Princeton University Press has launched PUP Audio, a new audiobooks line. The press's digital and audio publisher, Kim Williams, will oversee the project in conjunction with U.K. production company Sound Understanding, which specializes in nonfiction.
The new audiobooks line will release six frontlist titles simultaneously in print, electronic, and audio editions in its inaugural season, in addition to publishing select backlist titles from the press. The press intends to expand production of audio titles in further seasons.
"The growth of the audio market for nonfiction has been dramatic in recent years, and alongside the many people trying the format for the first time, there is a growing cohort of loyal audio consumers for whom audio is the first choice of format," Williams said in a statement.
The PUP Audio frontlist titles set for fall publication include: On the Future: Prospects for Humanity by Martin Rees, Britain’s Astronomer Royal; Gods and Robots: The Ancient Quest for Artificial Life by National Book Award finalist Adrienne Mayor; Making Up Your Own Mind: Thinking Effectively Through Creative Puzzle Solving by Ed Burger, mathematician and president of Southwestern University; and Workers’ Tales: Socialist Fairy Tales, Fables, and Allegories from Great Britain, edited by children’s book author Michael Rosen.
"Recognizing the importance of listening as a fundamental component of learning, and with a mission to contribute to the growth of knowledge, we believe audio publishing offers an exciting opportunity to engage listeners and animate book-based conversations the world over," PUP director Christie Henry said in a statement. "We are keen to adapt to ever-evolving new technologies to ensure that PUP content reaches a diverse and dynamic community, and audiobooks speak to this commitment."
