Chennai readers embrace audiobooks for their convenience and inclusivity 

Published - June 18, 2024 08:58 pm IST - Chennai

Audiobooks will help people who are in a hurry, says a reader.

Audiobooks will help people who are in a hurry, says a reader.

In this Audiobook Appreciation Month, exploring the world of audiobooks has been enjoyable, say readers in the city.

“Audiobooks are especially convenient when multitasking. I often listen to them while driving to work or during a busy workday. A-books would help people who are in a hurry, and so it has a good future,” shares Benjamin Samuel, an automotive cybersecurity engineer from Chennai, who listens to books on Audible and Spotify.

Anirudh Madhav, a communications professional at IIT Madras, says, “Audiobooks haven’t changed my reading habits but have rather helped me in catching up with books when I don’t have the time or concentration to read,” adding that he enjoys listening to fiction and philosophy books, when stuck in traffic on his long commute to work. “Audiobooks are reminiscent of my family narrating stories which I find relaxing,” he says.

When it comes to audiobooks, narrators play a crucial role in setting the mood for listeners, engaging them toward the 8 hours of narration. Anirudh agrees to it, saying, “I like it when the author narrates a book like Neil Gaiman or Stephen King. Narration is what makes you feel like you are being part of a book or not.” Publishers believe audiobooks have a long way to go, and it’s only the beginning in Chennai. “With the hustle and bustle of the city, audiobooks are the future,” comments Snehangshu Banerjee, the owner of Orange Publishers who publishes both audiobooks and physical books.

There has been a general discussion from readers all over the world on social media that audiobooks are inclusive and indeed accessible for many, and they say comments like “audiobooks are not considered as reading” comes off as “ableist.”

Audiobooks for Children

In addition to audiobooks for adults, there has also been a celebration for children’s audiobooks. Shobha Viswanath, Publishing Director of Karadi Tales, a children’s book publishers based in Chennai, says, “Karadi Tales audiobooks are dramatised readings by professional voice and theatre actors, enriched with music and songs to create an immersive listening experience.”

The company sells physical books alongside digital audio to read and listen simultaneously, for children. “Even for a very young child, the Karadi Rhymes audiobooks sung by Usha Uthup, are a real favourite. I would even go to the extent of saying that they have significantly replaced colonial rhymes like “Jack and Jill” in the education system. They offer Indian children English nursery rhymes they can connect with. And this is their first connection to the book as well,” adds Shobha Viswanath.

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