Audiobooks, explained by the authors reading them.
This Is the Author treats audiobook recording as a second act of writing. Authors explain what led them to the page, what surprised them in the booth, and how voice changes the shape of a memoir, argument, history, or creative practice.
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This Is the Author is a short-form literary showcase about writers reading their own audiobooks. Its focus is narrow, but the range is broad. Each episode gathers several authors and lets them explain the origin of a book, the challenge of narration, and the moments they most want listeners to hear. The show is polished and direct. It favors concise prompts, warm introductions, and clipped author reflections over sprawling interview banter. That makes it easy to sample many books in one sitting. Recent episodes move from library appreciation to workplace burnout, disagreement, hip-hop memoir, French cooking, spiritual memoir, criminal court reform, South Punjab, cultural history, creativity, witchcraft, and play. The booth becomes the common thread. Authors describe reading aloud to prepare, stumbling over foreign words, bringing studio experience from music, and discovering that hearing older pages can feel newly affirming. Some entries are practical. Others are unexpectedly personal. A memoir may begin as a project about biblical women and become a story of the writer's own life. A book on New York history may start with an internet rabbit hole. A creative guide may connect magical practice with artistic confidence. The library special shifts the format into a chorus of affection for librarians, quiet spaces, digital access, and public generosity. Because the show works from the author's own voice, it functions less like criticism and more like a guided shelf browse. It is especially strong for listeners who want the story behind an audiobook before committing to the full recording.
Made for: For audiobook listeners, book browsers, librarians, writers, and publishing-curious readers who like concise context before choosing a title. It also fits anyone interested in how written work changes when performed aloud.
What sets it apart: The show narrows the author-interview format to one unusually specific craft question: what it feels like to narrate the finished book. That booth-level perspective separates it from broader literary conversation shows.
A podcast about authors reading their audiobooks from Penguin Random House Audio.
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Three audiobook narrators, one studio, and the revealing work of hearing a book read back aloud.
This installment treats audiobook narration as the center of the story, with Geraldine DeRoyter and Lynn Slater reflecting on what shaped their books and how it felt to record them, while Elaine Lynn Herring appears among the featured guests.
Books, life, and the tender difficult middle.
This episode features authors Austin Channing Brown and James Delbourgo discussing their inspirations for writing their books and their experiences recording the audiobook versions.
This episode features three authors discussing their audiobook narration experiences.
This episode features three authors discussing their audiobook narration experiences.
This special compilation episode features authors sharing heartfelt stories about why libraries and librarians hold a special place in their hearts.
This episode features authors discussing their experiences recording audio books, with Nidhi Tewari explaining how her book applies therapeutic concepts of attunement to address workplace burnout and disconnection.
This episode features authors Fab Five Freddy, Tom Junod, and Luke Barr discussing their audiobook narrations, including Freddy's memoir on art and hip-hop culture, Junod's exploration of masculinity, and Barr's book on French cooking.
This episode features authors Berner, Erin McGoff, and Camonghne Felix discussing their experiences narrating audiobooks and the inspirations behind their writing.
This episode features authors Alicia Jo Rabins, Nir Eyal, and Jay Stringer discussing their experiences writing and narrating their audiobooks, with Rabins sharing how her spiritual memoir evolved from a project about biblical women.
Authors Elliot Williams, Daisy Hernández, and Emily Galvin-Almanza discuss narrating their audiobooks, covering topics like the Bernie Goetz case, personal investigations of citizenship, and criminal court reform.
This episode features three authors discussing their audiobook narration experiences, including Daniel Muinadin's farm-inspired writing in Pakistan, Hiroko Yoda's cultural history work, and Paul Rosalie's wildlife filmmaking connection to the Amazon rainforest.
This episode features authors Pam Grossman, Jenna Moreci, and Cas Holman discussing how narrating their audiobooks connects to themes like creativity, witchcraft, and reconnecting with play.
This episode features authors Manny Arango, Dr.