Press Release: Prizes and Awards
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Voted Best Audiobook In National Poll
Posted at 7:16AM Friday 01 Aug 2008
The UK has voted for its favourite audiobook as the classic sciencefiction tale The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase. The book - also voted the nation's number four favourite novel in the BBC's Big Read poll in 2003 - was originally created as a radio play by Douglas Adams. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, today's poll confirms Hitchhiker's place in the comic canon, and is also testament to the power of comedy in audio form. The winner came from a selection of forty audiobooks which appeared in a special supplement in The Guardian on 28 June. Members of the public were then invited to vote for their favourite selected title on a dedicated website, www.40bestaudiobooks.co.uk <http://www.40bestaudiobooks.co.uk/> . The top five cover both classic and modern titles and include a range of genres: from modern novels and radio plays; to the shipping forecast and a Shakespeare study guide. This is a selection that fully represents and celebrates the diverse appeal and uses of audio. The top 5 audiobooks, as voted for by the public, in winning order: 1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase, by Douglas Adams, read by a full cast (BBC) 2. Attention All Shipping, by Charlie Connolly, read by Alex Jennings (Little, Brown) 3. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, read by Joan Walker and cast (SmartPass) 4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, read by Ben Tibber (RandomHouse) 5. I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - Anniversary Special, read by a full cast (BBC) Commenting on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy taking the top spot, Samantha Newman, Sales Director from BBC Audiobooks said: "We are absolutely thrilled that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been voted as the public's number one audio title. It was first released in 1988 and quickly became a cult classic escalating to become a favourite with audio fans worldwide. We are releasing a digitally re-mastered edition in November 2008 both in the UK and - for the first time ever - internationally to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the first radio broadcast in 1978; to have won this award and the support of everyone in the industry for the 40 Best Audiobooks promotion means a great deal." Dirk Maggs, producer of the last three series of Hitchhiker's Guide for BBC Radio 4, and currently re-mastering the 30th Anniversary edition for the BBC said: "This is wonderful news and proves how great audio entertainment creates enduring images in the mind's eye. Somewhere in the Continuum, Douglas is mixing a double Pan Galactic Gargleblaster to celebrate!" The initiative to find the nation's favourite audiobook has been supported by the UK's leading publishing houses. Retailers also backed the promotion in store and online, and buyers from Waterstone's, Borders and Amazon.co.uk were on the initial judging panel. With a tech savvy demographic demanding their books in a variety of formats to fit an increasingly hands-free lifestyle, audiobooks and audio downloads look set to increase in popularity. Sales of audiobooks have risen steadily in the past five years, with downloads of audiobooks growing annually (Source: Audio Publishers Association). This trend looks set to continue with more internet retailers selling audiobook downloads, quicker download times, and the proliferation of mp3 players and mobile phones which can store audiobooks, enabling content to be delivered faster and more widely, and in a user-friendly format. Free Download Week National Year of Reading launches Free Download Week on 4 August, in association with The 40 Best Audiobooks. The 2008 National Year of Reading is an initiative designed to encourage national literacy through a variety of media and celebrates words in every form, placing audiobooks at the forefront of interactive storytelling. Powered by Audible.co.uk - the UK's biggest provider of downloadable audiobooks - a free, daily-changing download of five complete audiobooks will be available to the public between 4th and 8th August from www.yearofreading.org.uk <http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/> Downloads on offer include Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb by Francesca Simon, read by Miranda Richardson and Morse's Greatest Mystery & Other Stories by Colin Dexter, read by Kevin Whately.
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