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Story by Jack Foley
BBC Audiobooks released the long-awaited Stephen Fry recording
of the new Harry Potter book, The Order of the Phoenix, on September
22.
Stephen’s award-winning, and much-praised, readings of the
Harry Potter books have made the titles into the UK’s best
selling audio books of all time - the release of Harry Potter
and the Order of the Phoenix on audio is set to take the number
of units sold in the UK to well over the million mark.
Stephen Fry’s 79 different voices…
Stephen Fry, or the ‘the Voice of Harry Potter’ as
he is now regarded, was very much the actor of choice when it
came to deciding whose voice would be best to take listeners to
Harry heaven. J.K. Rowling was keen to have him read the books,
and also asked that he be the person to interview her at her only
public event for the release of the new book at the Albert Hall
in June of this year.
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For the recording of the latest Harry Potter novel, Stephen’s
vocal repertoire is fully exhausted, as he is required to do a
staggering 79 nine different voices.
He is best known for his sharp wit and humour, and, had circumstances
been different, would surely have entered Hogwarts as a wise old
Ravenclaw, should the Hogwarts Sorting Hat have ever sorted him…
Harry Potter cassettes and CDs, it seems, have also become the
must-have accessory of the rich and famous - well-known fans of
Harry Potter audio books include Jonathan Ross, David Blunkett,
the Appleton sisters (who sing about listening to HP on audio
on their current album), right through to Liam from the Prodigy.
Audiobooks, whether on tape or CD, are the cool and trendy way
to entice kids to keep reading through the holiday period.
Prue Goodwin, from the National Centre for Language and Literacy,
says: "Listening to good books read aloud opens up the world
of literature to children who may find books daunting. Many a
reluctant reader has turned to the book for a repeat experience
of a great story."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - read by Stephen Fry
(£65 on cassette, £75 on CD).
Click here
for an audio sample...
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