Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 02:25 pm
Calibre Audio, a national audiobook charity, has announced the winners of the Calibre Audio Awards 2023. Celebrating the best audiobooks added to the charity’s collection during 2022, the awards were voted for by Calibre Audio’s 17,000 members with print disabilities, along with staff and editorial specialists.
Richard Osman’s runaway bestseller ‘The Bullet That Missed’ won the award for Best Fiction audiobook for adults, while Sharna Jackson’s fast-paced adventure mystery, ‘The Good Turn’, claimed top spot for Best Children’s Audiobook. Miriam Margolyes’ captivating and extraordinary life story ‘This Much Is True’ and the life-changing ‘Breath’ by James Nestor, which turns on its head what we thought we knew about breathing, were also among the winners.
The full list of Calibre Audio Award Winners for 2023 was announced on video by actress and Calibre Audio volunteer narrator, Ellie Wallwork, which can be watched at https://ca-li.org.uk/CalibreAwards2023. Wallwork said: “I was delighted to be asked to announce the winners of the Calibre Audio Awards 2023. As a visually impaired actress who has always loved books, I know first-hand the huge impact that audiobooks can have on a person’s life and this is why I am honoured to be involved in the Awards. I’m also so happy to be able to give some of my time to narrating books not available in audio for Calibre members to enjoy.”
Winning the award for Best Narrator was one of Calibre Audio’s very own volunteers, Bob Rollett, who recorded 332 books for Calibre members that would have otherwise not been available in audio format. He said: “I was surprised and of course delighted to receive the Calibre 2023 Award for Best Narrator. It’s been made even more special by the fact that it was from a free vote for members so it’s a genuine response to what I’ve done, not just my turn. Thank you all for being such a valuable part of my life for 16 years.”
The Calibre Audio Awards were introduced to highlight the best audiobooks and to raise awareness of the free service Calibre Audio offers to people who struggle to read print in the UK. Calibre Audio’s Chief Executive, Anthony Kemp, explained: “Although an ever-increasing number of people are enjoying audiobooks, for our members they have always been a lifeline and the only format that gives them access to the joys of reading. We’re really proud that we now have over 15,000 audiobooks in our collection, from the classics to the latest bestsellers, and it’s important to celebrate the diversity and popularity of these books.”
Calibre Audio offers a free audiobook lending service to people in the UK who struggle to read print due to conditions such as visual impairment, dyslexia, autism, Asperger’s, stroke, brain injury or other physical or neurological conditions. Members can stream or download their books or receive them on memory sticks through the post. Overseas members with print disabilities are also able to access the digital service for a small charge.
The winners of the Calibre Audio Awards 2023 have been revealed, celebrating the best audiobooks added to the national audiobook charity’s collection in 2022. Voted for by Calibre Audio’s 17,000 members with print disabilities, along with staff and editorial specialists, winners included Richard Osman’s ‘The Bullet That Missed’ and Sharna Jackson’s ‘The Good Turn’. The awards were announced by Calibre Audio volunteer narrator and actress, Ellie Wallwork. Calibre Audio’s Chief Executive, Anthony Kemp, expressed that the awards are a way to celebrate the diversity and popularity of audiobooks and to raise awareness of the free service Calibre Audio offers to people who struggle to read print.
