Reading Log:

I thought I’d keep a note of books I’ve been reading, and maybe the odd thought about them in passing. Take it as recommendation, conversation starter or just indicator of what’s been pushing my buttons. As I finish a book, I’ll make a note of it here – and flag it with the Reading Log title as above…

‘The Right To Speak’ by Patsy Rodenberg

1992, Methuen

The best book on working with the voice for broadcasting or stage I’ve come across. Just finished a long overdue re-read to remind me about things like breathing – and the fact that there’s really no such thing as a ‘bad voice’ – just one that’s accumulated bad habits. The process of learning to speak for radio is the process of getting out of all the bad habits that stand in the way of your natural voice… and learning how to breathe properly. Shame it’s out of print. It’s unnecessarily hard to come by. I stumbled across it at Moahunter second-hand bookshop on Ponsonby Rd the other day. I had to buy it – my copy was loaned out so often, I lost track of where it ended up.