Penguin Random House Canada Launches Audiobook Program

TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2017 /CNW/ - Penguin Random House is pleased to announce the launch of its audiobooks program in Canada. This week, the program is launching with seventeen audiobook titles, including recordings of books by prize-winning Canadian authors such as Gary Barwin (Yiddish for Pirates) and Mona Awad (Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl). The list includes two books published in August: Linden MacIntyre's novel The Only Café, read by actor Greg Campbell; and Pauline Dakin's memoir, Run, Hide, Repeat, read by the author. Audiobooks that will be released simultaneous with the book's original print publication this fall include David Chariandy's novel Brother, read by actor Joseph Pierre, and a number of nonfiction books read by their authors, including, Feeding My Mother by Jann Arden; Game Change by Ken Dryden; All We Leave Behind by Carol Off; and How We Did It by Karl Subban and Scott Colby, read by Karl Subban.

A number of beloved and bestselling classics are also in production, such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel, read by Rajiv Surendra, and A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, read by the author. Recently published books now in studio include Jen Agg reading I Hear She's a Real Bitch and Wab Kinew reading The Reason You Walk.

Penguin Random House Canada began development of this audiobook program just this spring under the direction of Deputy Publisher Marion Garner, with the hiring of Ann Jansen as Producer, Audio Books. Jansen joined us from the CBC where she was a leader in book programming, and launched CBC's serialized book-reading program "Between the Covers".   

"Ann's expertise in all aspects of audiobook production makes her the perfect person to lead this program," noted Garner, "And through the impressive efforts of Ann and her team, in collaboration with our publishers, we're starting this new venture with a remarkable list of audiobooks this fall, and ambitious plans for the future."

Ann Jansen commented, "It's truly thrilling to be recording the wonderful books published by Penguin Random House in Canada, working with outstanding authors and actors in studios across the country. We look forward to swiftly releasing new titles in months and years to come, while continuing to record titles from our treasure trove of past publications."

SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited

Tracey Turriff at 416-957-1568 or [email protected]