RNIB to transform Roald Dahl books into Welsh language Talking Books and mark centenary with an event in Cardiff’s National Museum
Wales’ largest sight loss charity RNIB Cymru is set to mark the centenary of one of the country’s best-loved children’s authors by turning his books into Welsh language Talking Books with an event in Cardiff’s National Museum on Tuesday 8 November 2016.
From 11am there will be a short event, including a Talking Books narrator reading excerpts of Roald Dahl titles both in English and in Welsh. Following the event there will be Audio Described tours available of the Quentin Blake exhibition which were introduced by the museum back in October 2016.
Roald Dahl, who lived for many years in Cardiff, was himself no stranger to RNIB’s Talking Books library, a collection of over 23,000 audio recordings. He voiced “James and the Giant Peach” in English with a special introduction for blind and partially sighted readers.
The charity will now make his works accessible in Welsh as Talking Books for the first time and will bring in professional narrators to voice his stories. Talking Books help create a lifeline to the outside world for blind and partially sighted people. There are 6,034 Talking Books customers and over 106,000 people living with sight loss in Wales.
RNIB Transcription Centre Manager Emma Jones said: “We all love timeless characters like Matilda, the BFG and the Twits but for many children and adults with sight loss, accessing books isn’t that easy. At RNIB we feel passionately that reading can change the lives of blind and partially sighted people. We’re excited to bring Roald Dahl’s unforgettable books to a new audience.
“RNIB can attract high profile names to work in our professional studios as narrators and we are proud to produce content of the highest standard. We love enriching the lives of people with sight loss with our recordings.”
Carol McKinlay, RNIB Area Fundraising Manager, said: “We know that our Talking Books transform the lives of blind and partially sighted people. But we urgently need support to expand our library and give the gift of reading to even more people living with sight loss.
“We hope that people and businesses are inspired to sponsor a Talking Book and help us change the story.”
RNIB is calling on individuals, community groups and organisations to sponsor a Talking Book by setting up a JustGiving page with a target of £2,500 for an adult book or £1,500 for a children’s book.
RNIB produces at least 25 Welsh language Talking Books from their Cardiff studios every year. The RNIB Library also offers a range of fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and children in braille and giant print. To find out more about the RNIB Library or to sign up for Talking Books call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk .
To sponsor a Talking Book, or to find out more, visit www.rnib.org.uk/
