Here’s Ruth Golding, narrator most recently of the audiobook of Kirsty Riddiford’s Ben and the Book of Prophecies (published in print by HandE Publishers), answering my 5 questions for Iambik’s narrators, proofreaders, and other purveyors of fine audiobook amusements. I don’t know about you, but for me, Ruth’s voice is so distinctive, and so melodious, that even her words on the web browser seem to spill right off the screen in her voice.

All our titles, including Ben and the Book of Prophecies and other titles narrated by Ruth, can be purchased at a 50% discount by entering #jiam2011 at checkout through the end of June 2011.

Miette Elm: First off, what are you up to? What titles have you recently wrapped, what are you in the middle of, and how’s it going?;

Narrator Ruth Golding

Ruth Golding: Iambik has recently released Ben and the Book of Prophecies by Kirsty Riddiford, and I’m in the middle of recording Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison, a historical romance with a twist. It always takes me a long time to get going – the characters have to live in my head for a while before I feel able to “be” them.

In my other “life” I have just released The Wonderful Garden, one of E. Nesbit’s lesser known children’s books, for LibriVox.org, and finished recording The Prophet by Khalil Gibran (it’s in the Public Domain in Europe) for a new site, to be launched soon.

ME: Anything stand out as the funniest or strangest sentence you’ve recorded?
RG: Just occasionally, something that looks fine on the printed page sounds hilarious when read aloud. This is my favourite:

“A cock crowed, blending with the church bells and Philippe’s hoarse breathing beside her.” I still can’t say it aloud without snorting with laughter.

ME: Care to share one of the more colourful compliments you’ve received about your voice or narration talents?
RG: I get a lot of comments on my blog, and although I know what this lady meant, it still makes me chuckle: “I wonder, where that magic town is in which people speak like you“. But the one that really had me up in the clouds was “You put your everlasting signature to human culture.” Keep the comments coming, listeners. I love ’em!

ME: What are the world’s top 5 sounds? What are the worst?
RG:
TOP:

1. Bach’s Mass in B minor (does that count?)
2. Django Reinhardt’s guitar
3. The silence of the night
4. A blackbird singing
5. The gentle ripple of a calm sea

WORST:
1. Crying
2. Police/ambulance sirens
3. My computer fan
4. Car alarms
5. Chalk on a blackboard

ME: Of any book ever published, what’s your dream title to narrate (even if your voice wouldn’t be a good match)?
RG: It often seems that the books I want to record most are written from a male perspective in the first person – perhaps their very unattainability is what makes them so desirable to me. What a treat it would be to record The Insult by Rupert Thomson. His prose is exquisite; the dream-like quality of his writing is haunting.

Get Ben and the Book of Prophecies, narrated by Ruth Golding, at a 50% discount by entering #jiam2011 when prompted at checkout through the end of June 2011. This discount applies to all our titles, including Ruth’s other Iambik projects:

• It’s Behind You, by Keith Temple, “a story about fame, megalomania, and murder”
• The Edge of Eden, by Helen Benedict, “a page-turner, brimming with jealousy, sex, and deception in this ominous Eden”

And if you can’t get enough of Ruth, you wouldn’t be the only one. Enjoy Ruth’s free public domain audiobooks on Librivox, follow her on Twitter, or visit her audiobook blog.