Rory, Rory, tell us a story!
Audiobook narration is without doubt one of the most challenging, and rewarding, areas of voice work.
I have narrated more than 30 titles, both fiction and non-fiction. They have ranged from historical dramas, to biographies of ancient Persian rulers, to (very relevant) comedy novels about digital detox!
I’ve been nominated 3 times for the prestigious SOVAS awards in Audiobook narration: for a historical fiction set in the Tudor period, for a book on the origins of the universe, and for a set of short stories featuring the famous detective Father Brown.
Do you know your Big Bangs from your Black Holes? Light years and picoseconds – the most extraordinary explanation about how our planet came to exist.
Nick Spalding is a hugely popular author, dealing with a range of topical issues. This was no different: is it possible to live our lives without smartphones or computers?!
I remembered hearing The Invisible Man when I was at school, and was struck by the brilliance of GK Chesterton. And it got a great review in Audiofile magazine.
Covering the Battle of Bosworth, the Princes in the Tower, Hans Holbein and Henry VIII. A must for those interested in this period of English history.
Every audiobook I’ve narrated has been done from my own studio. I’m the narrator, director, engineer and producer all rolled into one. And ‘punch and roll’ editing plays a huge part in that process. Instead of narrating a chapter, and then going to back to edit out any mistakes, we edit as we go along. It saves a huge amount of time, and improves the overall quality of the narration.
Publishers have been keen to use the many characters and accents that I have in my locker. You can find more information on that on the Accents and Languages page. Here’s a good example:
I was approached and asked to narrate an introduction to the classic novel Ivanhoe, written by the great Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott. I hadn’t been given any guidance on accent, so sent back 2 options: one a more mild Lowland Scottish, while the second version was a stronger Highland accent. The client chose the former.
I have also been asked to speak on a the very thorny issue of increasing use of Artificial Intelligence in audiobooks, and whether all new titles will be read by robots. I was invited onto ‘Today on Radio 4,’ the BBC’s flagship speech radio breakfast programme. It started with a comparison of my narration from ‘A Christmas Carol’ with that of an AI programme. That was quite a nerve-wracking moment! You can read more about that on my Blog section.
Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to consider me for your book. I’m very happy to record a short sample, so you can decide if I’d be suitable.
Five continents of accents.
Infinite characters. A few languages.
One impossibly talented voice artist.