Welcome
Welcome to the website of Ben R. Atkinson. Ben is a writer, academic, broadcaster and musician. He is known for his radio programme, Ben’s Country Music Show, which airs on stations around the world. In addition, Ben has written two novels, released an album and EP of original music, and worked extensively in the media industry and higher education sector in the UK. Ben is an ethnomusicologist and Americanist currently in the final year of his PhD studies at University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium.
As a broadcaster, Ben is a familiar voice on independent radio across the UK and internationally, having hosted his syndicated radio programme, Ben’s Country Music Show, internationally since 2008. Ben learnt his craft at the Lincoln School of Film and Media and later trained with the BBC.
Ben’s love of music emerged at an early age, and he was encouraged to pick up the guitar by his primary school music teacher. A self-taught musician, Ben plays the guitar and mandolin and has a passion for American roots music, including country, roots, and Americana. He has released one album and an EP of original music. His second album, Country Folk, is due for release in October 2024.
As a writer, Ben is the author of two novels which were both published independently. The Kraken’s Curse (2008) is a YA story of fantasy and intrigue set on the beautiful Devon coast while Walking on Cinders (2010) is a dystopian tale of a bitter global conflict and those who are fighting in the closing days of war in London and France. Walking on Cinders is notable as being one of the first novels by a British author to be promoted widely on social media, selling 1000 copies as part of the ‘1000 Books to Sell Project’ in 2010/11. Ben continues to work on a third novel alongside other writing projects.
In March 2020, Ben combined all his interests to embark on a new challenge, a PhD study in music. His thesis examines the experiences of women in the American country music community of Nashville, Tennessee, during the period 1993-2023 and considers the impact of cultural change, new technology and campaign movements on the success and opportunities for women in the genre. The study is ethnographic, and to that end, Ben spent 12 weeks in 2022-3 living and working in Nashville to support his research. In addition to his PhD study, Ben is a Learning Technology Consultant at the University of Nottingham and the Digital Communications Manager for the British Association for American Studies (BAAS).
