Behind the Mike: Simon Vance

Kick-starting LJ's inaugural "Behind the Mike" column, in which audiobook-loving library professionals interview audiobook narrators and producers, is Ophelia Lo's (Canton PL, MI) Q&A with Audie® Award winner Simon Vance (www.simonvance.com; Market Forces), who in 25 years has recorded more than 400 titles. Vance is currently reading Charles Cumming's The Spanish Game for Tantor Media (onsale date 12/15), after which he and other audiobook narrator luminaries will continue to voice Macmillan Audio's full-cast production of Chapterhouse Dune, the sixth volume of Frank Herbert's celebrated Dune series.

What does it take to be a first-rate audiobook narrator?

Stamina is very important; reading seven to eight hours a day takes a lot of strength. There's also a creative side to it, the craft side, where an actor's knowledge about the vocal process comes into play. One needs a vivid imagination to put oneself in the story, [to be] the narrator, anonymous and invisible. Characters need a wide range of work.

You were born in England and studied acting there. How much of your success can be attributed to your acting training?

There was no formal acting training, really. During my formative years, I attended Saturday morning drama school consistently for five years. I was in the current affairs class for over ten years. I liked playing with the microphone from an early age. Then 25 years ago I started recording for the blind in London.

Which do you find more enjoyable: a well-told tale or well-drawn characters?

I love a well-told tale and feel a sense of satisfaction from it. I would love to find another well-written contemporary work like Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series (Blackstone Audio).

What kind of preparation goes into reading each book?

I love the immediacy of discovery. I know somewhere in me it is going to come out. Dickens, Trollope, for example— I don't need to read their books through. [But] I met [author] Rob Gifford in London to learn the pronunciation of all the names before I did China Road (Blackstone Audio, 2005).

What is the most difficult book you've narrated?

Gavin Menzies's 1421 and 1434 books (Blackstone Audio, 2008). When I recorded 1421, I had 20 pages of name pronunciations. The worldwide pronunciations combined with the writing made them very difficult reading. But I didn't regret narrating them. It's a rewarding learning experience.

Tell us about Clapton: The Autobiography (Books on Tape, 2008).

I am a huge fan of Eric Clapton's. I know exactly what he sounds like. It was a labor of love, an emotional roller coaster for me to record this book. I changed my accent to resemble closely that of the working-class community where he grew up.

You have recorded children's, mystery, espionage, science fiction, and nonfiction titles—a wide range. Do you prefer one genre over another?

I love them all. I've never been diagnosed with [attention deficit disorder], but I get bored doing the same genre over and over; I love a challenge. History, current affairs, and the classics help me learn.