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KQED's Forum

The Art of Audiobooks with Julia Whelan

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

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. Guests: Julia Whelan, narrator, actor and co-founder of audiobook publishing and distribution company, Audiobrary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Sponsorship of this podcast comes from Stanford Summer Session, allowing visiting students to study at

0:06.1

Stanford for an academic term. Learn more at summer.standford.edu.

0:11.6

Support for KQED podcasts comes from Genentech. The original biotech pioneer forging life-altering

0:18.5

scientific breakthroughs to help improve the lives of all patients.

0:23.0

Learn more about Genentech's commitment to patients and society at gene.com slash our promise.

0:32.2

From KQED. Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. Are you planning to make an audiobook part of your Thanksgiving travels?

0:40.6

Julia Whalen has been called the Adele of audiobooks by The New Yorker, having narrated more than 700 titles, including her own works, My Oxford Year, and thank you for listening.

0:53.6

William Morrow and Harper Audio present,

0:57.1

Thank you for Listening, a novel by Julia Waylon.

1:01.5

This is the author.

1:05.2

Dylan is with us to talk about what really goes into reading books out loud,

1:09.4

bringing scenes and characters to life,

1:11.6

and how she's handling the growth of AI-generated voices entering an industry where humans don't

1:17.0

get paid much as it is. What's an audiobook you'd recommend? Listeners, you can tell us by calling

1:21.8

866733-786 emailing forum at kQED.org or posting on our social channels, Discord, Blue Sky,

1:29.5

Facebook, Instagram, or threads. Welcome to Forum, Julia. Hi, thank you so much for having me.

1:36.2

So you were quoted in the AP as saying, I feel like I was born to do it. What is it about

1:42.8

audiobook narrating that makes you feel this way?

1:45.9

You know, it was an industry that I didn't even know existed, to be fair, but I was a child

1:50.3

actor. I've always loved acting. I've acted since I was nine or ten. And then when I went to

1:56.2

college, I got an English and creative writing degree. And that's the other thing that I love is

2:00.2

books. And when this opportunity presented itself to do both of the things I love at the same time,

...

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