Showing results by narrator "Stephen Fry" in All Categories

Delight in a collection of tales for all the family, voiced by our favourite celebrities....

Christmas is the perfect time to curl up with a good story, and this cracking collection brings you 30 wonderfully diverse tales inspired by this most special of seasons. From Santa Claus, gift-giving and family gatherings, to an unexpected encounter in a snowstorm and an alternative take on the Nativity, they're sure to get you in the festive mood.

When the Browns take Paddington to the Christmas grotto at the local department store, their journey through the Winter Wonderland is full of unexpected surprises. But the best surprise is a present from Santa. After all, who else would find the perfect present for a bear like Paddington?

Paddington Bear first met the Brown family at a railway station–Paddington station, in fact. He had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru with only a jar of marmalade, a suitcase and a label reading ‘Please look after this bear’. Without further ado, Mr and Mrs Brown promptly welcomed the adventurous bear into their family, and in honour of their meeting place they named him Paddington. The Browns soon discover that Paddington is a most unusual bear. Ordinary things–like having a bath–become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.

In Letters of Note: War, Shaun Usher brings together some of the most remarkable letters that encapsulate the human experience of war, from unimaginable feats of courage and compassion, to unthinkable episodes of violence and horror. A star-studded cast of readers brings the letters to life, with contributions from Sanjeev Bhaskar, Louise Brealey, Simon Callow, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry, Neil Gaiman, Danny Huston, Toby Jones, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jude Law, Natascha McElhone, Clarke Peters, Juliet Stevenson and Mark Strong.

Rediscover the greatest love poetry ever written. Shakespeare’s sonnets are some of the nation’s favourite lines of verse, but the Elizabethan language can make it difficult to really understand them. Many guides offer to clarify the meaning, but lose the magic of the words by explaining them away. James Anthony has done something boldly different.

In Letters of Note: Music, Shaun Usher brings together a riveting collection of letters by and about some of the musicians and music that enrich our lives. Wonderfully wide-ranging and illuminating, it will delight music lovers of all stripes. A star-studded cast of readers brings the letters to life, with contributions from Sanjeev Bhaskar, Louise Brealey, Simon Callow, Nick Cave, Crystal Clarke, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry, Danny Huston, Toby Jones, Jude Law, Stephen Mangan, Miriam Margolyes, Clarke Peters, Juliet Stevenson and Mark Strong.

In Letters of Note: Cats, Shaun Usher collects together the most engaging missives that celebrate, eulogise, rail against and analyse the idiosyncratic ways of our feline companions. A star-studded cast of readers brings the letters to life, with contributions from Sanjeev Bhaskar, Louise Brealey, Simon Callow, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry, Neil Gaiman, Danny Huston, Toby Jones, Ferdinand Kingsley, Helen McCrory, Natascha McElhone, Stephen Mangan, Miriam Margolyes, Clarke Peters, Juliet Stevenson, Mark Strong and Meera Syal.

A brand new book starring Paddington, the classic bear from Darkest Peru, as he takes part in a local family sports event, with hilarious results! When Paddington attends the event with the Brown family, he can’t wait to try his paw at as many activities as possible. But, as always, when Paddington is around, things do not quite go according to plan… with outrageously sticky results. And as Paddington soon finds out, it’s not winning that counts, it’s the taking part. Will Paddington go home with any prizes?

Brian Johnston - aka ‘Johnners’ - the BBC’s long-time cricket commentator, is the umpire in this test of wit and general knowledge, as two teams try to score the highest number of runs under his watchful eye. In these four episodes, team captains Tim Rice and Willie Rushton are joined by Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, Bill Tidy, Caroline Quentin, Bernard Cribbins, and Robin Bailey. But which questions will they go for? The easier ‘single’ worth just one run?

Historian Greg Jenner uses a random date generator to visit somewhere in the BBC's vast archives of remarkable sound clips from the last 100 years. Using that clip as a jumping-off point to explore what has changed between then and now, Greg talks to experts and those connected to the archived people, places, and ideas, including Stephen Fry, writer Naomi Alderman, playwright Nell Leyshon, social historian Carol Dyhouse, author and disability campaigner Dr Amit Patel, food historian Annie Gray, and inveterate tennis fan Geoff Dyer.

In SUM, David Eagleman entertains forty fictional possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity, he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology and love. These stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination.

In Letters of Note: Sex, Shaun Usher collects together some of the most noteworthy missives ever written on the subject, from euphemism-laden, flirtatious exchanges and desire-driven expressions of passion to sincere and thoughtful meditations on the meaning of sex. Includes letters by John Cheever, Sigmund Freud, Dorothy Day, James Joyce, Margaret Mead, Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, Mae West and many others.

The first volume in the best-selling Letters of Note series was a collection of hundreds of the world's most entertaining, inspiring, and unusual letters, based on the seismically popular website of the same name. In this volume, Shaun Usher turns to the theme of war. Letters of Note: War brings together some of the most remarkable letters that encapsulate human experience of war, from unimaginable feats of courage and compassion, to unthinkable episodes of violence and horror. Includes letters by Kurt Vonnegut, Alexander Hamilton, Martha Gellhorn, and many more.

1885: Five years after his release from prison, Montmorency is working undercover for the government. But his life, and national security, are threatened by his addiction to drugs. Can his friends restore his health in time to discover who is bombing London, and why, on the Scottish island of Tarimond, a whole generation of children has died?

Fleeing across a roof on a dark night in Victorian London, a thief crashes through a glass skylight to almost certain death. But an ambitious young doctor revives and reconstructs his shattered body, proudly showing off his handiwork at the Scientific Society where the city's intelligentsia meet. It is there that the robber picks up the key to a new existence, and on his release from prison begins to lead a double life.

In SUM, David Eagleman entertains 40 fictional possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity, he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology, and love. These stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination.

Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same…for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around. This fun-filled collection brings together six laugh-out-loud stories.

Discover your confidence and ability to talk in a way that will make people listen, with expert advice from a professional voice artist. This book will help you feel and sound confident speaking to an audience...even when your legs are shaking, Whether it's answering a question in front of the class, speaking in front of a big audience, talking via phone or on screen, it can be uncomfortable (for most adults, too!) This book will give you the tips to tricks to regulate those nerves, make yourself heard, and own the room.

Immerse yourself in a world where the wonderful Stephen Fry reads some of the more memorable short stories of our time. Stephen's voice takes you into a different kind of listening experience, enabling you to imagine narrative, settings, animals and people with vivid colour and meaning. Enjoy the work of one of the most celebrated writers of our time - Irish poet, playwright and short story writer Oscar Wilde.