When sculptor Ken Harrison is permanently paralysed in an accident, he resolves to die rather than live with his physically helpless state. His struggle for the right to die makes a powerful play which raises important issues of human dignity and medical ethics. It is witty and compassionate, thoughtful and fast moving.

What do tigers, giant pandas, blue whales and great white sharks have in common? Within a generation they may join dinosaurs, dodos, woolly rhinos and great kangaroos - they will become extinct. Human dominance on earth may be good news for us, but it's bad news for many other animals that share our planet. 'Countdown to Extinction' looks at the ca...

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic dystopian novel by English author George Orwell. Published in 1949, it is set in the eponymous year and focuses on a repressive, totalitarian regime. The story follows the life of one seemingly insignificant man, Winston Smith, a civil servant assigned the task of falsifying records and political literature, thus e...

The animals in the farmyard decide that working for humans is doing them no favours, so under the leadership of Napoleon, the only Berkshire Boar on the farm, and the other pigs, they drive out the farmer and his cohorts and set about structuring their own society. Based on a list of supposedly animal-friendly rules such as "four legs good, two leg...

This chilling classic Irish short story is one of the best in the genre and is read in a fitting Irish brogue by T.P. McKenna. The very beautiful Nora Guare and her Mother live in the lonesome district of West Munster in Ireland. Their cabin is the only one within a three mile radius. One day along comes the Brown man on his Brown horse wearing Bro...

Legal loopholes, mistaken identity and unreliable evidence all feature in this story of a murder trial where all is not as 'cut and dried' as it seems. An old woman has been murdered, but who did it, and will retribution be forthcoming?

A selection of fictional murders committed by reason of love and hate: crimes passionnel. Stories: Mad / de Maupassant First Hate / Algernon Blackwood A Double Tragedy / Louisa M. Alcott Inside Information / Stephen Phillips Who Killed Zebedee? / Wilkie Collins. A thrilling and involving collection of blood-thirsty and psychologically intreguing cr...

A biting satire on American life which turned convention on its head. This story explores the obsessive affections of the radical Olive Chancellor for Verena Tarrant, a gifted young speaker in the feminist movement. When Olive's cousin Basil becomes equally besotted, the scene is set for a bitter tug of war.

The action is set within the claustrophobic confines of a British man-of-war ship in the summer of 1797. Here live the crew of the HMS Indomitable, many of them pressed into service against their will. Billy Budd, however, enjoys naval life. But the evil master-at-arms, Claggart, loathes his fresh-faced innocence and accuses him of mutiny. From th...

After an automobile race outside Dublin, a 26-year-old Irishman named Jimmy, the son of a wealthy former butcher, accompanies the French team back into the city. Then follows an evening of eating, drinking, yachting and gambling, which Jimmy, or more likely his wallet, may live to rue.

A coming-of-age story of sorts, which follows a boy from Dublin as he fantasises over his friend's sister. Also a tale of disillusionment and 'growing up', the story is a skilful expose of the naivety of youth and the unrealistic expectations we place on others. A stunning examination of an adolescent mind and the conflicts between youth and adulth...

Ever wanted to know... Why it's dangerous to follow ducks into tombs? How to expose a cannibal using fossilised poo? Why the burrowing bunny is a threat? It's all in 'Totally Awesome Archaeology'!

This series explores how prime ministers have used their power and responded to the great challenges of their time and how they made the job what it is today. The prime ministers covered include: Sir Robert Walpole, the first and longest-serving prime minister; Lord North, remembered as the prime minister who lost America; Sir Robert Peel, who put...

Mrs. Mooney, separated from her husband, a butcher who descended into alcoholism, runs a boarding house for working men. Her daughter Polly entertains the boarders by singing and flirts with them. When Mrs. Mooney learns that her daughter is having an affair with one of the men, she starts to wonder how she may manipulate the situation. An interest...

Another top-notch selection of Irish stories, once again superbly read by that master story-teller, T.P. McKenna. Stories: Grace - James Joyce, Home Sickness - George Moore, The Ghost & The Bone-setter - Sheridan Le Fanu, Two Or Three Witnesses - C.E.Montague, The Stolen Sheep - John Banim

Imagine a killer who thinks. "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"-and then goes far beyond it! Four women who come to call themselves the Women's Murder Club-a police detective, an assistant D.A., a reporter, and a medical examiner-have the mettle to follow the leads to an impossibly heart-stopping conclusion, tracking and confronting th...

Taken from the collection 'Further Fables For Our Time', this tale from James Thurber will delight cat lovers and loathers alike. William the cat lives his life believing that he is the centre of the world. Although other cats take against his egotism and pompous nature, William trots through life unawares, until one day peril aboard a ship changes...

Jane Austen makes two appearances on this brilliant collection that also includes such revered writers as Mary Shelly and Virginia Woolf. With stories ranging from tear-jerkers to passionate tales of love and jealousy, this collection has something for everyone, young or old, male or female.

A shepherd nears his final hours in this bleak yet insightful and evocative picture of dying. Encompassing many of the stages of grief, the man experiences fear, resignation and resolution in this lonely tale which also examines religion and the possible solace of companionship.

Some great and varied short stories written by The 39 Steps thriller writer, John Buchan. Perhaps best remembered for 'The 39 Steps', John Buchan also wrote several collections of short stories. In this selection, tales about war-time code-breaking (echoing Buchan's own experience as an Intelligence Officer in WW1), cannibalism, and swashbuckling a...

Phileas Fogg sets out on his epic adventure - will he make it back to London in time for tea? Steve Coogan, Jackie Chan and Cecile de France star in a new film version of the book. Here former Manuel actor Andrew Sachs gives full range to hs versatility using his many voices along with brilliant narration.