206. Caedmon Records — Lost Ladies of Audiobooks
Amy discusses the good and bad of audiobook narration in this week’s bonus episode, then dives into the origins of the commercial audiobook industry. Founded in 1952, Caedmon Records was the brainchild of two young women who achieved their smash debut success by convincing Dylan Thomas to record himself reading some of his most popular work, including “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” The recording company went on to record LPs of work by a wide array of literary stars, including Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot and J.R.R. Tolkien, thus paving the way for today’s burgeoning audiobook market. Head to our Patreon for this subscriber-only episode.
Mentioned in this episode
Demon Copperhead audiobook by Barbara Kingsolver
New York Times obituary for Marianne Mantell
“A Child’s Christmas in Wales”
Caedmon, 7th-century English poet
The Untold Story of the Talking Book by Matthew Rubery