ACTOR and musician Alastair Braidwood is undertaking a marathon live audiobook reading of one of Thomas Hardy’s best-loved books, Far From the Madding Crowd, starting on Tuesday 17th February and running for seven weeks.

Alastair, well known from the New Hardy Players and their band and ceilidh band Tatterdemalion will be reading the book to audiences at a venue in the heart of Hardy’s Casterbridge – at the King’s Arms Hotel in Dorchester.

Enjoy a drink from the bar, bring a craft to work on or just listen in comfort as Hardy’s story of love, honour and betrayal is told in its entirety, with live music of the period. Taking over the Casterbridge Room in the hotel, a location Hardy featured in The Mayor of Casterbridge, each sesson will run for about two hours of reading, with a break in the middle, followed by a flexible book-club-style discussion.

“This will be quite a challenging undertaking,” says Alastair, “but I’m looking forward to delving into this novel, especially bringing out the humour in the rustic scenes. The most difficult thing for me is keeping the different characters’ voices consistent.

“As a knitter myself, I listen to lots of audiobooks, and I hope this communal listening and making will appeal to crafters. Otherwise, just listening to the performance might entice those who enjoy Hardy’s works and want to investigate the novel with someone who knows the music mentioned and also a little about the farming way of life.”

Tickets for individual evenings or the whole course are available from Dorchester’s new bookshop, Teasel & Skylark on Trinity Street. Anyone interested in literature, gentle evenings out or companionable crafting is welcome. Booking is recommended – www.teaselandskylark.com/events