The Reading Room

SPO!LER Preview

Hello again!  It's been a few years now since The Reading Room ended, but now we're back with a brand new show called SPO!LER, which reviews books, films and TV shows in their entirety - without fear of spoilers.  We thought we'd give you loyal Reading Room subscribers a preview of the new show - this first episode features the 2014 drama Whiplash.  We're only putting the show on this feed once, so if you like it and want to hear more, head over to www.spoilerpodcast.co.uk or https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/spo!ler/id1042430544 to subscribe.

ROOM 31 - The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore, Georgia Twynham, Jim Bob, Andrew Goulding

This month, The Reading Room Book Group reconvenes to review young adult sci-fi novel The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore. Paul Tyler and regular reviewer Gill Hart are joined by Georgia Twynham who, as author of The Thirteenth series, knows a thing or two about writing for young adults.  There's also poetry from Andrew Goulding and Jim Bob, former frontman with Carter USM and author of Driving Jarvis Ham, gives us his nomination for our list of 101 Books To Read Before You Die. Click the player below to listen online, or subscribe using the links on the right.

ROOM 30: The Barraclough Newsletters by Jim Gotts

In another of our special extended monologues, this month The Reading Room presents The Barraclough Newsletters.... Bunny Barraclough is a real pillar of her community - a leading member of the local amateur dramatics society and ladies luncheon club, respectable housewife and mother of two loving children. Join us for her bi-annual round-robin newsletters has she fills you in on the latest news of her perfect family... The Barraclough Newsletters was written by Jim Gotts and performed by Mary Scott.

ROOM 29: Cromwell’s Talking Head by Gareth Calway – A Reading Room Special

On this programme we present a specially produced story by writer and performer Gareth Calway.  A terrified grave robber comes across the severed mummified head of England's greatest revolutionary - Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell's head proceeds to tell him his life story - a tale of tyrannical kings, civil war and violent revenge!

ROOM 28: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, Escape From Tibet, Brendan Cleary

On this month's programme, the final Reading Room Book Group (for now at least) reviews The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, we talk to documentary maker Nick Gray about his book Escape From Tibet which tells the real life story of two young boys as they flee their homeland in order to escape Chinese repression.  John Mitchinson from Unbound gives us his nomination for our list of 101 Books The Read Before You Die, we have poetry from Brendan Cleary, and Jamie McKay brings us his Musings of a Muddled Mind.

ROOM 27 - The Reading Room LIVE Part 2: Robert Llewellyn

In the second part of our special LIVE show recorded at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre we talk to Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge and Carpool star Robert Llewellyn about his varied career and his writing. Robert talks about the return of Red Dwarf later this year, his love of electric cars and his past books including Sold Out and The Man Behind The Rubber Mask, before giving us an exclusive first reading from his new sci-fi novel News From Gardenia. The show also features music from Michael Reeve. WARNING: Mr Llewellyn's self-confessed "potty mouth" does put in an appearance during this show

ROOM 26 - The Reading Room LIVE Part 1: John Osborne, Abigail Tarttelin, Andrew Goulding...

In the first part of our live special recorded at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, we have poetry from John Osborne and Andrew Goulding, Abigail Tarttelin reads us two exclusive excerpts from her next novel Golden Boy which has just been snapped up by a major publisher, Jodie Orton reads us a fairy tale for grown ups, Reading Room regulars Gill Hart and Jamie McKay bring us live versions of their regular contributions and host Paul Tyler performs a piece of his own. Click on the player below to listen online... And don't forget to look out for Part 2 of the show in a couple of weeks time where Paul interviews Red Dwarf star Robert Llewellyn about his career and his writing, and Robert gives us an exclusive first reading from his new book News From Gardenia - subscribe to our feed to ensure you don't miss it.

The Reading Room LIVE with Robert Llewellyn

Well, it's all over now - after months of planning, The Reading Room LIVE featuring Robert Llewellyn took place on Saturday 12th May at the LPAC in Lincoln in front of a gratifyingly large crowd.  If you weren't there, here's what you missed... Massive thanks to all our contributors, including John Osborne (Radio Head, John Peel's Shed), Abigail Tarttelin (Flick), Andrew Goulding, Jodie Orton, Michael Reeve, Gill Hart, Jamie MacKay and of course the magnificent Robert Llewellyn. The first half of the show will be available as a podcast later this week, with the 2nd half following a fortnight later - subscribe to our feed using the links on the right hand side of the page to ensure you don't miss it. The whole show will be repeated on Sunday 3rd June at 10am on Siren 107.3FM in Lincoln and around the world at Sirenonline.

ROOM 25: Jim Bob, Driving Jarvis Ham, Unbound, John Osborne, Andrew Goulding

On this programme we talk to ex-Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine frontman Jim Bob about his new novel Driving Jarvis Ham, then The Reading Room Book Group give their verdict on the book.  We also talk to John Mitchinson, co-founder of the revolutionary crowd-sourcing publisher Unbound, John Osborne gives us his nomination for our list of 101 Books To Read Before You Die and we have poetry from Andrew Goulding. Click the player below to listen now or subscribe to our iTunes feed using the buttons on the right...

ROOM TV: Driving Jarvis Ham by Jim Bob - ROOM 25 Preview

In this short video, Paul reminisces about the bands that defined his youth and wonders whether one of his musical heroes - Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's Jim Bob - can make the leap to writing with his new novel Driving Jarvis Ham. In the next edition of the programme, we'll be reviewing Driving Jarvis Ham as well as talking to the creators of the crowd-source publisher Unbound and looking ahead to The Reading Room Live. That's live on Sunday 6th May 10am-12noon, repeated Tuesday 8th May 7pm-9pm on Siren 107.3 in Lincoln and around the world at www.sirenonline.co.uk.  The podcast version will be available shortly after the repeat.