Becky Sharpe will stop at nothing to increase her social standing, could anything get in her way? Becky Sharp is one of literature's most important and controversial characters; born into the lower classes, she must rely on her wit and guile and sexuality to master regent society. Neither friendship nor trust can even abate Becky's desire to climb...

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was born in Cockermouth, in the Lake District. His Lyrical Ballads, written in collaboration with Coleridge, was published in 1798, and shortly afterwards he settled in Dove Cottage, Grasmere, with his sister Dorothy. Inspired in his early manhood by the French Revolution, he grew disillusioned with revolutionary poli...

A surreal, dark comedy from BBC Radio 3's The Wire, by Cornish writer Carl Grose that was inspired by seeing a Johannesburg local newspaper headline about a farmer who hanged 49 donkeys from tree branches on his land. Originally broadcast 1 November 2008 and repeated 18 July 2009. In Grose's play, Stanley Bray, a Cornish farmer, is compelled to han...

The Bagman's Story is an uncharacteristically happy story taken from 'The Pickwick Papers'. Dealing with themes of marriage and having an overall positive tone, this tale is uplifting and gentle, with a reassuring and welcome direction.

The timeless and enchanting festive story of Scrooge, who declares Christmas 'Humbug' and is taught otherwise. Ebenezer Scrooge is a money-grabbing skinflint who makes his own life and the lives of those around him nigh-unbearable with his mean and economical ways. One night just before Christmas, tucked up in his cold bed, he is shocked to meet ap...

This classic Shakespeare tale of false identities, cross-dressing, disguises and romantic confusion is brought to life in a story (rather than a play) format. Based in a Dutchy in France, most of the action in fact takes place in 'The Forest of Arden' where the characters in the play fall in love, fall out with each other and find out some unlikely...

Neighborly concern about a suspicious stranger sets a new puzzle for Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse.

BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS is an enchanting tale that captures the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening. An immediate international bestseller, it tells the story of two hapless city boys exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China's infamous Cultural Revolution. There the two friends meet the da...

This ghost story recounts in vivid detail the experiences of a man's stay in a 'haunted' villa, terrorized by strange and hideous apparitions.

Mark and Molly, a married couple, share the same birthday although occupy different positions on the astrological chart. Molly is fastidious, devoted and frugal and hopes that Mark can appreciate her approach to life and adopt it for the sake of their growing family. A poignant story about the innate power of nature over nurture and the pointlessne...

Written with biting satire, much humor and a pervading melancholy, this story is a fine example of Fay Weldon's exquisite and accomplished talent for short story writing.

Billy Bunter becomes involved in Sir Hilton Popper's incredibly valuable stamp, the Blue Mauritius which is stolen by a local thief. After the usual hilarious romp Bunter of course comes up trumps!

Money goes missing from the Head's drawer and the hunt is on for the money and the thief, with lashings of silly business and clumsy incidents along the way! The very rotund British schoolboy proves a hit with listeners yet again!

Billy Bunter, affectionately known as 'The Fat Owl of the Remove' first appeared in the Magnet boys' magazine in 1908. Quintessentially British and nostalgic, Billy Bunter is a champion of the chubby, who steals cakes and jam from other boys with glee, and is a lovable often hilarious and likeable oaf. For children aged 8-80+! In this adventure, Bi...

A classic and puzzling Father Brown mystery to amaze and delight with twists and turns galore and wonderful characterization by Edward Hardwicke - TV's Dr. Watson from The Adventures of Sherock Holmes. Hardwicke's gravelly low tones are a perfect suit to any detective story and a reader will be totally captured after his first few words.

Our hero, a carpenter, loves Hetty Sorel, but she loves Arthur Donnington, a local squire. The story soon progresses onto powerful themes, such as: who has the right to determine who lives and who dies? A non-judgemental examination of human relationships and nature, Adam Bede has been highly praised for achieving something 'beyond' realism.

In this bumper edition of episodes from the fifth and sixth series, Graham Norton meets his match in Brian from Big Brother, Rabbi Lionel Blue is stranded on a reality radio version of Desert Island Discs, and demons quake when they face Hyacinth the Vampire Slayer. Russell Crowe and John Gielgud take starring roles in Scooby Doo, whilst the soothi...

Dead Ringers is the satirical radio impressions show which has become a firm favourite with Radio 4 fans of all ages. Merciless in its lampooning of the politicians and celebrities who occupy the nation's headlines, the sketch-based series often has no holds barred. This release features both the Archers Christmas Special broadcast in 2000 and the...

Meera Syal reads this exclusive audio story featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. The ice-planet Vinsk, in the year 2112. The all-new anti-viral hand wash, Gemini, has been laced with Meme-Spawn: a sentient micro-organism which makes the user fluent in every language in the universe. However, manufacturer Zalnex made one crucial mistake. They...

Sometimes our goals seem like unobtainable fantasies, but the key to success is making motivational thinking part of everyday life. In Get Up & Do It! Beechy and Josephine Colclough explain how to develop a plan to achieve your goals by planning, practising and adopting positive thinking, as well as motivational and other problem-solving skills...

The heart-lifting, heartbreaking new story by Michael Morpurgo, the nation's favourite storyteller. In the Imperial War Museum is a wooden Dachshund, carved by a German prisoner of war for the children of the British family with which he stayed after the fighting ended. This is the story of how it got there. When the Bismarck sinks, one of the only...