Happy Birthday Bill ! Silksoundbooks Ambassador and founder audiobook reader, Bill Nighy celebrates his birthday on December 12th.

With such an amazing career it's hard to know where to begin, so lets start in 1949 when Bill was born in Caterham, Surrey in England. After leaving school he spent some time as a messenger boy with a magazine publisher but then went on to train at The Guildford School of Dance and Drama.

Bill's theatre career started in Liverpool and was followed by many appearances in London's National Theatre productions. Radio and television dramas have also given him many starring roles, but lately the Movies have been where we've seen and heard Bill the most.

Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, The Hitchhikers Guide, Pirates of the Caribbean, Valkyrie and The Boat That Rocked.. are just a few of our favourites here at Silksoundbooks.

Bill was the brilliant founder reader at Silksoundbooks and it was his enthusiasm for the project that really made it a reality. And that's not just my opinion! Sue Arnold, writing in the Guardian, said of his unabridged audiobook The Dupin Mysteries written by Edgar Allan Poe :

'Whoever chose to combine Poe's ghoulishly gory and violent script with Nighy's famously low-key, deadpan delivery knew what they were doing - it's a powerful brew.'

Exactly!

Happy Birthday Bill - from all of us here at Silksoundbooks.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish Happy Birthday to star audio book reader Jeremy Northam who was born on December 1st 1961.

Jeremy was born in Cambridge, England the son of John and Rachel, both university professors. His father John Northam is best known for his translations of Ibsen. The family moved to Bristol in 1972 where Jeremy attended Bristol Grammar School followed by Bedford College, University of London where he gained a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature.

After graduation, he attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and worked his way through regional theater to the London stage. Jeremy was the recipient of the prestigious Olivier Award - the British equivalent of the Tony - for outstanding newcomer for his 1990 performance as Edward Voysey, in the Royal National Theatre production of 'The Voysey Inheritance.'

In 1994 he made his American film debut in the thriller, The Net, with Sandra Bullock followed by his acclaimed portrayal of Mr. Knightley in Miramax's 'Emma' starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. Jeremy has continued to thrill his audiences with his many performances which include big budget productions, independent projects, television and - of course - audio books.

Jeremy has brought his own love and knowledge of author Henry James to two great audiobooks, The Aspern Papers and The Real Thing and Other Short Stories, available only from Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Jeremy.

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book performer Samantha Bond who was born on November the 27th 1961.

Samantha is the daughter of an actor, Philip Bond and television producer Pat Sandys. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and became a founder member of Kenneth Branagh’s touring theatre company in the 1980s. She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. She will always be remembered for her role as Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films. Over the last couple of years we've really enjoyed watching Samantha in her many TV appearances - Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders, and Outnumbered to name just three.

For Silksoundbooks, Samantha reads Lady Chatterley's Lover as an unabridged audio book. The story of Lady Chatterley and her love for her husband’s gamekeeper outraged the sensibilities of Edwardian England. Samantha reads D H Lawrence's novel in a truly engrossing style.

Happy Birthday Samantha.

Happy birthday from all of us here at Silksoundbooks to star audio book performer Nicholas Rowe who was born on November 22nd 1966.

Nick, who was born in Edinburgh in Scotland was educated first at Eton and then Bristol University where he read Hispanic Studies - he is fluent in Spanish French and Portuguese. He first came to public attention with a role in the 1984 film about the English Public School system and its effect on the establishment Another Country.
He then landed the role which took him to youthful stardom in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie Young Sherlock Holmes. His film and television appearances since then have been numerous and include, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Enigma, Nicholas Nickleby, Anton Chekhov's The Dual and The Borgias, my favourite TV series this year.

For Silksoundbooks, Nicholas reads Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel Kidnapped, one of the most famous adventure stories of our time.

Happy birthday Nicholas.

Happy Birthday from all of us here at Silksoundbooks to star audio book reader Hugh Bonneville who was born on the 10th November 1963.

Hugh was born in London and educated at Sherborne School in Dorset and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read theology. His drama training was at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London leading to his first professional stage appearance at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. In 1987 he joined the National Theatre, followed the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1991, the year he made his television debut.

In recent years Hugh has become a familiar face on television, with many leading roles to his credit. Recent appearances have included the unmissable Downton Abbey and tonight, watch out for Hugh in the BBC TV drama Rev.

For Silksoundbooks Hugh has recorded an unabridged audio book reading of Tom Brown's Schooldays, the gripping classic story of a young boy’s tough but formative years at Rugby School and his battle with the infamous schoolboy bully - Flashman. Having attended a boys public school himself, Hugh brings a particular strength and passion to his reading of Thomas Hughes' novel.

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish him a big Happy Birthday!

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Lindsay Duncan who is celebrating today, the 7th November 1950.

Born in Scotland, Lindsay began her career in acting after finishing her studies at Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After playing minor roles, her talent was spotted and she soon began appearing in renowned London stage, screen and television productions.
Recently, we have enjoyed her performances in the TV series Merlin and Tim Burton's amazing movie Alice in Wonderland.

Lindsay has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony award and has been nominated for many others and was appointed CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2009 Birthday Honours list.

Her Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book The Garden Party, written by Katherine Mansfield
has often been held up as an example of the near perfect short story, and Lindsay Duncan’s performance of it is has been described as 'nothing short of spectacular'.

Just what you would expect from such a great actress. Happy Birthday Lindsay.

Today, the 22nd of October, it is our great pleasure to wish a very happy birthday to the ledgendary actor and Silksoundbooks audio book reader Sir Derek Jacobi.

Derek was born in Leytonstone, East London to non-theatrical parents. His father managed a department store and his mother was a secretary and were both of German descent. Derek's interest in drama started at a very young age, making his theatrical debut at the age of six in his local drama group.

He went on to play Hamlet at the English National Youth Theatre, before earning a scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where he initially studied history before focusing completely on the stage. His performance as Edward II at Cambridge led to an invitation to join the Birmingham Repertory where he caught the catch the interest of the great actor Laurence Olivier, who took him under his wing. He was later to become one of the eight founding members of Olivier's National Theatre Company.

It was television that really brought Derek the huge popularity that he enjoys today, with his performance in the epic BBC series I, Claudius winning him a BAFTA for the stammering, weak-minded Emperor Claudius. With countless Stage, Television and Movie performances to his name, Sir Derek is truly one of the greatest British actors of all time.

In his unabridged audio book reading of the Mary Shelley classic novel, Frankenstein, Sir Derek will mesmerise you with his astonishingly powerful performance. It really feels as though he is reading just for you, such is the talent of this amazing actor!

Happy Birthday from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

Today we'd like to wish Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Emilia Fox a very happy birthday!

Daughter to Edward Fox , niece to James, cousin to Laurence, Emilia is a member of the incredibly talented Fox acting dynasty. She may have only been on screen since 1995, but has built up an impressive career so far and is probably best known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

Her talents are not limited to television and films. She has starred in several prestigious stage productions, including Richard II and Coriolanus at the Almeida . You may also have her heard her in BBC radio plays as well as film and documentary voiceovers and commercials.

Emilia Fox’s reading of our exclusive and unabridged collection of Alexander Pope poetry - The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems - is available for download as an audiobook from Silksoundbooks.

Happy birthday Emilia !

Happy Birthday to star Silksoundbooks audio book reader David Warner who was born in Manchester on July 29th. After training at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, his professional stage debut was at the Royal Court in January 1962, playing Snout, in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

From then on he has enjoyed a hugely varied career. From stage plays to movies, computer games to TV shows, David's amazing talent and offbeat looks have seen him cast as evil villains as well as roles as the nice guy. In August 2007, as an RSC Honorary Artist, he returned to Stratford for the first time in over 40 years to play Falstaff in Henry IV making him the only British actor to have played Hamlet, Lear and Falstaff in major theatrical productions.

We were thrilled when David decided to read Robinson Crusoe for Silksoundbooks. His masterly telling of the Daniel Defoe classic is available to download only from silksoundbooks.com

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a very happy birthday to our audio book star reader Terence Stamp who is celebrating his birthday today, the 22nd July.

Terence was born in Bow, London in 1939 and has starred in so many movies it is hard to keep track, although his first career was in advertising. Since his screen debut in 1962 in Billy Budd he has starred in well over 60 movies.

Although he is often seen as one of the great icons of the swinging sixties in London, with many high profile romances with film stars and super models , Terence has always had a very strong spiritual side. He spent several years in India meditating and studying the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

The Silksoundbooks audio book, Perfect Brilliant Stillness written by David Carse has been a best seller since it was first recorded. Terence brings his own charm and understanding to this highly influential work and it was a joy for us to work with him on the recording.

From all of us here at Silksoundbooks – Happy Birthday Terence !

We were all very sad to hear the news at the weekend that Anna Massey had died, aged 73.

Her illustrious acting career spanned more than half a century and included films, theatre and television.
In 2005 Anna was appointed CBE for her services to drama, but the actual business of acting did not really come easily or naturally to her. She always struggled to learn her lines and worked tirelessly at all her roles.

When we produced her Silksoundbooks audio book Fairy Stories by The Brothers Grimm , she came to the studio as one of the best prepared readers we have ever recorded. She marked up her script with different colours for every one of the delightful characters she created, and seemed to effortlessly switch between different voices. Cinderella, Rapunzle and a host of other favourite stories are brought to life by Anna's great talent.

She will be certainly be missed by fans and colleagues alike.

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish star audiobook reader Richard E Grant a very happy birthday.

Richard was born in Swaziland on May 5th 1957 and studied Drama at the University of Cape Town and later performed in theatre there. He changed his last name from Esterhuysen to Grant when he came to England in 1982.

His first film role brought him instant recognition in a movie that went on to become a cult classic. Withnail and I starred Richard playing an alcoholic out-of-work actor although he himself is a a teetotaller ! Later work includes roles in The Player and Gosford Park, as well as numerous television and theatre appearances.

Richards wonderful voice is put to great use in A Study In Scarlet , the first of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about the World's most famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, available as a download for your iPod or mp3 player only from Silksoundbooks.

Happy birthday Richard.

Today is the birthday of Silksoundbooks star audio book reader George Cole who was born in Tooting, South London, on 22 April 1925.

In a career that has spanned over 70 years, George has proved that starting as a child actor is no bar to a lifetime of success. He took to the stage at the age of 14 in the chorus of White Horse Inn in Blackpool and appeared in his first movie a year later. The film, Cottage To Let, starred Alastair Sim who was to became George’s mentor, indeed he attributes his success to his friendship with Sim and went on to make a further ten films with him.

Not only has George appeared in over 40 films, he has found huge success with his TV work. Probably his most famous role was as dodgy car dealer Arthur Daley in the long running series Minder in which he co-starred with Dennis Waterman.

A couple of years ago the series was remade by the UK's Channel Five and apparently George was 'not very happy' that the producers hadn't consulted him or co-star about the remake.

For Silksoundbooks, George Cole delivers stunning performances of Charles Dickens’ famous Christmas classics - A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth.

All of here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish George a very happy birthday.

Today, all of us here at Silksoundbooks want to wish a very happy birthday to our star audio book reader Toby Stephens.

Toby was born into an acting family in London on April 21st 1969, the son of Dame Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens. He trained at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art and his career has included film, television, stage and of course, audiobooks!

