An audiobook lending charity for those that find their illness, mental health, physical or learning disability affects their ability to read the printed word or hold a book.
Find Out MoreTop selling authors in fiction and non fiction for adults and children, including best selling titles, classics, and niche genres. New books added every month including educational titles unavailable elsewhere in the audio format.
See Our Books
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The companionship and delight of a voice telling stories is incomparable. Listening Books distributes pure, undiluted pleasure and friendship. Not many schemes can make such a claim.
Stephen Fry, Patron
Listening Books
Registered charity no. 264221
Become a MemberOur service is quick and easy to use and opens up the wonderful world of books for people with an illness or condition that impacts on their ability to read the printed word. This could be a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, a mental health condition like anxiety, a visual impairment, or a physical condition that makes it more difficult to hold a book, such as arthritis.
We have a huge range of fiction and non-fiction titles for both adults and children, and we support school age children from age 7 upwards. Listening to audiobooks allows children and young people to listen to the same books their friends are reading, helping to instil a greater understanding and enjoyment of literature. For our adult members, listening to audiobooks can provide hours of entertainment, but they can also be a welcome distraction from loneliness or a health condition. We firmly believe having a print disability shouldn't affect your access and enjoyment of books!
Our members can also listen to thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world, with title choices updated on a daily basis.
We support individuals, but also organisations that provide support, such as hospices, care homes and schools.
As a charity that enjoys the support of trusts, companies and individual donors, we are able to offer a significant subsidy on the cost of membership, meaning that the fee our members pay is less than 30% of true costs. And for those people who would find the membership fee a barrier to joining, we are able to offer free membership in many cases.
Our membership team always strive to provide a personal service to our members, and we are happy to support users via telephone, email or post to ensure they are getting the very best from their membership.
This is my third year as a member of Listening Books. The range of books offered has encouraged me to listen to work by authors new to me, as well as those I already like. Listening Books staff responded immediately when I needed help to use my account while in hospital. They also helped on two occasions when I had difficulty with downloads on my MP3 player. This friendly service makes Listening Books feel like an extended family. Molly, West Yorkshire
For individuals, membership costs between £20-£45 per year. We can also offer a limited number of free memberships for those who would find the fee a barrier to joining the service.
We have over 10,000 titles from a wide variety of genres in both fiction and non-fiction. Members are very welcome to suggest books or authors they would like to see in our catalogue!
Listening to an audiobook is not only a great source of entertainment, they can also help you unwind, de-stress and we have a selection of books that support education and the National Curriculum.
Choose from over 10,000 titles!
I have a neurological condition that makes it impossible for me to read (or even watch TV). Listening Books is an absolute Godsend for me as audio books are my main form of entertainment (and distraction from my illness). Listening Books offer a wide range of books in all genres and the staff could not be more friendly and helpful. I don’t know what I would do without the service.
Wendy, Listening Books MemberListening Books @ListeningBooks
This weekend, why not treat yourself to Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb? Our staff member Louise says: "I loved the Farseer series so much that even though I'm not necessarily a fan of stories about ships and pirates I thought I would give another of Robin Hobb's series a go. It didn't disappoint, Ship of Magic is set in the same universe/world as the bestselling Farseer series, and gives deeper insight into that world. Set mostly on the seas this is a story of liveships, ships that will quicken (come alive) when 3 members of their family have died on their decks. What Hobb does best is weave rich interesting stories with characters that come alive and for me this series and the whole of her Elderling world is something you can completely immerse yourself in." Listen on our website today! [ID: Book cover of Ship of Magic on a background of map lines and compasses] . . . . . #ShipOfMagic #RobinHobb #RobinHobbFan #FarseerTrilogy #Bookstagram #Audiobookstagram #Booktok #Audiobooks #DisabilitySupport #Freeaudiobooks
Listening Books @ListeningBooks
This weekend, treat yourself to #ShipofMagic by #RobinHobb! Louise says: "Hobb weaves rich stories with characters that come alive, and this series and the whole of her Elderling world is something you can completely immerse yourself in." Listen: https://t.co/myxU5uc3i7 https://t.co/Ah0Trku3vd
Listening Books @ListeningBooks
Imagine making friends with a polar bear… Winner of the 2022 Blue Peter Award for Best Story, Hannah Gold's The Last Bear is a celebration of the love between a child and an animal, a battle cry for our world and an irresistible adventure with a heart as big as a bear’s. Listen on our website today! [ID: Book cover of The Last Bear on a background of a pale pink sunrise at sea] . . . . . #TheLastBear #BluePeter #Winner #AudiobooksForKids #PolarBears #ChildrensStories #KidsFiction #EcoKids #Audiobooks #FreeAudiobooks
