - has been rolled out since 2015.  This time we're back in Bristol, helping, developing and supporting heads of departments in UK universities meet their operational and...

I was delighted to record a new version of 'The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson for Rakuten-Kobo.    What superb writing.  A pleasure to read. It's now available here - have a listen to the sample - and you can get it free if...

My wife Sabina and I were delighted to work with Actor and Performance Artist Eric MacLennan on this project that aims to set a world record for a piece of art with the greatest number of contributing artists ever. To date over 500 people have contributed watercolours...

Leadership intelligence: can theatre academics guide HE managers? Teesside’s Leading Roles project uses stage techniques to train university staff in handling ‘challenging conversations’ and conflict, write Sharon Paterson, Paul Hessey and Mike Rogers Source: Getty...

I'm very pleased to be putting my voice work into the capable hands of Deborah Pearce and Kirsten Troy at Voicebank London. Please now contact them for all enquiries relating to voice jobs. EMAIL voices@voicebanklondon.co.uk TEL Tel: +44 (0)20 3326 5430 Mob: +44 (0)75...

The recording of the latest Stefan Ahnhem thriller is underway in the ManCave... Gripping stuff! Perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo and Scandi Noir in general. Update - now available on Audible.co.uk...

To celebrate the relaunch of my website this week, I'm giving away 10 of my audio books free to the first 10 people to request one.  There are no strings!  These are gifts and you don't need to sign up for any expenses, please just have a look at the books and let me...

I was trawling through some voice samples the other day and rediscovered this character - Jonny Pizzazz, classic club comic - part of my first efforts to get a voice reel together.  I think we recorded this under a towel in mate's basement flat.

These three very tense gritty thrillers will all be available in the next few weeks.  All recorded in the ManCave Studio!  Hopefully there will be future Fabian Risk books out later in the year.

I’m delighted that two of my favourite programmes to deliver in the Higher Education sector will be retained (and possibly expanded) next year by Advance HE. Advance HE was formed in March 2018 by the merger of the Equality Challenge Unit, the Higher...

I just spent a lovely couple of days at Isis Studios in Oxford, recording the latest in Stephen Booth's Cooper & Fry series, Fall Down Dead.  This is the 18th book in the series, and the 8th I have recorded.  Thanks to my friend Mike Dale for local pronunciation...

I have built a new studio in West Berkshire and am very happy to be now working from The ManCave! For those interested in the technical side, I record using a Sennheiser MKH 416 and Audient ID4 Audio USB Interface. The studio (behind King Tut!) is Soundbricks 1 and...

The 4th book in Danielle Ramsay's gritty crime dramas set in Whitley Bay is released on Audible on 15th March.  Not for the fainthearted!  

I'm delighted to start working with ATT - Active Training Team - as an actor/facilitator on their delivery of EPIC for Tideway: a multi-billion pound London construction project.  EPIC is immersive, simulation-based health & safety training at its award-winning...

Narrated by yours truly earlier this year.  Great guys to work with - real specialism.  I wasn't always confident of my Russian pronunciation, but it seems to have passed!! https://www.landtechnikvideos.de/en/produkte.html

The Scarlet Pimpernel Ep 1/2 Sunday 10 December 3.00pm-4.00pm BBC RADIO 4 James Purefoy stars as Sir Percy Blakeney in Jonathan Holloway's new adaptation of Baroness Orczy's classic tale, set in the French Revolution. Holloway's political interpretation is brought to...

The third Jack Brady novel was released this month on Audible.  Just trying to find the rights holder for number 2!  The first novel in this series was my first Audiobook, recorded back in 2000.  Native Geordies, please forgive and forget the accent.