In The Dark’s Connor Walsh puts out his antennae to bring us a round up of audio news from around the world!

This Autumn Connor recaps the quarter’s events, picks out some online developments, and  looks forward to another big event in London this year…

In last month’s Friends of In The Dark newsletter we mentioned how (with some gentle meddling from us) radio producer Benjamen Walker’s Guardian podcast had been picked up by Radiolab.

Little did we expect we’d host an event with Benjamen in November. At short notice we heard he would be passing through London en route back to New York with the raw tape for his new Occupy Siberia programme – a typically weird meditation on a trip supposedly demonstrating social media to Siberians. Key quote: ‘Reality, I tell him, can get boring sometimes’.

So, we sprang into action and dug up a venue – a basement in Hackney seemed just right. It was small but rather perfect. The mix of listeners (from famed prize-winners to rookie students), and the impact on them of hearing something new, was just what In The Dark is all about.

That last-minute event was a boozy aperitif to our more planned Christmas Party, along with our friends at Moshi Moshi. They’re a record label, and we will be teaming up with them to release an album of great radio in the next few months – more of that anon. For now, we kick-started the relationship with a very fun Christmas party in the Book Club, Shoreditch. Again, the basement. It was standing room only, and whaddya know, Benjamen Walker showed up again, luggage in tow, from New York via Heathrow. We also had a few new BBC guests and a bunch of students from Goldsmiths College. Score.

Twitter: I do that, so you don’t have to. One good development since we last met is the creation of #audiofiles – using that hashtag to tweet a link to audio you like flags it up on a new website, audiofil.es. That’s of course wide open to corporate use, such as CNN Radio linking to all their podcasts, which, it turns out, are as interesting as you’d expect. But audiofil.es also has editors who curate from that pile (much like my other gig, AudioDocumentary.org). It’s another slant on ideas that have been tried before, but unlike said.fm or Huffduffer, this is based in the US and is getting more traction.

With an NPR, worthy bent, and generally the same few sources, it won’t set the world on fire, but you are likely to find something more than the two-guys-swearing podcast. And, an item by In the Dark’s own Sofia Saldhana. Like.

Another Twitter development was the addition of @Soundwomen, their Irish counterparts @WomenOnAirIE, and the hashtag #womenonair. Now, can you guess which arts non-profit that organises crafted audio listening events is planning one with Soundwomen this year? (it’s us).

And finally, as we wrapped up this edition, came this delightful tweet from Jonathan Goldstein (he of CBC Wiretap and This American Life) to Roman Mars (him formerly of Third Coast and nowly of Remix Radio and 99% Invisible):
@romanmarsI just heard Remix for the first time on the actual radio.was driving to TO by myself & kept saying to no one, “I know this guy.”
There’ll be an influx of radio producers to London in May, when the International Features Conference takes place for four days. Hardier bods from around the continent have been asking for sofas – mine’s already booked –  and if you have one to lend, give us a shout.Another reason to get in touch is calls to radio arms, or best of all, gossip. We’re all friends (of In The Dark) here. Grab me at an event or email connor@inthedarkradio.org