The Surprise Star Narrator
“The Garden Grump is brought to life by a storyteller of rare talent - and a voice you may well already know.”
The surprise is out. The Garden Grump is read by Peter Kenny.
Peter Kenny has spent thirty years working as an actor, musician, designer and director in theatre and radio, for companies including A&BC Theatre Co., the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC Radio Drama Company. An award-winning narrator of audiobooks, he has recorded over 100 titles, from Iain M. Banks, Neil Gaiman and Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher) to Claire North, Jonas Jonasson, Jeremy Vine and Paul O'Grady. www.peterkenny.com
A narrator who has spent a lifetime bringing stories to life, holding listeners spellbound at every turn of the page - and when this little garden reached him, he said yes. Every humph, every huff, every weary sigh of a daisy who'd rather be left alone: performed with the mischief and tenderness of someone who understands exactly what a children's story is for - joy, imagination, and that special moment of connection between a child and their parent.
In Peter’s words
Asked on BBC Radio Somerset what made him say yes to this one:
“I’ve been very fortunate to work on some magnificent writing. And Chris’s story is up there. It really is, because it just tells it so simply, and in a simple way that’s accessible. And actually quite moving. I was moved to tears when I first read it.”
Peter Kenny, on air, 21 October 2026
“At face value it’s a charming evocation of characters in an English country garden, with their sweetness and silliness, but it evolves into something much more powerful, a simple yet powerful message that it’s ok to not be ok. This is a particularly difficult concept for younger people; this poem lays it out beautifully. I love the Grump more each time I read it!”
Peter Kenny, September 2026
When the script first reached him, Peter called it “utterly enchanting”, with “a wee tear as well as a smile”. He read it aloud to the poetry group he runs, many of them teachers: “They absolutely loved it, saying it’s the sort of thing they could use with their students.”
“In a world full of robins and roses, snails and hedgehogs... on occasion... be more ladybird!”
Peter Kenny
Hear Peter read the opening of the book
Forty seconds from the recording of The Garden Grump, read by Peter Kenny.
The secret came out on air on Wednesday 21 October 2026, when Christopher joined Simon Parkin on BBC Radio Somerset, with Peter joining them on the line. Listen again on BBC Sounds (from 2 hours 27 minutes in).
The Garden Grump features in the December 2026 issue of Somerset Life magazine. Follow Christopher Turner on BookBub and The Garden Grump on Facebook for the latest from the garden.
The Garden Grump - Read by Peter Kenny - Pre-order now - Published 14 November 2026 - Apple Books · Google Play - GardenGrump.co.uk
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