Spiracle Audiobooks is a curated platform for the UK's best literary audiobooks, with a focus on small and independent publishers. The sound of great writing. Each month, new podcast episodes delve into the world of our audiobooks.
Discover the story behind Night Owl Books in East Linton as owner Rebecca Wall shares how she transformed her mum's antique shop into a thriving independent bookstore. In this interview, we explore the rise of indie bookshops, community-driven events, and the success of Audiobook in Card.
Inside the Audiobook Business Epsiode 5 "Audiobooks are for everyone; we're long past the point of people seeing it as [just] an accessibility format" Dominic Gribben is the Co-Director of the Hachette UK audio publishing team, responsible for audio publishing across a number of Hachette's imprints, including Hodder & Stoughton, Headline, John Murray Press, Quercus, Hachette Ireland and Dialogue Books.
Henry Layte, founder of The Book Hive in Norwich speaks to Antonia Stassi on his background and start in bookselling to opening a successful indie bookshop that's just celebrated its 15th Anniversary.
Discover the story of Libreria Bookshop in London through an insightful interview with operations manager, Lloyd and bookseller, Erika. Listen to their approach curating unique collections, hosting creative events, and fostering a vibrant cultural community in the heart of London.
Rosamund de la Hey on The Mainstreet Trading Company by Spiracle Audiobooks
Antonia Stassi speaks with Antonia Lloyd-Jones, translator of Polish to English on her approach to translation across diverse genres, from gothic horror to children's literature. LLoyd Jones shares her experience working closely with authors, particularly Olga Tokarczuk, and the significance of understanding the writer's vision to deliver faithful translations. They also delve into Antonia Lloyd Jones' recent project, Warsaw Tales, an anthology of Polish short stories and non-fiction, and her process for curating voices that resonate.
Director of Spiracle, Kate Bland speaks to author AL Kennedy's 1999 book On Bullfighting. Written during a difficult time in her life, Kennedy reflects on the book's symbolic exploration of life, death, beauty, ugliness, risk, and cultural traditions, while both discuss its lasting relevance and Kennedy's personal and literary evolution. We learn about Kennedy's writing process and personal growth during an extremely painful and challenging time.
Discover the inspiration behind Mark Bowles' debut book and audiobook, 'All My Precious Madness', in this engaging conversation with Francesca Peacock. Recorded live at Hewson Books in Brentford. 'All My Precious Madness' is Shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2024.
Inside the Audiobook Business Epsiode 4 Katherine Fenton is professional American Voice Actor and Audiobook Producer based in the UK. She has been working in the industry for over 20 years and has narrated for Air Italy, The Guardian, Betty Crocker, CNBC, and multiple award winning audiobooks.
Antonia Stassi speaks with Michael Lacey, Manager of Deadink Bookshop in Liverpool, about fostering a book community and running a successful shop , producing an engaging programme of events, and how his experience as an Artist and Gallerist has helped him foster the literary community in his City and beyond. "Audiobooks have been an absolute lifelife- as a retalier it's great to do something more accessible".
Publisher and events curator, Tasja Dorkofikis talks to Spiracle's Antonia Stassi. Tasja reveals her reasons for setting up a new independent publishing house, Linden Editions, started with Nermin Mollaoğlu, and Geraldine D'Amico, which focuses on literary works of fiction, narrative nonfiction, reportage, and essays, primarily in translation, from Europe, the Francophonie, and the Mediterranean region.
Inside the Audiobooks Business episode 3 Gareth Price-Lewis, Founder Director of Chatterbox Audio discusses the process of audiobook production with Spiracle's Kate Bland. He also discusses costs and the prospect of AI.
Paul Hilton is an English actor on stage, radio, and TV. He is currently in rehearsals as ‘Joxer Daly' in JUNO & THE PAYCOCK (Gielgud Theatre, West End).
Will Dady of Renard Press talks to Spiracle's Antonia Stassi. The conversation begins with Will's background and his start in publishing, what inspired the name 'Renard Press' and opens up to a conversation on the wider independent publishing scene and his reason for creating the Indie Press Network.
Anthony is the managing director of Naxos Audiobooks. Celebrating their 30 year anniversary, he discusses the growth of the audiobook market, from cassettes to MP3s and streaming services, and what the future of audiobooks may look like in another 30 years.
Marion Detjen talks to Spiracle about her great aunt, Helen Wolff - author, translator, publisher and founder of Pantheon Books. Marion describes her fascination with her great aunt as a writer and as one of Germany's 'New Women', a term which refers to the intellectually pioneering women who shaped German culture from the early 20th century - born in the same year as Wolff is the German philosopher Hannah Arendt. Marion has written (and we have recorded!) the fascinating companion essay to Background for Love by Helen Wolff in which she delves into the basis of the novel in Wolff's own life as well as the political and social forces that led her to abandon hope of publishing it.
Jeremy is a freelance director and producer working mainly for radio and theatre. He has produced and directed over 220 radio plays and features for BBC Radio. Recent productions include dramatisations of James Joyce's Ulysses and Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Jeremy has won a number of awards including (several times) the Sony Award for Best Drama production and the Prix Italia.
Translator Sophie Lewis talks to Spiracle's Antonia Stassi. From her start in translation with French and Portuguese, to reflections on the treatment of translators within the industry and how their roles are evolving and changing.
Antonia Stassi speaks with Ross Hoey, Manager of Hewson Books in Brentford, about fostering a book community in a new town, the process of building the bookshop from scratch, upcoming events, and his experience with our Audiobook in a Card scheme.
Translator Nichola Smalley talks to Spiracle's Antonia Stassi. From translating the Swedish short story collection 'Purity' by Andrzej Tichý (published by And Other Stories) and how she fell in love with Scandinavian languages through her friendships abroad.
Olivia Darnley talks about her experience recording the audiobook of Background for Love, written by Helen Wolff. She also discusses the book itself, its themes, and how refreshing it was to see the world through a young Wolff's eyes.
Adam Freudenheim, Director and Publisher of the burgeoning Pushkin Press, talks to Spiracle's Antonia Stassi about Background for Love, a fascinating novella written by publisher Helen Wolff - the co-published audiobook is narrated by Olivia Darnley.
The first instalment of the first season of new podcast series The Writer's Dilemma, in which psychotherapist Susie Orbach sits down for a therapy session with writers. In this episode, Susie hears from Polly Barton. Polly is author of two non-fiction books, Fifty Sounds and Porn: An Oral History. She has also translated Japanese literature and non-fiction. As well as books, her translations are featured in various journals and newspapers. She also writes about art. Full session available from January 11th on Spiracle Audiobooks spiracleaudiobooks.com
Stephanie Racine is a similar age to Bibbs, the protagonist in Tone Schunnesson's Days & Days & Days, and is struck by the different lives they lead. Alongside her stage, screen and radio drama work, Stephanie is a Carleton Hobbs winner.
Tone Schunnesson, Author of Days&Days&Days, talks to Luca Anderson-Muller about her interests and motivations. https://www.spiracleaudiobooks.com/audiobooks/days-days-days
We speak to Abi Palmer, author and reader of Sanatorium, about how the book (and subsequent edition audiobook) came to be. She describes the 'piecing together' of the text as 'forensic', after the original research was done as video collection rather than as writing, a lot of the first narration being recorded verbally before it was ever on paper. She talks about her mentors in the process, including Tom Chivers of Penned in the Margins which is now on an indefinite hiatus.
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