Last year Toby won huge critical aclaim for his performance as Henry in a revival of Tom Stoppard's deeply moving and startlingly funny play The Real Thing at the Old Vic in London.

In the UK, fans of Toby have been able to see him in the BBC productions of Miss Marple and the police comedy-drama Vexed.

The unabridged audio book Heart of Darkness, read by Toby Stephens, has been at the top of the Silksoundbooks bestsellers list since it was first released. Toby brings his inimitable brooding intensity to Joseph Conrad’s terrifying and exhilarating exploration of evil that served as the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s movie Apocalypse Now.

Happy Birthday Toby.

Today is the birthday of our our star audiobook reader Julie Christie who was born on the 14th April. All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish Julie a very happy birthday.

Although born in Assam in India, the daughter of a tea plantation manager, Julie was educated in England. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama which led to her first big role in the BBC TV science fiction series A for Andromeda. She soon established herself as a major screen actress, with appearences in such great movies as Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Farenheit 451 and my absolute favourite, Far from the Madding Crowd in which she appeared with fellow Silksoundbooks reader Terence Stamp.

Her career seems to go on and on with many more award winning performances in films and theatre. Julie is also an active supporter of animal rights and the protection of the environment.

Julie's unabridged reading of Madame Bovary written by the great French author Gustave Flaubert is available only from Silksoundbooks. The story tells of Emma Bovary’s attempts to escape the maddening boredom of being married to the wrong man, in the wrong town, with the wrong picture of her life via a series of very realistically described adulterous affairs and is well worth a listen.

Happy Birthday Julie, from all of us at Silksoundbooks

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish our star audiobook reader Julia McKenzie a very happy birthday. She was born on February 17th in Enfield, Middlesex and is the daughter of Albion McKenzie, a works accountant and Kathleen, a school "dinner lady".

Julia has dominated the stage musical on both sides of the Atlantic for most of her professional life. Amongst many others her performances in Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, Follies, Into the Woods and Side By Side By Sondheim have won her two Olivier Awards and a Tony nomination.For her performance in the play Woman in Mind in London’s West End she received the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress.

In 2005, Julia decided to give up theatre work and has devoted much of her time, except for some radio work and the role of Mrs Forrester in Cranford, to what she calls “smelling the roses”. Then came the offer of playing Agatha Christie's most famous amateur sleuth Miss Marple. As Julia herself said "you can’t turn down Marple! ", so we can still enjoy Julia's acting talent in a big role on the small screen.

Julia's two Silksoundbooks downloadable audio books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There are wonderfull unabridged readings of the great stories by Lewis Carroll.

Happy Birthday Julia !

Today is the birthday of star audio book reader Natascha McElhone and all of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to send her all our very best wishes.

Natascha Taylor was born in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England and after training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, made her acting debut as Natascha McElhone having taken her mother's maiden name as her stage name.

After many stage appearances, Natascha's first TV role was in the BBC series Bergerac followed by an appearance in Absolutely Fabulous. Her film debut was in Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins and she followed this with The Truman Show, The Devil's Own, Ronin and Solaris.

Most recently Natascha has been attracting a huge following and some great reviews, in the award winning television series Californication.

Natascha's Silksoundbooks audio book Goblin Market and Selected Poems - a collection of the writings of Christina Rossetti has also garnered some great reviews - 'What a voice. If they gave audios X certificates, this would get one !' wrote Sue Arnold in the Guardian.

Check it out - it's well worth a listen. And have a very Happy Birthday, Natascha.

Happy Birthday Bill ! Silksoundbooks Ambassador and founder audiobook reader, Bill Nighy celebrates his birthday on December 12th.

With such an amazing career it's hard to know where to begin, so lets start in 1949 when Bill was born in Caterham, Surrey in England. After leaving school he spent some time as a messenger boy with a magazine publisher but then went on to train at The Guildford School of Dance and Drama.

Bill's theatre career started in Liverpool and was followed by many appearances in London's National Theatre productions. Radio and television dramas have also given him many starring roles, but lately the Movies have been where we've seen and heard Bill the most.

Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, The Hitchhikers Guide, Pirates of the Caribbean, Valkyrie and The Boat That Rocked.. are just a few of our favourites here at Silksoundbooks.

Bill was the brilliant founder reader at Silksoundbooks and it was his enthusiasm for the project that really made it a reality. And that's not just my opinion! Sue Arnold, writing in the Guardian, said of his unabridged audiobook The Dupin Mysteries written by Edgar Allan Poe :

'Whoever chose to combine Poe's ghoulishly gory and violent script with Nighy's famously low-key, deadpan delivery knew what they were doing - it's a powerful brew.'

Exactly!

Happy Birthday Bill - from all of us here at Silksoundbooks.

All of us at Silksoundbooks are delighted to send our best wishes to the celebrated actress and star audio book reader Dame Judi Dench who is celebrating her birthday today - the 9th of December.

Dame Judi was born in Heworth, York in North Yorkshire and after leaviing school trained as a set designer. Her first professional stage appearance was in 1957 with the Old Vic Company, at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool and her career from then on has taken her to international acclaim. Both as an actress and as a director, Dame Judi has worked in theatre, television and cinema winning countless awards.

These are not just theatrical awards - she was awarded the OBE in 1970, became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1988, and a Companion of Honour in 2005.

With her daughter Finty Williams and long time television co-star Geoffrey Palmer, Dame Judi reads one of Silksoundbooks most popular audio book downloads - Evelina, the wickedly funny eighteenth century best-seller by Frances Burney.

Happy Birthday Dame Judi, from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Colin ! Today is Sillksoundbooks star audio book reader Colin Salmon's birthday - he was born on December 6th 1962 in Bethnal Green, London.

At first, it was music that seemed to be Colins career choice. When he left school he became the drummer in a punk rock band and he also plays the trumpet, a talent he put to great use in his role as trumpeter Note Makoti in the TV series The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Yes, he did actually play the trumpet himself in the concert scene!

Colin's acting debut came with his appearance in 1992 in the hit British TV series Prime Suspect 2 and he has gone on to appear in many more TV shows and hit movies including the Bond epic Tomorrow Never Dies.

Colin's acting talents are used to the full as the reader of the Silksoundbooks classic audio book Black Beauty, one of the most famous children’s books ever written. Anna Sewell's classic story of the highly spirited and gorgeous black stallion and his transfer from owner to increasingly abusive owner until his final happy rescue has held the world record for sales for children’s literature for one hundred and thirty years.

A wonderful audio book from a great actor - Happy Birthday Colin.

We're celebrating another birthday here at Silksoundbooks. Today it's the turn of Tara Cressida Frances Williams who was born on the 24th September. Who ? ? you ask... well, she is better known as Finty Williams.

Finty is the daughter of actors Michael Williams and Dame Judi Dench. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, graduating in 1994 and has appeared in a number of British films, frequently alongside Dame Judi. Finty has also played many roles in the theatre and on television.

Her Silksoundbooks audio book Evelina, in which she stars once again with her mother Dame Judi Dench has been at the top of our best sellers list since it was recorded.

Finty and Dame Judi are joined by Geoffrey Palmer in this unabridged audiobook of Frances Burney’s wickedly funny novel. Evelina follows the trials and romantic adventures of a young beauty as she tries to make her way through Eighteenth Century Britain handicapped by her three great problems, being poor, being illegitimate – and being a girl !

Happy Birthday Finty from all of us here at Silksoundbooks !

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Crispin Bonham-Carter.

Crispin is well known for his for his role as Mr. Bingley in BBC's Pride and Prejudice and was recently seen in the James Bond film Casino Royale. But it would be true to say that his first love is definitely the theatre and it doesn’t matter to him whether he’s on stage or behind the scenes, for he has a parallel career as an actor and as a director. 'Directing is a way of taking control, of seeing something through from beginning to end.' he said in 2000.

Crispin studied classics at St. Andrews in Scotland, but spent most of his time in the university theatre. Before he had even graduated he landed his first professional job, a one-line cameo 'Here’s your hat, Father' in the film Howard’s End, which starred his third cousin twice removed, Helena Bonham-Carter. Amazingly , the two had never even met until Crispin walked up to her during the filming and introduced himself. He is modest about his break. 'I think it was James Ivory thinking, ‘How amusing, to put this other Bonham-Carter in as well.''

Crispin brings all his talents to his Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book The Picture of Dorian Gray, revealing the full gothic horror of Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale.

Happy Birthday Crispin.

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish star audiobook reader Anna Massey a very happy birthday for today the 11th of August.

Anna is the daughter of actors Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen and sister of Daniel Massey and has been a respected and prolific stage, TV and screen actress since the mid '50s. She made her stage debut in The Reluctant Debutante in 1955 and followed this with a string of substantial roles over the ensuing decades. Recently Anna has starred in numerous TV shows in the UK, Including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Midsomer Murders, Lewis and Kingdom.

In 1986, Anna was awarded the British Academy TV Award for Best Actress for her role in Hotel Du Lac. In the New Year's Honours List of 2004 she was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire - CBE - for services to drama.

Anna's exclusive Silksoundbooks audio book reading of Fairy Stories by The Brothers Grimm really makes the most of her wonderfully rich voice. From Cinderella to Rapunzel these original versions of the classic Fairy Stories are not only surprising – they are really quite shocking !

Today we'd like to wish Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Emilia Fox a very happy birthday!

Daughter to Edward Fox , niece to James, cousin to Laurence, Emilia is a member of the incredibly talented Fox acting dynasty. She may have only been on screen since 1995, but has built up an impressive career so far and is probably best known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

Her talents are not limited to television and films. She has starred in several prestigious stage productions, including Richard II and Coriolanus at the Almeida . You may also have her heard her in BBC radio plays as well as film and documentary voiceovers and commercials.

Emilia Fox’s reading of our exclusive and unabridged collection of Alexander Pope poetry - The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems - is available for download as an audiobook from Silksoundbooks.

Happy birthday Emilia !

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a very happy birthday to our audio book star reader Terence Stamp who is celebrating his birthday today, the 22nd July.

Terence was born in Bow, London in 1939 and has starred in so many movies it is hard to keep track, although his first career was in advertising. Since his screen debut in 1962 in Billy Budd he has starred in well over 60 movies.

Although he is often seen as one of the great icons of the swinging sixties in London, with many high profile romances with film stars and super models , Terence has always had a very strong spiritual side. He spent several years in India meditating and studying the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

The Silksoundbooks audio book, Perfect Brilliant Stillness written by David Carse has been a best seller since it was first recorded. Terence brings his own charm and understanding to this highly influential work and it was a joy for us to work with him on the recording.

From all of us here at Silksoundbooks – Happy Birthday Terence !

Happy birthday from all of us here at Silksoundbooks to our star audio book reader Virginia McKenna who is celebrating her birthday today. Virginia was born in London in 1931 and trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama, working extensively in both the theatre and films throughout the 1950s.

It was the 1956 film A Town Like Alice that shot her to fame and earned her the BAFTA for Best Actress. In 1958 the film of the life of the Second World war spy Violet Szabo, Carve Her Name with Pride established her as a mainstay of the British film industry.

She is probably most well known for her role as Joy Adamson in the 1966 film Born Free which led her to become a formidable activist in the world of animal rights and habitat protection. She established, along with her husband and co-star Bill Travers, the Born Free Foundation, an umbrella orgainsation covering her many campaigns. In 2004 these services to wildlife along with her services to the arts, were recognised as she was made an OBE, or to give it its proper title, an officer of the Order of The British Empire.

