Forum From the Archives: The Art of Audiobooks with Julia Whelan

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 22 December 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What’s your favorite audiobook? Chances are, it’s one with a great narrator. Audiobook performers can make, or break, the experience for listeners. But what goes into their work? Julia Whelan has been dubbed “the Adele of audiobooks” and has narrated over 700 audiobooks – including Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl,” Tara Westover’s “Educated” and Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation.” She joins us to share her insights into the craft, how AI is reshaping the industry, and what we love about listening to stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KQED Podcasts comes from Landmark College, commemorating 40 years of educating people who learn differently, with programs on campus and online for both students and professionals.
0:11.6	Learn more at landmark.edu. Support for KQED Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport. Why lug your luggage?
0:22.1	It's holiday season.
0:23.6	Take advantage of SFO's remote check-in and bag-check service from long-term parking
0:28.8	and take the air train straight to security.
0:31.6	FlySFO.com slash bagcheck.
0:36.1	From KQED.
0:39.0	Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
0:41.5	Are you planning to make an audiobook part of your Thanksgiving travels?
0:45.2	Julia Waylon has been called the Adele of audiobooks by the New Yorker,
0:49.5	having narrated more than 700 titles, including her own works,
0:53.6	My Oxford Year, and thank you for listening.
0:58.4	William Morrow and Harper Audio present Thank You for Listening, a novel by Julia Waylon.
1:06.1	This is the author.
1:09.9	Dylan is with us to talk about what really goes into reading books out loud, bringing
1:14.3	scenes and characters to life, and how she's handling the growth of AI-generated voices
1:19.4	entering an industry where humans don't get paid much as it is. What's an audiobook you'd
1:24.7	recommend? Listeners, you can tell us by calling 866-733-786 emailing forum at kQED.org or posting on our social channels, Discord, Blue Sky, Facebook, Instagram, or threads.
1:36.6	Welcome to Forum, Julia.
1:38.7	Hi, thank you so much for having me.
1:40.5	So you were quoted in the AP as saying, I feel like I was born to do it.
1:46.3	What is it about audiobook narrating that makes you feel this way? You know, it was an industry
	...

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