by Jennie Hill
Being read aloud to is an inherent human pleasure. We tell stories to babies to help them fall asleep, reading to elderly relatives was once the duty of grandchildren, and now Audible is being carried around in our pockets. There is something extremely intimate about being read to and in a year when our human connections have been extremely limited, it is no wonder this format has boomed.
The popularity of audiobooks has been on the rise dramatically; global sales have been growing at 25-30% per annum for the past three years and will hit $3.5bn in 2020[i]. But with COVID-19 turning the majority of commuters into home workers the industry was concerned one of their key demographics would be hit. However, the reverse has proved to be the case, with current figures far surpassing the expected growth. Audio books may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the events of this year but they have certainly been one of the silver linings for many in lockdown. So why have people been reaching for the audio, instead of the paperback?
There is a major convenience factor. You can buy and
download a whole audiobook in an instant so you can start listening immediately,
bypassing the temporarily closed bookshops or delivery time. You can listen
while you’re exercising, cooking or doing the housework. I started my addiction
by listening to my course books (revising of course, not first listens) while
driving to and from London. In this way audiobooks are helping the time poor
reconnect with reading.
Some books were simply designed to be read aloud. Shocking
as it may sound, I never used to like the works of Charles Dickens, but then I
listened to them being read by Charles Dance. Now there isn’t a Dickens text I
haven’t read (or at least heard). Dickens’ lengthy descriptions and eccentric
characters are perfect audio material because they were always meant to be.
When Dickens was writing it was still a common practice for the head of a
middle class home to read aloud to his household (servants and female relations
often not being literate). Throughout the 1860s, Dickens undertook his famous
reading tours of Britain, making more money from the readings than he could from
writing. It is nothing new for these classic texts to be listened to, if
anything it is a return to their original format.
The popularity of audiobooks has also brought benefits to
new novels. Contemporary authors reading their own works adds an intimate
insight into the readers’ intention. Sara Collins reading her The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Michelle
Obama reading her memoir Becoming, these
are extremely intimate listens. Celebrity voices (such as Elisabeth Moss
reading The Handmaid’s Tale) create
TV ties in which attract a whole new readership.
The trend in self educating has also had a massive effect on
the audiobook industry. 2020 has been a year of controversial news and many
people have found themselves floundering for facts. This has resulted in a growing
audience for heavyweight nonfiction, readers looking to spend their time in
lockdown learning about the world around them. But these texts can be hard work
and so enters the audiobook. Sean McManus, senior director of content at
Audible, recognises this move towards serious nonfiction: “We’ve seen a surge
of interest in nonfiction stories which examine issues of race, equality and
privilege,” he tells, citing Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Akala’s Natives and Afua Hirsch’s We Need to Talk About the British Empire.”[ii]
Personally, I really enjoy an audiobook and if you haven’t
yet discovered the joy of them, now is the time! Rediscover a favourite book in
a new format (Stephen Fry and Harry Potter are a perfect combination) or branch
out into something new. If you are someone who has always wanted to have read
the classics but can’t face actually face reading them, this is the perfect
opportunity for you! The familiar voices of celebrities make these classics
easy and enjoyable: Natalie Dormer voicing A Room of One’s Own, Rosamund Pike
reading Pride and Prejudice, Andrew Scott reading The Dubliners and Jeremy
Irons reading Lolita, The Alchemist and Brideshead Revisited – yes, I listened
to a lot of Jeremy Irons this lockdown.
A Hint From The Library Team
Subscribing to Audible can work out very expensive, so if
you’re looking to get into audiobooks but don’t have a massive budget make sure
you check out these sites and apps too:
BorrowBox
Lit2Go
YouTube (great for the classics, and lots of authors put up recordings during
lockdown)
ITunes
GooglePlay
If you are on Audible set up the daily deals alert, to get books when they are
at their cheapest.
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