Virginia's unabridged audio book, The Secret Garden written by Frances Hodgson Burnett is available to download from silksoundbooks.com

The entire Silksoundbooks team wish you a happy birthday Virginia.

All of us at Silksoundbooks, like many people around the world, were very much saddened to hear of the death of Lynn Redgrave on Sunday. She was one of those great actresses that had the ability, through the openness and intense believability of her style, to make you feel very close to her. From her iconic performance in the 1960s hit movie Georgie Girl to her Oscar nominated role in Gods and Monsters she has been at the very top of her profession, but seemed to retain a humility and sense of proportion that made her remarkable.

We had our own greatly appreciated chance to work with her, when she recorded an unabridged audio book of Northanger Abbey for us. Amidst preparations for a Broadway opening she agreed to come into a studio in Manhattan for the recording, as she said she loved Jane Austen that much! Naturally she read it superbly – in record time we might add – and that wit and lightly arch clarity for which she was so famed achieved what few others could do – to make Austen’s great melodramatic spoof both very funny and extremely touching.

Lynn Redgrave OBE is going to be badly missed.

Today is the birthday of Silksoundbooks star audio book reader George Cole who was born in Tooting, South London, on 22 April 1925.

In a career that has spanned over 70 years, George has proved that starting as a child actor is no bar to a lifetime of success. He took to the stage at the age of 14 in the chorus of White Horse Inn in Blackpool and appeared in his first movie a year later. The film, Cottage To Let, starred Alastair Sim who was to became George’s mentor, indeed he attributes his success to his friendship with Sim and went on to make a further ten films with him.

Not only has George appeared in over 40 films, he has found huge success with his TV work. Probably his most famous role was as dodgy car dealer Arthur Daley in the long running series Minder in which he co-starred with Dennis Waterman.

For Silksoundbooks, George Cole delivers stunning performances of Charles Dickens’ famous Christmas classics - A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth.

All of here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish George a very happy birthday.

Today, all of here at Silksoundbooks want to wish a very happy birthday to our star audio book reader Toby Stephens.

Toby was born into an acting family in London on April 21st 1969, the son of Dame Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens. He trained at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art and his career has included film, television, stage and of course, audiobooks! Recent credits include the BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre and the Bond movie Die Another Day.

Toby's recent theatre appearances include A Doll’s House at the Donmar and The Country Wife at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Toby is currently starring in a new production of Tom Stoppard's deeply moving and startlingly funny play The Real Thing at the Old Vic in London.

The unabridged audio book Heart of Darkness, read by Toby Stephens, has been at the top of the Silksoundbooks bestsellers list since it was first released. Toby brings his inimitable brooding intensity to Joseph Conrad’s terrifying and exhilarating exploration of evil that served as the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s movie Apocalypse Now. It's a great audiobook download - and only from silksoundbooks.com

Happy Birthday Toby.

The 16th April sees the UK release of The Ghost, the latest film from director Roman Polanski. It is based on the novel by Robert Harris and stars Ewan McGregor as a ghost writer hired to work on the memoirs of former UK prime minister Adam Lang played by Pierce Brosnan. Also starring, as Lang's wife, is Silksoundbooks star audio book reader, Olivia Williams.

Olivia is well known for her star performances in The Sixth Sense, Rushmore and Miss Austen Regrets. Her role in the BBC production of Jane Austen’s Emma brought her to the attention of Kevin Costner, who cast her in The Postman and described her as “one of the most beautiful women to come on screen in the last 10 years.”

Olivia continues her love of Jane Austen with her exclusive Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book version of Persuasion, one of the world’s favourite classic novels.

So if you can't make it to the cinema this weekend, or you are grounded by the volcanic dust cloud over Europe, why not download an audio book from Silksoundbooks!!

Today there's another Birthday to celebrate here at Silksoundbooks. All of us would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audiobook reader Julie Christie who was born on the 14th April.

Julie was born in Assam in India, the daughter of a tea plantation manager, but was educated in England. Her acting training was at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first big role was in the BBC TV science fiction series A for Andromeda and film parts quickly followed, with appearences in such great movies as Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Farenheit 451 and my absolute favourite, Far from the Madding Crowd in which she appeared with fellow Silksoundbooks reader Terence Stamp.

Her career seems to go on and on with many more award winning performances in films and theatre. Julie is also an active supporter of animal rights and the protection of the environment.

Julies unabridged reading of Madame Bovary written by the great French author Gustave Flaubert is available only from Silksoundbooks. The story tells of Emma Bovary’s attempts to escape the maddening boredom of being married to the wrong man, in the wrong town, with the wrong picture of her life via a series of very realistically described adulterous affairs and is well worth a listen.

Happy Birthday Julie !

Today the whole Silksoundbooks team are really pleased to wish a big Happy Birthday to star audio book reader Andrew Sachs.

Andrew was born Andreas Siegfried Sachs on 7 April 1930 in Berlin, Germany and moved to England with his family when he was eight. They settled in North London where he still lives to this day.

Andrew is most widely known for his role of Manuel the Spanish waiter the BBC classic comedy series Fawlty Towers and he appears regularly on the radio and television. His latest role is in the long running soap opera Coronation Street.

Andrew is no stranger to audio books and radio plays - his 1978 radio production The Revenge was an incredible 'play without words' that was recorded in binaural stereo and has been repeated by popular demand many times.

We were really pleased that Andrew agreed to record Charles Dickens’ vast adventure, A Tale of Two Cities as a totally unabridged audio book for Silksoundbooks. Set between London and Paris, A Tale of Two Cities has adventure, betrayal and great heroism woven through this thrilling tale of the French Revolution all brought stunningly to life by Andrew Sachs.

Happy Birthday Andrew.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to star audio book reader Lynn Redgrave.

Lynn, born on March 8th 1943, was born into one of the most glittering of theatrical dynasties. Her grandfather was Roy Redgrave, star of early Australian silent movies, her father was Sir Michael Redgrave, her mother Rachel Kempson, her brother and sister Corin and Vanessa Redgrave, and a total of six of their combined offspring are in the family business!

Lynn trained at London's Central School of Speech & Drama and really hasn't stopped since! Her amazing career has included many starring roles in theatre, television, movies and of course, audio books.

Lynn's unabridged reading of the Jane Austen classic novel Northanger Abbey is available only from Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Lynn - from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

As I walked through London's Leicester Square this morning, I was amazed that hundreds of fans had already started to arrive for the worldwide premiere of the 3D blockbuster Alice in Wonderland. Tonight the red carpet will see a host of stars, including Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway,parade before the cameras.

But it may well be that tonights showing at the Odeon Leicester Square is the sole occasion on which the multi-million pound film will be seen at any of the 834 screens operated by Britain's largest cinema chain. Apparently there is a dispute about the time between theatrical showing in cinemas and the release of the movie on DVD.

If you do manage to see the movie, watch out for Silksoundbooks audio book stars Tim Pigott-Smith , Lindsay Duncan and Geraldine James in the all-star cast.

And if you don't get to see it, I can thoroughly recommend the two Alice audio books - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the follow up Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There - both read by the wonderful British actress Julia McKenzie .

And both available right now from Silksoundbooks!!

Here in the UK it looks like we are going to be having another cold grey weekend - a perfect excuse to go to the cinema!
To help with a little inspiration, here's a selection of recent movies featuring great audio book readers from Silksoundbooks.

First off, how about some Victorian horror in The Wolfman, with Art Malik playing a mysterious Sikh manservant to Anthony Hopkins?

On a much lighter note, theres the animated feature Astro Boy. Set in the floating future world of Metro City, it’s the story of a young boy accidentally vaporised in an industrial accident, only to be rebuilt as a miniature robot gunship by his scientist father. Listen out for our very own travelling ambassador Bill Nighy as Dr. Elefun.

Silksoundbooks audio book star Olivia Williams stars in not one, but two movies that are showing at the moment ! Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a no holds barred account of the life of 70’s music legend Ian Dury with Andy Serkis in the tiltle role.

Olivia also stars in the Oscar nominated An Education a wonderful movie which is based on the true story of journalist Lynn Barber.

So - four recommendations for a weekend at the movies. But if you'd rather stay in, why not settle down by the fire with a great Audio Book download from silksoundbooks.com !

It's another day, another birthday here at Silksoundbooks.

Today it's the turn of star audiobook reader Greta Scacchi who was born in Milan, Italy on February 18th 1960. Greta is the daughter of Luca Scacchi Gracco, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Carsinga, an English dancer and antiques dealer.

Her parents divorced when she was four, and her mother returned to England with Greta and her two older brothers, first to London, then to Haywards Heath, West Sussex. In 1975, after her mother's remarriage to Giovanni Carsinga, the family settled in Adelaide, Australia.

In 1977, Greta returned to England to follow an acting career, studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her fluency in English, French, German and Italian has made her a popular choice for European Directors - her movie debut was in the German film Das Zweite Gesich in 1982. Since then she has had major roles in films such as Heat and Dust, The Ebony Tower, The Coca Cola Kid, Presumed Innocent, The Player and Country Life. Famously, she actually turned down the leading role in Basic Instinct that was taken up by Sharon Stone!

Fortunately for all of us, Greta was very keen to record The Snow Queen and other Fairy Stories as an unabridged audiobook download for Silksoundbooks! These original versions of some of Hans Christian Andersen’s best loved stories such as The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen are brought vividly to life - only from silksoundbooks.com

Happy Birthday Greta - from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish our star audiobook reader Julia McKenzie a very happy birthday. She was born on February 17th in Enfield, Middlesex, the daughter of Albion McKenzie, a works accountant and his wife Kathleen.

Julia has dominated the stage musical on both sides of the Atlantic for most of her professional life. Amongst many others her performances in Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, Follies, Into the Woods and Side By Side By Sondheim have won her two Olivier Awards and a Tony nomination.For her performance in the play Woman in Mind in London’s West End she received the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress.

In 2005, Julia decided to give up theatre work and has devoted much of her time, except for some radio work and the role of Mrs Forrester in Cranford, to what she calls “smelling the roses”. Then came the offer of playing Agatha Christie's most famous amateur sleuth Miss Marple. As Julia herself said 'you can’t turn down Marple! ', so we can still enjoy Julia's acting talent in a big role on the small screen.

Julia's two Silksoundbooks downloadable audio books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There are wonderfull unabridged readings of the great stories by Lewis Carroll.

Happy Birthday Julia !

Today sees the release of the new animated feature film Astro Boy.

Now this is one I am particularly excited about, as it features the voice of one of my favourite actors and Silksoundbooks readers - the wonderful Bill Nighy.

Bill, who incidently recorded some dialogue for Astroboy here at Silk Towers, plays Dr. Elefun in a story about a scientist who creates a robot to replace the son he lost. Facing rejection, Astro Boy goes on a journey with many adventures before finally returning to save his home city and gain acceptance from his father.

Bill Nighy can be heard reading Edgar Allan Poe’s The Dupin Mysteries exclusively for Silksoundbooks as an unabridged audio book download.

If you have, shall we say, rather more eclectic tastes in the arts and have seen the Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, you may be interested to know that Olivia Williams - who plays Ian Dury’s first wife in the film - can be found reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion exclusively for Silksoundbooks.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, also starring Andy Serkis and Ray Winstone, deals with the life of 70’s music legend Ian Dury and is a no-holds-barred look at the man, his music and the disability that shaped his character and was the root of his determination.

Olivia, who’s big break came when she was cast by Kevin Costner in The Postman, in fact played Jane Austen in Miss Austen Regrets for the BBC which also starred Silksoundbooks audio book readers Hugh Bonneville and Greta Scacchi.


Olivia's unabridged audiobook Persuasion is available for download from Silksoundbooks.com

Silksoundbooks’ very own star reader Terence Stamp popped into Silk Towers the other day and regaled us with tales of his recent shoot in New York with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt on the set of his new film The Adjustment Bureau.

Terence,who is the reader of the unabridged audiobook Perfect Brilliant Stillness by David Carse , stars in this film based on a Phillip K Dick short story concerning a charismatic Congressman, played by Matt Damon who meets a beautiful ballet dancer, Emily Blunt.

Things of course are not what they seem and the film,shot mainly in Manhattan, is currently in post-production and should be with us soon.

Perfect Brilliant Stillness is available to download and enjoy right now!

I put it in my diary and stuck post - it notes to the fridge... and yet I still managed to miss Bill Nighy in the mini-movie Statuesque on Christmas Day. But I've just found it on the internet, so now anyone, anywhere can watch it.

The 8 minute movie is a collaboration between the well known screenplay writer Neil Gaiman, his girlfriend Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls and Silksoundbooks' founder reader and travelling ambassador Bill Nighy.

Bill plays a daily observer of a group of street performers acting as human statues, one of which is played by Amanda. He follows the same daily routine, from ogling at the performers in the street from his picnic chair, binoculars at the ready, keeping a scrapbook and following them nightly to their regular pub, until a few unusual events lead to a romantic ending with a twist.

“It’s a light entertainment, designed to amuse,” says Bill.

A quick internet search will find it, just look for Statuesque.

Movies to look forward to in 2010 include the long awaited The Wolfman starring Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Silksoundbooks Audio Book star reader Art Malik.

Inspired by the classic Universal Film of 1941, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins with this tale of an American who experiences an unsettling transformation after returning to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britain and being attacked by a rampaging werewolf. .

If like me you are a fan of Art Malik, but gothic horror and a fearsome beast is not your thing, then we have a treat for you!

The Just So Stories, read by Art, are wonderfully inventive, funny and captivating tales of the high and far off times and are absolutely perfect for children of all ages - from 3 to 103 !

The unabridged audio book of The Just So Stories written by Rudyard Kipling and read by Art Malik is available to download only at silksoundbooks.com

All of here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader and hugely talented actress Jane Horrocks.

Jane was the youngest of three children in the Horrocks family and was born on January 18th in Rawtenstall in Lancashire. She trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began her career with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Her award winning performance in the West End play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and the movie that followed have made her one of the countries favouritre actresses.

Jane's two audiobooks - available to download from Silksoundbooks - show two very different sides to her talents.

Sonnets from the Portuguese is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning.

Nursery Rhymes is a collection of your favourite childhood nursery rhymes read with all the original words and verses.

Two great downloadable audio books from Jane Horrocks and a big Happy Birthday from all of us at Silksoundbooks!!

Today is the birthday of star audio book reader Natascha McElhone and all of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to send her all our very best wishes.

Natascha Taylor was born in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England and after training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, made her acting debut as Natascha McElhone having taken her mother's maiden name as her stage name.

After many stage appearances, Natascha's first TV role was in the BBC series Bergerac followed by an appearance in Absolutely Fabulous. Her film debut was in Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins and she followed this with The Truman Show, The Devil's Own, Ronin and Solaris.

Most recently Natascha has been attracting a huge following and some great reviews, in the award winning television series Californication.

Natascha's Silksoundbooks audio book Goblin Market and Selected Poems - a collection of the writings of Christina Rossetti has also garnered some great reviews - 'What a voice. If they gave audios X certificates, this would get one !' wrote Sue Arnold in the Guardian.

Check it out - it's well worth a listen. And have a very Happy Birthday, Natascha.

Happy Birthday Bill ! Silksoundbooks Ambassador and founder audiobook reader Bill Nighy celebrates his birthday on December 12th.

With such an amazing career it's hard to know where to begin, so lets start in 1949 when Bill was born in Caterham, Surrey in England. After leaving school he spent some time as a messenger boy with a magazine publisher but then went on to train at The Guildford School of Dance and Drama.

Bill's theatre career started in Liverpool and was followed by many appearances in London's National Theatre productions. Radio and television dramas have also given him many starring roles, but lately the Movies have been where we've seen and heard Bill the most.

Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, The Hitchhikers Guide, Pirates of the Caribbean, Valkyrie and The Boat That Rocked.. are just a few of our favourites here at Silksoundbooks. We're really looking forward to his appearance in the next Harry Potter movie - as Bill himself said 'I am no longer the only English actor not to be in Harry Potter and I am very pleased ! '

Bill was the brilliant founder reader at Silksoundbooks and it was his enthusiasm for the project that really made it a reality. And that's not just my opinion! Sue Arnold, writing in the Guardian, said of his unabridged audiobook The Dupin Mysteries written by Edgar Allan Poe :

'Whoever chose to combine Poe's ghoulishly gory and violent script with Nighy's famously low-key, deadpan delivery knew what they were doing - it's a powerful brew.'

Exactly!

Happy Birthday Bill - from all of us here at Silksoundbooks.

All of us at Silksoundbooks are delighted to send our best wishes to the celebrated actress and star audio book reader Dame Judi Dench who is celebrating her birthday today - the 9th of December.

Dame Judi was born in Heworth, York in North Yorkshire and after leaviing school trained as a set designer. Her first professional stage appearance was in 1957 with the Old Vic Company, at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool and her career from then on has taken her to international acclaim. Both as an actress and as a director, Dame Judi has worked in theatre, television and cinema winning countless awards.

These are not just theatrical awards - she was awarded the OBE in 1970, became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1988, and a Companion of Honour in 2005.

With her daughter Finty Williams and long time television co-star Geoffrey Palmer, Dame Judi reads one of Silksoundbooks most popular audio book downloads - Evelina, the wickedly funny eighteenth century best-seller by Frances Burney.

Happy Birthday Dame Judi, from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Colin ! Today is Sillksoundbooks star audio book reader Colin Salmon's birthday - he was born on December 6th 1962 in Bethnal Green, London.

At first, it was music that seemed to be Colins career choice. When he left school he became the drummer in a punk rock band and he also plays the trumpet, a talent he put to great use in his role as trumpeter Note Makoti in the TV series The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Yes, he did actually play the trumpet himself in the concert scene!

Colin's acting debut came with his appearance in 1992 in the hit British TV series Prime Suspect 2 and he has gone on to appear in many more TV shows and hit movies including the Bond epic Tomorrow Never Dies.

Colin's acting talents are used to the full as the reader of the Silksoundbooks classic audio book Black Beauty, one of the most famous children’s books ever written. Anna Sewell's classic story of the highly spirited and gorgeous black stallion and his transfer from owner to increasingly abusive owner until his final happy rescue has held the world record for sales for children’s literature for one hundred and thirty years.

A wonderful audio book from a great actor - Happy Birthday Colin.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish Happy Birthday to star audio book reader Jeremy Northam who was born on December 1st 1961.

Jeremy was born in Cambridge, England the son of John and Rachel, both university professors. His father John Northam is best known for his translations of Ibsen. The family moved to Bristol in 1972 where Jeremy attended Bristol Grammar School followed by Bedford College, University of London where he gained a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature.

After graduation, he attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and worked his way through regional theater to the London stage. Jeremy was the recipient of the prestigious Olivier Award - the British equivalent of the Tony - for outstanding newcomer for his 1990 performance as Edward Voysey, in the Royal National Theatre production of 'The Voysey Inheritance.'

In 1994 he made his American film debut in the thriller, The Net, with Sandra Bullock followed by his acclaimed portrayal of Mr. Knightley in Miramax's 'Emma' starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. Jeremy has continued to thrill his audiences with his many performances which include big budget productions, independent projects, television and - of course - audio books.

Jeremy has brought his own love and knowledge of author Henry James to two great audiobooks, The Aspern Papers and The Real Thing and Other Short Stories, available only from Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Jeremy.

This evening on the UK's Channel Four Television there is another episode in the series 'The Queen' ' and this time Her Majesty is played by Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Samantha Bond.

The programme examines the early1970's, when Britain came as close to becoming a republic as it has ever done in modern times. Opinion polls recorded the highest figures ever for those who were opposed to the monarchy. For the first time, the royal family was under pressure to be accountable to the people, in terms of how they lived their lives and spent their money. The country was beset with industrial action, rising unemployment, inflation and there was even talk of putting troops on to the streets to calm the situation: the first time this would have happened since the General Strike, nearly half a century earlier.

This is a little-known period of the Queen's reign, and the programme reveals just how much danger she and her family were in and how - ultimately - Her Majesty, with her quiet diplomacy, triumphed.

Samantha, best known for her portrayal of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies, brings all her talents to this formidable role. We're really looking forward to it!

Watch out for Sir Derek Jacobi, reader of the Silksoundbooks classic audiobook Frankenstein, in the BBC Four production Margot on Monday evening.

Margot is a drama based on the life of ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn. At the beginning of the 1960s, Fonteyn faces retirement as a prima ballerina until the much younger Rudolf Nureyev arrives on the scene to transform Margot's professional and personal life in a partnership celebrated around the world.

Sir Derek plays choreographer Frederic Ashton and actually met Fonteyn and Nureyev on several occasions. 'One night I’d seen them performing and I was invited backstage afterwards, there were four or five flunkeys with trays of champagne, Margot and Rudi were taking their bows and the audience was going mad.' he said.

If you are more of a horror fan than a ballet lover, Sir Derek's mesmerising reading of the Mary Shelley classic Frankenstein is available only from silksoundbooks.com

Here's a date for your diary - but sadly only if you are in the UK. Tomorrow night, the 29th, watch out for star audio book performer Emilia Fox in Channel Four's new series The Queen. In five episodes, the series chronicles 50 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Emilia opens the series portraying the Queen in 1955 with a look at the first scandal experienced by the fledgling monarch, when it was revealed that her sister Margaret had fallen in love with an older, divorced royal employee, Group Captain Peter Townsend.

Emilia says that she followed the celebrated actress Helen Mirren's advice, which was to 'try and capture an essence of her rather than do an exact imitation'.
I think we are in for a treat!

Another side of Emilia's acting talent can ge heard in her exclusive Silksoundbooks audio book, The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems. Written by Alexander Pope, who is considered by many to be the greatest poet of the eighteenth century, the poem satirises a petty squabble over the theft of a lock of hair as recounted to Pope by a friend. This is a mock-heroic narrative, parodying the gods and goddesses of the epic style and although comic at times, Pope never loses sight of the fragile nature of beauty.

A must for all poetry lovers - and only at silksoundbooks.com !

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book performer Samantha Bond who was born on November the 27th 1961.

Samantha is the daughter of an actor, Philip Bond and television producer Pat Sandys. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and became a founder member of Kenneth Branagh’s touring theatre company in the 1980s. She has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, but Samantha is probably best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films.

For Silksoundbooks, Samantha reads Lady Chatterley's Lover as an unabridged audio book. The story of Lady Chatterley and her love for her husband’s gamekeeper outraged the sensibilities of Edwardian England. Samantha reads D H Lawrence's novel in a truly engrossing style.

Happy Birthday Samantha.

All this week, only on the BBC website, there's a new animated Doctor Who series Dreamland featuring the voices of David Tennant, Georgia Moffet, Stuart Milligan, Clarke Peters and Silksoundbooks audio book star reader David Warner.

Dreamland is a brand new series of six 3D HD animations, each one is seven minutes long and is being shown on the web daily from November 21st to the 26th. The full version will be shown on BBC Two in December. You can expect many more explosions and monsters in this animation - things that would just not be possible in a live-action series.

Here at Silksoundbooks, we think that the pictures you get from an audiobook are hard to beat. The imagination is a wonderful thing and when a great storyteller reads a classic novel, just for you, it's easy to get really involved in the story.

If you don't believe me - or you are new to the wonderful world of audio books, David Warner's reading of the classic novel Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe would be a great place to start!

Happy birthday from all of us here at Silksoundbooks to star audio book performer Nicholas Rowe who was born on November 22nd 1966.

Nick, who was born in Edinburgh in Scotland, was educated first at Eton and then Bristol University where he read Hispanic Studies - he is fluent in Spanish French and Portuguese. He first came to public attention with a role in the 1984 film about the English Public School system and its effect on the establishment Another Country.
He then landed the role which took him to youthful stardom in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie Young Sherlock Holmes. His film and television appearances since then have been numerous and include, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Enigma,Nicholas Nickleby and A Dance to the Music of Time .

For Silksoundbooks, Nicholas reads Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel Kidnapped, one of the most famous adventure stories of our time.

Happy birthday Nicholas.

We're delighted to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Nickolas Grace who was born on the 21st November 1947 in Merseyside, England.

Nickolas trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and his career has spanned the stage, film and television. Stage appearances include roles with The Royal Shakespeare Company and he is a freqent performer in London’s West End. His many film roles include Two Deaths, Tom & Viv, and Salome's Last Dance.

But it is chiefly for his representation of evil and lascivious aristocrats in his many television appearances that Nickolas is most famed – in particular his portrayal of Anthony Blanche in the BBC’s Brideshead Revisited and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin of Sherwood, a role on in which he became the only Sheriff of Nottingham on film, stage or television ever to have killed Robin Hood!

But, of course, there is a humerous side to Nickolas and his unabridged audio book performance of Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) is a perfect example. Jerome K Jerome's book was intended to be a serious travel guide. It failed dismally in this respect, but succeeded in becoming an hilarious account of a boating holiday on the Thames, between Kingston and Oxford.

It is a wonderful story and is the sourceof one of the great quotes about the pressures of the modern working life – 'I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours !'

Happy Birthday Nickolas, from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

Where can you see not one, not two, but four Silksoundbooks star audio book performers?

Silksoundbooks founder reader Bill Nighy, Julie Christie, Hugh Bonneville and Jeremy Northam all star in Stephen Poliakoff's new movie Glorious 39 released today in the UK.

The movie, which is based on real events and set on the eve of World War II, focuses on a young woman who stumbles across evidence of a sinister Nazi appeasement plot. As her close friends begin to die in suspicious circumstances, she finds her own life in danger from an increasingly menacing and powerful enemy.

Well worth watching!

Today is the birthday of Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Art Malik , who was born in Bahawalpur, Pakistan on November 13th 1952. The Malik family came to London in 1956 when his father qualified as an opthalmic surgeon.

After studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, to which he won a scholarship, Art performed at the Old Vic and The Royal Shakespeare Company. His first major break came when he was cast as the doomed young Indian Hari Kumar in the ITV production of The Jewel in the Crown. During filming, David Lean cast him in his film production of A Passage to India

These two high profile and successful productions assured his professional future and brought Art to Hollywood. In The Living Daylights he played an Afghan rebel leader who teams with James Bond and his other movies include City of Joy and True Lies.

Art has most recently filmed Sex And The City 2 with Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Catrall. Prior to that he finished filming Ben Hur directed by Steve Schill and he filmed an episode of Poirot with Martin Shaw. Coming up in 2010, watch out for Art in The Wolfman.

Despite often being seen in action roles, Art has a wonderful gift for more gentle story telling. In his Silksoundbooks audio book The Just So Stories, Art reads Rudyard Kipling's tales of the High and far off times... with the perfect soft and gentle voice, making it an absolute must for any child or adult! It really is one of my favourites.

Happy Birthday Art, from all of us here at Silksoundbooks.

It's another day, another birthday here at Silksoundbooks ! It is our great pleasure to wish a big Happy Birthday to our wonderful audio book star June Whitfield who was born in Streatham, London on the 11th November 1925.

June's amazing career started when she was very young - her first stage appearance was at the age of three after her mother enrolled her at a dance school. She was later to attend The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1944.

The radio was to be June's first big break - she was given the lead role in the radio comedy Take It From Here and television followed, including appearances with Tony Hancock throughout his television career. In 1966, June played her first television sitcom role, in Beggar My Neighbour and her reputation as a great comedy actress was sealed. She starred in several of the Carry On movies.

The TV sitcom Terry and June, in which she starred with Terry Scott as a suburban middle-class married couple ran for an amazing 65 episodes until 1987. More recently, who could forget her role as Jennifer Saunders' mother in the hugely successful comedy series Absolutely Fabulous
June was appointed an OBE in 1985 and a CBE in 1998 and received the British Comedy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.

The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, read as an unabridged audiobook by June and her daughter Suzy Aitchison along with Ioen Meredith and Hywel Simons, is a wonderful tale. It is written in the form of a series of letters that the five members of Squire Bramble’s household send as they journey around Britain. Much of the humour comes from the differing descriptions given by the five characters of the same events and the wonderful range of accents that June and company bring to Tobias Smollett's rambling tale.

Happy Birthday June - from all of us here at Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday from all of us here at Silksoundbooks to star audio book reader Hugh Bonneville who was born on the 10th November 1963.

Hugh was born in London and educated at Sherborne School in Dorset and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read theology. His drama training was at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London leading to his first professional stage appearance at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. In 1987 he joined the National Theatre, followed the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1991, the year he made his television debut.

In recent years Hugh has become a familiar face on television, with many leading roles to his credit. Recent appearances have included The Vicar of Dibley, the hard hitting drama Tsunami: The Aftermath, Miss Austen Regrets, The Mary Whitehouse Story, and Lost In Austen.

For Silksoundbooks Hugh has recorded an unabridged audio book reading of Tom Brown's Schooldays, the gripping classic story of a young boy’s tough but formative years at Rugby School and his battle with the infamous schoolboy bully - Flashman. Having attended a boys public school himself, Hugh brings a particular strength and passion to his reading of Thomas Hughes' novel.

Hugh lives in West Sussex with his wife, Lulu, and their son, Felix and all of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish him a big Happy Birthday!

It's not often that we get to see a movie in the UK almost 8 months before it is released in the USA. Pirate Radio starring Silksoundbooks audio book star reader and travelling ambassador Bill Nighy is one such film.

In the UK it was called The Boat That Rocked and is based on the sort-of-true story of a 1960s British rock-and-roll radio station broadcasting from a boat in the middle of the North Sea. To our American friends this must seem very odd - why would a bunch of DJs need to be miles from shore on a rusty old boat in order to play rock-and-roll music?

Well, in the UK we only had radio from the BBC and they only played about an hour a week of 'pop' music - even then it wasn't the real thing. If you wanted to hear The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or any of the great new music of the sixties you had to listen to pirate radio - the stations which got round the British laws by broadcasting from outside territorial waters.

In the movie, written by Richard Curtis, Bill plays the boss of Radio Rock, loosely based on the original pirate ship Radio Caroline. He is joined by an amazing cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Rhys Ifans and Kenneth Branagh in what we think is a great celebration of great music.

If you are a fan of Bill Nighy, check out The Dupin Mysteries , written by Edgar Allan Poe. Bill adds his own suspense and tension to these wonderful stories that introduce us to C Auguste Dupin, the first fictional detective.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Lindsay Duncan who was born on the 7th of November 1950.

Born in Scotland, Lindsay began her career in acting after finishing her studies at Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After playing minor roles, her talent was spotted and she soon began appearing in renowned London stage, screen and television productions. Most recently she played Margaret Thatcher in the BBC film Thatcher about the former British Prime Minister's last year in office.

Lindsay has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony award and has been nominated for many others and was appointed CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2009 Birthday Honours list.

Her Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book The Garden Party, written by Katherine Mansfield
has often been held up as an example of the near perfect short story, and Lindsay Duncan’s performance of it is has been described as 'nothing short of spectacular'.

Just what you would expect from such a great actress. Happy Birthday Lindsay.

Here's another gift idea suggestion from the team at Silksoundbooks - but I'll start with a quiz.

What do you get if you combine John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, the late great Graham Chapman and Silksoundbooks audio book star reader Terry Jones ??

The answer, of course, is Monty Python's Flying Circus. It's hard to believe that this very British comedy series was first broadcast in 1969. To this day the Pythons have fans all over the world - even Elvis Presley was said to be a huge fan!

The new DVD release - Almost The Truth: The Lawyer's Cut - would make a great gift for Python fans old and new. The 3 disc set contains all the TV episode plus extended interviews and previously unseen material along with clips from their movies. One for me please!

Did you know that as well as being a comedy legend, Terry Jones is also a highly respected authority on the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer ?

In his exclusive Silksoundbooks audio books, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and The Miller's Tale, Terry reads his own translations from Middle English into modern language and adds a smattering of hilarious and highly informative notes, recorded as he read.

And, because Christmas and the holiday season are nearly upon us, download 'The Prologue' and you will get get 'The Miller's Tale' absolutely free!

Here's something for you 2010 diary. Yes, if you want to see Lucy Prebble's much-talked-about play Enron, you'd better book now! The show sold-out both in Chichester and at the Royal Court and will transfer to the Noel Coward Theatre next year.

Enron explores one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, and the fate of disgraced executives Kenneth Lay, played by Silksoundbooks audio book star Tim Pigott-Smith and Jeffrey Skilling (Samuel West). This comedy-drama, inspired by real-life events, is an exhilarating production with music, dance and incredible effects.

Although set in simpler times, Plain Tales from the Hills written by Rudyard Kipling and read as an unabridged audio book by Tim, has had its share of controversy. Kipling’s wry, evocative and extremely witty stories of the British at play in Simla - the summer capital of the British Raj in India have sometimes been taken to be an endorsement of the English Colonial system.

Controversy from the 19th century and scandal from the 21st... why not start with the audio book - there's no waiting when you download!

Right at the top of the list of Must See movies for me must be An Education which opened yesterday across the UK.

The movie stars Carey Mulligan as 16-year-old Jenny, a gifted student who's on track for a place at Oxford University, much to the delight of both her literature teacher, played by Silksoundbooks audio book star Olivia Williams and her aspirational parents, Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour.

However, when she meets David, played by Peter Sarsgaard, a charismatic older man, she's swept off her feet by his sophisticated friends and his seemingly glamorous, grown-up life, so it isn't long before she's wondering if Oxford is really the right thing for her after all.

An Education, written by Nick Hornby is based on the true life experiences of journalist Lynn Barber and was first published in Granta magazine.

Olivia Williams' real passion for literature and Jane Austen in particular is well known from her roles in the BBC production of Emma and the film Miss Austen Regrets. Her Silksoundbooks audio book performance of Persuasion is a real masterpiece, so if you can't get to the cinema this weekend, you could be enjoying a wonderful audio book in a few moments - and a download means there's no worry with the post!

Another day, another star audio book reader birthday here at Silksoundbooks!

Today is the birthday of the celebrated English actress Juliet Stevenson who was born in Essex in 1956. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and started her stage career in the early 1980's with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Juliet's long and impressive acting career has encompassed television, radio and - of course - cinema. Who could forget her award winning performance in the wonderful Truly, Madly, Deeply with Alan Rickman?

She was awarded the CBE - Commander of the Order of the British Empire - for her services to drama, in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book of the Emily Bronte classic novel Wuthering Heights is another unforgetable performance by Juliet, who brings the wild passion of Cathy’s doomed love for Heathcliffe set against the stormy moors of Yorkshire dramatically to life.

All of here at Silksoundbooks wish Juliet a very big Happy Birthday

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to star audio book reader Rufus Sewell who is celebrating today.

Rufus Frederick Sewell was born on October 29th, 1967 in Twickenham, England. His mother, Jo, is Welsh and lives in Wales. His father, Bill, was an Australian animator who died when Rufus was 10. He has one brother, Caspar and his son, William Douglas Sewell, was born on March 18, 2002.

Rufus trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama where he was spotted by Dame Judi Dench who set him up in the business, by providing him with an agent, after directing him in a show at the school. His major breakthrough happened in 1993 when he played both Will Ladislaw in the BBC adaptation of George Eliot’s Middlemarch and Septimus Hodge, for which he won the Olivier award, in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.

Rufus has found huge success on both sides of the Atlantic and now divides his time between London and Los Angeles.

The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend Mr Abraham Adams is not only a long title, it is a wonderfully long and entertaining unabridged audio book.

Read by Rufus Sewell in his own inimitable entertaining style, this great novel by Henry Fielding takes us on a journey across England with Joseph Andrews and the rather dippy Parson Adams.
Not to be missed as they say in reviews!

Happy Birthday Rufus, from all of at Silksoundbooks.

More great reviews for star Silksoundbooks audiobook readers on the stage - this time for Fiona Shaw, currently playing the title role in Mother Courage and Her Children at the National’s Olivier Theatre in London.

The Independent said 'Fiona Shaw delivers a phenomenal performance' in this new production of Bertolt Brecht’s anti-war epic.
Set during the Thirty Years' War of 1618 to 1648, Mother Courage sells food and clothing to soldiers, switching allegiance when it suits her and striving to keep her business and children alive through her deluded belief that she can keep them safe by playing the small business-woman. Bloody battlefields are her marketplace, her wagon, her stall.

This modern-dress production keeps faith with Brecht's staging theories - the play opens with the stage swarming with technicians and stage hands - the inner workings of the production are on show for all to see. There are explosions, live music and lighting fit for a rock concert.

This epic production - it runs for over three hours - of Mother Courage and Her Children runs until December 6th.

Of course, Fiona is no stranger to epic productions. Her unabridged Silksoundbooks audio book reading of George Eliot's classic novel The Mill on the Floss runs to just under 21 hours!

Here's a great reason to go to New York - and it is just one word. Hamlet. London's Donmar Warehouse production has received rave reviews, and with Jude Law in the title role, it's not hard to see why everyone seems to be talking about this production. Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Geraldine James, in the role of Gertrude, has been described as simply 'superb'.

Over the years, directors have taken all kinds of liberties with Shakespeare, with widely differing results. The last Broadway production of Macbeth set the play in an un-named Stalinist state and London's National Theatre gave us a production of Henry V set in Iraq with a stage strewn with Jeeps and machine guns.

The Donmar production of Hamlet, directed by Michael Grandage, Artistic Director of the company really is a 'no-frills' production of Shakespeare that relies on the text and a cast of good old-fashioned classically trained actors to deliver what has been described as an 'an absolutely stunning' result. Hamlet is now playing at the Broadhurst Theater in New York.

Love Among the Haystacks and Other Stories is the perfect audio book to take on a journey to New York, or a consolation for you if it is just not possible to go. Geraldine James reads this selection of short stories by D H Lawrence with the passion and feeling that marks her as a truly great actress.

Good news ! Silksoundbooks founder audio book reader and ambassador at large, Bill Nighy is back on the silver screen. Well, to be totally accurate, he's actually on the soundtrack of the new animated movie Astro Boy released today in the USA.

Set in the futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers. When his own son Toby dies, brilliant scientist Dr. Tenma (the voice of Nicholas Cage) aided by his eccentric colleague Dr Elefun, (voiced by Bill) creates a robot in his image.

But it seems that young Astro Boy is unable to fulfil the grieving scientist's expectations, so he embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he returns to save the world and be reconciled with the father who had rejected him.

The stars of the movie also include Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Matt Lucas, Donald Sutherland, and Charlize Theron, but unfortunately, those of us in the UK are going to have to wait until January 29th before Astro Boy is released on this side of the Atlantic.

Here at Silk Sound, we had a sneek preview of a few seconds of the movie when the British actors, Freddie, Matt and Bill came in to the studios to record some extra lines for the movie - we can't wait to see the finished result !

It's good to see Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Finty Williams getting great reviews for her role in Alan Ayckbourn’s play Bedroom Farce, at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

It has been almost 35 years since the first production, but Bedroom Farce's exploration of different attitudes to love, sex and marriage is as fresh as ever in this hilarious revival directed by Peter Hall.

The play has not one bedroom, but three, each occupied by a different married couple. We also have many of the traditional elements of farce - hints at illicit sex, slamming doors and mistaken motives and performances from the entire cast that have collected 5 star reviews.

Bedroom Farce, together with Strindberg’s tragedy Miss Julie is part of a season called 'Behind Closed Doors' at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, from October 1 to November 28.

If you can't make it to Kingston, (Surrey, not Jamaica), here's a suggestion:

Finty Williams appears with her mother Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer in the Silksdoundbooks unabridged audio book Evelina, by Frances Burney. This wickedly funny eighteenth century best-seller follows the trials and romantic adventures of a young beauty as she tries to make her way through Eighteenth Century Britain handicapped by her three great problems, being poor, being illegitimate – and being a girl.

Vanishing of the Bees is a new documentary that tells the worrying story of the disappearing honeybee. Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Emilia Fox narrates this campaigning movie that draws our attention to the fact that across the world, honeybee populations are decreasing at an alarming rate, leading to concerns that bees could disappear altogether.

Although the exact causes of dwindling bee numbers are as yet unclear, there is strong evidence to suggest that a particular group of pesticides could be to blame. Ok - why should we care if a few insects die off ? Well, amongst the many statistics catalogued in the film is the revelation that 80 per cent of all fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and flowers rely on the bee. In fact the bee plays a role in one in every three mouthfuls of food we eat - and if you include tea and coffee, much of what we drink as well.

Vanishing of the Bees is well worth watching and is on a limited cinema release across the UK now.

Daughter to Edward Fox, niece to James, cousin to Laurence, Emilia is a member of the incredibly talented Fox acting dynasty and brings all her talents to her Silksoundbooks Audio Book The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems, by Alexander Pope.

We are having another celebration here at Silksoundbooks. Today is the birthday of star audio book reader Stephen Tompkinson who was born in 1965 in Stockton-on-Tees. He grew up in Lancashire and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

We first got to know Stephen through his role in Drop The Dead Donkey in the nineties. Since then he has starred in the film Brassed Off, and the TV series In Deep Other TV appearances have included Grafters, All Quiet on the Preston Front and the wonderful Ballykissangel.

In January 2006 he starred in a new ITV drama series Wild at Heart about a Bristol vet relocating to Africa. This led to the recent production of Stephen Tompkinson's Great African Balloon Adventure, a three part documentary about his adventures in a hot air balloon travelling from Tanzania to Namibia.

Set closer to home, The Card, read as an unabridged audiobook by Stephen Tompkinson, is set in the Midlands region of England. Arnold Bennett's very entertaining novel tells how the hero of the story, Henry Machin, makes his way up the social ladder of a Northern British potteries town to become a nineteenth century celebrity, with all the benefits and pitfalls that brings. Stephen's obvious affinity with the North off England really adds to the story.

Happy birthday Stephen, from all of us at Silksoundbooks.

OK - I admit it! I'm a huge fan of Art Malik. I could listen to his soft, gentle and hugely expressive voice for hours on end.

Next month there's a chance to see Art in what is billed as one of the most exciting and glamorous evenings in London's theatre calendar - The 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala at the Old Vic. 40 acclaimed actors, directors and writers join forces to write, rehearse and perform six short plays in just 24 hours. It's the ultimate theatrical challenge, culminating in a unique evening played out on one of the world's most celebrated stages.

For those of us who don't live close to London, but still love the sound of Art Malik's wonderful voice, help is at hand! ‘In the High and Far off times…’ begins Rudyard Kipling’s ‘How the Elephant got his Trunk’, and off we are taken by one of the most supreme storytellers into a world where children’s questions are turned neatly on their heads and questions provided which, far from stopping the stream of enquiries, only serve to make it gush faster.

The Just So Stories audiobook, read By Art Malik is available only from Silksoundbooks.

On the 7th October 1849 Edgar Allan Poe died mysteriously. He was found a few days earlier on the streets of Baltimore, delirious, and 'in great distress.. in need of immediate assistance', according to the man who found him. He was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition and, oddly, was wearing clothes that were not his own.

Nobody knows what happened to him as all medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost. Was it alcoholism, delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis or cholera ? All have been suggested, but we will never know.

His death left a mystery worthy of the brilliant detective C. Auguste Dupin, the creation of Poe who is often regarded as the first detective novelist. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the greatest detective in fiction, Sherlock Holmes, once remarked 'Where was the detective story before Poe breathed life into it ?'

Read by Bill Nighy, the founder reader and Silksoundbooks ambassador, The Dupin Mysteries comprise three tales that show the great detective at work. Bill adds his own inimitable suspense and tension to these detective mysteries, available for download as an unabridged audio book only from Silksoundbooks.

Watch out for Silksoundbooks audio book star reader Rufus Sewell in the movie Vinyan released last week in cinemas and today on DVD.

Apparently, when someone dies a horrible death, their spirit becomes confused and angry. It becomes ‘Vinyan’.

Six months after losing her only child in the Asian tsunami disaster, Jeanne, (Emmanuelle Béart), is convinced she's seen footage of him in a film about orphans living in the jungles of Burma. While her husband, played by Rufus, is worried that she’s losing her mind, he still agrees to take her to search for their son together.

Introduced to a dangerous gang of human traffickers, they soon find themselves alone and stranded in the middle of a treacherous jungle, where they come face to face with horrors both earthly and ungodly. Drug smugglers threaten their lives, they are set upon by a band of rabid, feral children and it seems that their search for their son has led them to a fate more horrific than death.

If, like me, you are a huge fan of Rufus Sewell, but not overly keen on horror movies, I've got a suggestion. The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend Mr Abraham Adams may be a very long title, but it is a hugely entertaining audio book. Written by Henry Fielding it follows Joseph Andrews' journey as footman to the rather dippy Parson Adams on thier journey through the English countryside. And at only £7.95 for nearly 12 hours of entertainment it beats the cinema for value any day!

During the month of October 2009, the UK satellite channel Sky Arts will be screening Charles Dickens's England, presented and narrated by Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Sir Derek Jacobi.

Charles Dickens is without doubt the UK’s most prominent writer since Shakespeare and the literary voice of Victorian England. His characters are universally well known, and his style of writing came to define the episodic cliff-hanger. The documentary, which is also available on DVD, is a journey through the places, buildings, towns, cities and villages where Dickens lived or was inspired in his writing.

From Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, numerous London locations, and including Bury St Edmonds, Rochester, and Broadstairs, well over 100 locations are featured. Many of them, such as the interior of 58 Lincoln’s Inn Fields where Dickens first read in public, the offices in Covent Garden where he lived and worked, his childhood home in Chatham and Gad’s Hill in Kent, the last in a very long list of his homes, are simply not open to the public and have rarely been filmed.

Charles Dickens is well represented in the Silksoundbooks catalogue with four wonderful unabridged audio books available for download. The legendary George Cole reads The Cricket on the Hearth , The Chimes and A Christmas Carol while Andrew Sachs brings his astonishing talent for voices to A Tale of Two Cities .

Sir Derek reads the tale of Dr Frankenstein and the horrendous monster he unleashes on the world when he tinkers with the laws of Nature in the Silksoundbooks unabridged version of Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein.

A feast of audio delights indeed!

Opening today in cinemas in the UK, Creation is based on Randal Keynes biography of his great-great-grandfather Charles Darwin.

Creation is set in the mid-1800s and stars Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly and Silksoundbooks Star audio book reader Jeremy Northam. The movie examines the life of naturalist Charles Darwin and the strain his marriage undergoes when his evolutionary theories clash with his wife's religious beliefs.

The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and was developed by BBC Films and the UK Film Council.

Jeremy Northam is most renowned for his roles in such classic films as Emma, The Winslow Boy, An Ideal Husband and Gosford Park. His recent US television hit The Tudors has secured his wider fame as one of the major faces of classical drama.

His Silksoundbooks unabridged audiobooks The Aspern Papers and The Real Thing and Other Short Stories, are a wonderful introduction to the works of their American author, Henry James , who had twenty novels, twelve plays and one hundred and twelve stories completed in his lifetime.

We're celebrating another birthday here at Silksoundbooks. Today it's the turn of Tara Cressida Frances Williams who was born on the 24th September. Who ? ? you ask... well, she is better known as Finty Williams.

Finty is the daughter of actors Michael Williams and Dame Judi Dench. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, graduating in 1994 and has appeared in a number of British films, frequently alongside Dame Judi. Finty has also played many roles in the theatre and on television.

Her Silksoundbooks audio book Evelina, in which she stars once again with her mother Dame Judi Dench has been at the top of our best sellers list since it was recorded.

Finty and Dame Judi are joined by Geoffrey Palmer in this unabridged audiobook of Frances Burney’s wickedly funny novel. Evelina follows the trials and romantic adventures of a young beauty as she tries to make her way through Eighteenth Century Britain handicapped by her three great problems, being poor, being illegitimate – and being a girl !

Happy Birthday Finty from all of us here at Silksoundbooks !

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Crispin Bonham-Carter.

Crispin is well known for his for his role as Mr. Bingley in BBC's Pride and Prejudice and was recently seen in the James Bond film Casino Royale. But it would be true to say that his first love is definitely the theatre and it doesn’t matter to him whether he’s on stage or behind the scenes, for he has a parallel career as an actor and as a director. 'Directing is a way of taking control, of seeing something through from beginning to end.' he said in 2000.

Crispin studied classics at St. Andrews in Scotland, but spent most of his time in the university theatre. Before he had even graduated he landed his first professional job, a one-line cameo 'Here’s your hat, Father' in the film Howard’s End, which starred his third cousin twice removed, Helena Bonham-Carter. Amazingly , the two had never even met until Crispin walked up to her during the filming and introduced himself. He is modest about his break. 'I think it was James Ivory thinking, ‘How amusing, to put this other Bonham-Carter in as well.''

Crispin brings all his talents to his Silksoundbooks unabridged audio book The Picture of Dorian Gray, revealing the full gothic horror of Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale.

Happy Birthday Crispin.

As we are based in the UK, most of our news seems to come from close to home, but today we've got a story from the USA.

Silksoundbooks Star audio book reader Lynn Redgrave will headline the 13th annual Broadway Blessing, an interfaith service that will start the new theatre season tonight, September 14. The service will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. 1047 Amsterdam Avenue New York, starting at 7pm.

The service will incorporate a taste of Broadway through singing, readings, and dancing taken from well-known shows. In addition to reflections from Lynn, Carol Hall and J. Mark McVey will sing a selection from the musical Amazing Grace: The True Story. Shakespearean actor Casey Groves and the group Project Dance are both scheduled to perform as is the Broadway Blessing Choir, led by Director of Cathedral Music Bruce Neswick, which will sing show tunes and lead the audience in a sing-a-long at the end of the service.

The service is free and open to the public - arrive early and you may get a seat next to a favorite Broadway star !

For fans of Lynn Redgrave who can't make it to New York - which sadly includes the entire Silksoundbooks team - check out her incredible audio book reading of the Jane Austen classic novel Northanger Abbey. Eight and a half hours of unabridged audio delight!

For viewers in the UK there's another new case for Agatha Christie's famous amateur sleuth, Miss Marple tonight on ITV.

The new series features Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Julia McKenzie in the title role, taking over from Geraldine McEwan who played the part in the last series and Joan Hickson who portrayed the amateur detective in the BBC's adaptations of the Eighties and Nineties.

'We're all different in our own ways' said Julia, 'and it's important to note Agatha Christie wrote MIss Marple's character in two ways, too. At first, she was very much as Geraldine was playing her; frail, Victorian, rather fussy and quirky. She picked up the character again 10 years later and she was a little different - tweedier, sturdier, kinder.'

'It'll might be hard on the viewers to accept another actress in the role, but hopefully it won't take too many episodes to get to know me and come along my path.'

Well, if last weeks episode is anything to go by, all of us here at Silksoundbooks are very happy with Julia's Miss Marple - it's a show not to be missed.

And talking of not to be missed - Julia's audiobooks of the Lewis Carroll classic stories Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the follow up Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There are available to download from Silksoundbooks.

Here's a note for your diary - or for your video recorder. Watch out for Walk On The Wild Side this evening in the UK on BBC One at 17.45. The show is is a brand new comedy series that combines comedy with jaw-dropping natural history footage.

Tonight's episode also features a guest appearances from Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Richard E Grant who joins some of Britain's most promising new comedians and performers.

In a complete change from his Silksoundbooks unabridged audiobook of the first Sherlock Holmes story - A Study in Scarlet - Richard stars as an angry camel who joins a world of hip-hop loving badgers, dieting pandas and a marmot called Alan!

This is definitely a show not to be missed!

She's been a sex siren in the Carry On movies, a sensible housewife in 80s sitcom Terry And June and a loveable, if slightly batty, grandmother in Absolutely Fabulous.

She is, of course, Silksoundbooks star audio book reader June Whitfield and her amazing showbiz career spans more than seven decades but she's showing no signs of quitting just yet.

June says that she still loves tackling new challenges and she'll be doing just that when she sets out on a national tour with We'll Meet Again, a nostalgic look back at the music of the Second World War years. 'It's definitely my kind of music' said June, 'there's a 27-piece orchestra so the sound will be wonderful and all the great numbers are on the bill - tunes by big bandleaders like Glen Miller, Benny Goodman and Ray Noble, it's all fantastic stuff.'

The Expedition of Humphry Clinker read as an unabridged audio book by June Whitfield , Hywel Simons & Suzy Aitchison is also pretty fantastic! It is written in the form of a series of letters the five members of Squire Bramble’s household send as they journey around Britain and is a wonderful, gentle comedy.

We'll Meet Again is on in Birmingham on September 3rd, Nottingham on the 4th, Glasgow on the 5th and Manchester on the 6th. You can find the rest of the dates online.

If you are as big a fan of Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Jane Horrocks as we are, then here is some great news! The autumn season on BBC4 will feature 3 one-off films about the artistic careers of British female icons Margot Fonteyn, Gracie Fields and Enid Blyton.

Jane Horrocks will star in Gracie!, Nick Vivian's romantic comedy about Gracie Fields, the singer and comedienne from Rochdale who rose to fame in the Thirties – becoming the nation's darling and the highest-paid film actress in the world. Renowned for her "common touch", Gracie symbolised the indomitable spirit of Thirties Britain. Her mass appeal was unprecedented. Jane will sing a stunning repertoire of Gracie songs including Sally, Sing As We Go and I Never Cried So Much In All My Life. This is a programme we are definitely looking forward to watching.

Jane's singing and reading talents are put to good use in her two Silksoundbooks audiobooks - Sonnets from the Portuguese, a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Nursery Rhymes, an exclusive collection of favourite childhood Nursery Rhymes. Two great audiobooks from silksoundbooks.com

If you have missed the wonderfully British BBC comedy Jam & Jerusalem in its regular Sunday timeslot, there is one more chance to catch the last hour long episode - but it's at a time best suited to insomniacs - 3.10 in the morning, tomorrow the 26th of August - so it's probably better better to set it to record, or watch it on the amazing BBC iPlayer.

Jam and Jerusalem is a gentle and at times surreal comedy set in the small West Country village of Clatterford St Mary. Written by Jennifer Saunders, who is also one of the stars, the show has a great cast including Sue Johnston, David Mitchell, Dawn French and Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Suzy Aitchison.

Suzy gets a chance to play alongside her mother - the celebrated actress June Whitfield - in the Silksoundbooks audio book The Expedition of Humphry Clinker . Written by Tobias Smollett , this audiobook was described as '..a fresh and enjoyable comedy' by Karen Robinson writing in The Sunday Times.

So, Jam and Jerusalem on the iPlayer and a Silksoundbook to download - aren't computers wonderful !

A new film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is due to be released in UK cinemas this September.

Dorian Gray is the intriguing story of the beautiful, vain, sinful and indulgent young Dorian Gray, who houses his conscience in a portrait which slowly and hideously decays while he, ever more indulgent , remains untouched by age - but at a terrifying price.

Ben Barnes leads the all star cast which also includes Colin Firth and Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Emilia Fox. The movie is directed by Oliver Parker.

The movie is due for UK release on September 9th, but in the meantime why not listen to the original, unabridged story as written by Oscar Wilde?

The Silksoundbooks audio book The Picture of Dorian Gray is read by the acclaimed English actor Crispin Bonham-Carter who delivers a stunning performance, delivering the full gothic horror of Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale.

This year's Edinburgh Festival has seen the World Premiere of A British Subject, a play that tells how Daily Mirror journalist Don Mackay played a key role in freeing a man held on death row in a Pakistani jail for 18 years. It was written by Mackay's wife, the actress and star Silksoundbooks audio book reader Nichola McAuliffe.

At the age of 18, Mirza Tahir Hussain, a British Subject, arrived in Pakistan. 24 hours later a taxi driver was dead and Tahir was tried for his murder. Condemned to hang in the Criminal Court he spent the following 7 years on death row. Released on appeal, he prepared to return home to Leeds but was sent back to death row by a Sharia Court. He stayed there for a further 11 years. A British Subject is the true account of what happened and is playing until the end of August at Over The Road Two in Edinburgh.

Nichola has covered most roles in her hugely respected acting career, from her influential work with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Royal National Theatre to her British television hit Surgical Spirit and her appearances on the long running soap opera Coronation Street. She has also won several awards for her roles in West End musicals, including Kiss Me Kate, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, for which she was nominated for a further Olivier.

Nichola's Silksoundbooks audio book, The Water Babies , uses her talents to the full in bringing to life the many characters in this hugely popular children's novel written by Charles Kingsley.

There are still a few more days to see Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Oliver Cotton in the highly acclaimed stage production of The Grapes of Wrath at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

The Grapes of Wrath, written by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck was first published as a novel in 1939 and is a cry for equality and humanity and a hymn to the fortitude of man.

The Joads, a family of impoverished sharecroppers from Oklahoma, lose everything when their farm is repossessed after a devastating drought and are driven from their home to make the exhausting Westward trek to California. Seduced by the prospect of opportunity and dignity, they invest everything they have in the journey. When forced to face the possibility that California may not after all be the promised land, they have no choice but to go on as nothing is left for them in Oklahoma.

Oliver Cotton has worked extensively at the RSC and the National theatre and his credits include The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Piano Forte and more recently, The Clean House. His film and television work is equally extensive, including roles in the BBC’s David Copperfield , Peter Hall’s The Camomile Lawn, and John Malkovich’s The Dancer Upstairs.

Oliver is no stranger to epic storytelling and his exclusive Silksoundbooks audio book of the classic Thomas Hardy novel The Return of the Native is perfectly suited to his rich and sonorous voice.

Five actresses will play the Queen of England in a new television drama series exploring the events of her reign.

Silksoundbooks star audio book reader Emilia Fox leads the cast of the Chanel 4 series as the Queen in 1955.

Samantha Bond , another of our star audio book readers will play the Queen in the second programme set in the 1970's.

Actresses Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick each take the part in subsequent episodes, bringing the story up to 2005.

The series, which is being made by an independent production company, will be broadcast in November, but we are happy to suggest some fine audiobooks to listen to whilst you are waiting!

Samantha Bond reads Lady Chatterley's Lover, the story of the book's heroine and her love for her husband’s gamekeeper which outraged the sensibilities of Edwardian England and was the subject of the famous obsenity trial in 1960.

The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems, read by Emilia Fox is an unabridged collection of poetry by Alexander Pope, considered by many to be the greatest poet of the eighteenth century and the third most quoted writer after Shakespeare and Tennyson.

A right royal feast for the ears indeed - and only from silksoundbooks.com !

Out on DVD this week - Californication: Season 2. Starring former X-Files star David Duchovny and Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Natascha McElhone.

Californication is a comedy about the pleasures and pitfalls of living la vida loca. David Duchovny seems born for the role of Hank Moody, a novelist with a drink and drug problem, a bad case of writer's block and a seeming inability to resist the many temptations Los Angeles has to offer. In Season 2 we pick up the story as he is reconciled with his foxy ex girlfriend Karen, played by Natascha, to the delight of his daughter Becca. But of course, things won't go according to plan...

Natascha McElhone brings her undoubted talents to her audio book Goblin Market and Selected Poems. Sue Arnold, writing in The Guardian said 'I've never heard anyone put as much erotic menace into Rossetti's magical and deeply disturbing epic about temptation and redemption as Natascha McElhone. What a voice. If they gave audios X certificates, this would get one !'

So, an 18 rated DVD set, or an almost X certificate audio book - you have a great choice!!

All of us at Silksoundbooks would like to wish star audiobook reader Anna Massey a very happy birthday for today the 11th of August.

Anna is the daughter of actors Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen and sister of Daniel Massey and has been a respected and prolific stage, TV and screen actress since the mid '50s. She made her stage debut in The Reluctant Debutante in 1955 and followed this with a string of substantial roles over the ensuing decades.

In 1986, Anna was awarded the British Academy TV Award for Best Actress for her role in Hotel Du Lac. In the New Year's Honours List of 2004 she was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire - CBE - for services to drama.

Anna's exclusive Silksoundbooks audio book reading of Fairy Stories by The Brothers Grimm really makes the most of her wonderfully rich voice. From Cinderella to Rapunzel these original versions of the classic Fairy Stories are not only surprising – they are really quite shocking !

Soon to be released is a fascinating new movie from the producer of Paris, je t'aime. New York, I Love You stars an amazing cast, including Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Julie Christie.

In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in this movie, which is a collaboration of storytelling from some of today's most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn, the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself. Here at Silksoundbooks, we are really looking forward to this film.

Set in another century and another country, but still with the theme of the search for love, Julie Christie's audiobook reading of Madame Bovary, the classic novel by Gustave Flaubert, follows Emma Bovary’s attempts to escape the maddening boredom of being married to the wrong man, in the wrong town, with the wrong picture of her life via a series of passionate but doomed love affairs.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish star audio book reader Alan Howard a very happy birthday.

Alan was born on August the 5th in 1937 into a long standing theatrical dynasty. His father was the actor Arthur Howard and his mother’s family had been acting for five generations begun by his great-great grandfather Henry MacKenzie who journeyed to London and become the actor Henry Compton. The diverse clan also includes the world famous author Sir Compton MacKenzie.

His career began, as family tradition demanded, as an Assistant Stage Manager sweeping the stage at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, but he fairly swiftly rose to a prominence in the English theatre enjoyed by very few actors. He was named a Commander of the British Empire in 1998.

Amongst his many film roles have been Cromwell in The Return of the Musketeers, Michael in The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, and the voice of the ring in the recent Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

For Silksoundbooks, Alan has recorded four wonderful audio books written by Robert Louis Stevenson... The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Markheim, A Lodging for the Night and The Pavilion on the Links are all read in Alan's own unique way and are available to download only from silksoundbooks.com

Happy Birthday Alan !

The box office at London's Young Vic theatre is now taking bookings for the new revival of Irving Berlin's fabulous musical Annie Get Your Gun which opens in October.

The new production stars Silksoundbooks audiobook reader Jane Horrocks, best known to musical fans for Little Voice, both on stage and screen, who will play the title role in this in new production of the multi-award-winning musical.

Set in Ohio, Annie Get Your Gun focuses on Annie Oakley, the loud-mouthed gunslinger, and Frank Butler, her sharp-shooting rival and love interest, who battle it out for a place in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Featuring classic songs such as 'There’s No Business Like Show Business' and 'Anything You Can Do', Annie Get Your Gun last ran in the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1992.

In a gentler mood, Jane Horrocks has two audio book collections of poems available to download from silksoundbooks.com Sonnets from the Portuguese is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Nursery Rhymes is an exclusive collection of your favourite childhood stories recorded with all the original words and verses in Jane's own unique style.

We can't wait until October - see you at the Young Vic!

Today we'd like to wish Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Emilia Fox a very happy birthday!

Daughter to Edward Fox , niece to James, cousin to Laurence, Emilia is a member of the incredibly talented Fox acting dynasty. She may have only been on screen since 1995, but has built up an impressive career so far and is probably best known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander in the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

Her talents are not limited to television and films. She has starred in several prestigious stage productions, including Richard II and Coriolanus at the Almeida . You may also have her heard her in BBC radio plays as well as film and documentary voiceovers and commercials.

Emilia Fox’s reading of our exclusive and unabridged collection of Alexander Pope poetry - The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems - is available for download as an audiobook from Silksoundbooks.

Happy birthday Emilia !

Happy Birthday to star Silksoundbooks audio book reader David Warner who was born in Manchester on July 29th. After training at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, his professional stage debut was at the Royal Court in January 1962, playing Snout, in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

From then on he has enjoyed a hugely varied career. From stage plays to movies, computer games to TV shows, David's amazing talent and offbeat looks have seen him cast as evil villains as well as roles as the nice guy. In August 2007, as an RSC Honorary Artist, he returned to Stratford for the first time in over 40 years to play Falstaff in Henry IV making him the only British actor to have played Hamlet, Lear and Falstaff in major theatrical productions.

We were thrilled when David decided to read Robinson Crusoe for Silksoundbooks. His masterly telling of the Daniel Defoe classic is available to download only from silksoundbooks.com

Apparently Bill Nighy, our founder reader and travelling ambassador for Silksoundbooks, has been struggling to keep cool in Hollywood recently!
'I like a bit of rain, this is too hot for me' he explained on the red carpet as temperatures hit the 90s, adding: 'I'm an Englishman and this is insanely hot and for some reason I have a suit on.'

Bill was attending the premiere of his new movie G-Force, the Disney animated adventure where he comes up against a crack team of crime fighting guinea pigs. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained animals discover that the fate of the world is in their paws as they try to stop arms dealer Leonard Saber, played by Bill, and his evil plan for world domination. G-Force opens in UK cinemas on July 31st.

If you prefer your drama in a slightly more serious style, The Dupin Mysteries written by Edgar Allan Poe and read in an unabridged audio book by Bill Nighy, is guaranteed not to contain a single guinea pig.

This summer, BBC Four will be screening a season of programmes – a mix of dramas, documentaries and archive footage – providing a fascinating look at the biological discoveries that have shaped the modern world.

Spanish Flu – The Forgotten Fallen, one of the dramas in the series, tells the little known story of Dr James Niven, played by Silksoundbooks star audiobook reader Bill Paterson .

Inspired by Dr Niven's own accounts of his 30 years as Manchester's Medical Officer of Health, the film follows his heroic efforts to combat a second wave of fatal influenza as it spreads across the city of Manchester and the UK.

Bill's reading of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic Tales of Terror and Mystery is available to download from Silksoundbooks.

All of us here at Silksoundbooks would like to wish a big Happy Birthday to our star audio book reader Olivia Williams who is celebrating today.
Olivia was described by Kevin Costner as 'one of the most beautiful women to come on screen in the last 10 years' and we would certainly not disagree.

Olivia has long had an affection the works of Jane Austen appearing most recently in the film Miss Austen Regrets with fellow Silksoundbooks readers Greta Scacchi and Hugh Bonneville.

Olivia's Jane Austen book of choice is Persuasion and her rich voice is ideally suited to this reading which is available as an unabridged audiobook download from Silksoundbooks.

Happy Birthday Olivia !

Question time. Which legendary English actor was mentioned in this weekends Observer article 'Caroline Boucher's 50 best food products' ?

Well, if you didn't read the article, here is the answer. Terence Stamp and his Stamp Collection of wheat and dairy free foods.

Terence says an estimated one in four people are, like him, wheat intolerant. The Stamp Collection's bread, flour and pasta are designed for them and are available health food shops and some supermarkets.

Terence Stamp chose Perfect Brilliant Stillness to read as his Silksoundbooks audio book. It was written by a reclusive American, David Carse, and has very much influenced Terence's life and his quest for mental as well as physical health. For Carse there is no self, only the Presence, the Being, Consciousness, he as a man is merely a “thought construct”. The book takes you on a magnificent journey to the ultimate questions of existence. (fyswpjm2bz)

Great news for fans of Silksoundbooks founder reader and global ambassador