Join us in celebrating a very special year as Calibre Audio proudly reaches its 50th anniversary.

For five decades, we have been on a mission to unlock the world of stories and learning for those who find reading printed books challenging. What began as a vision to make books more accessible for the visually impaired son of one of our founders has grown into a powerful force, enriching the lives of thousands of people.

Read about our history here.

Since 1974, our commitment to inclusivity has paved the way for thousands of people with visual impairments, learning differences or other conditions that make holding a book difficult, to experience the joys and other benefits of a good book.

With an extensive collection of audiobooks, spanning many genres, we’ve remained at the forefront of transforming reading into an immersive and accessible experience for our members.

The impact of accessible books goes beyond words - it stimulates minds, supports learning, broadens horizons, fosters a sense of community, reduces isolation and improves wellbeing.

Read about the difference we have made to some of our members' lives by clicking the button below.

Throughout 2024 we're running an exciting programme of activities to reflect on our past achievements and launch our plans for the future to ensue we reach even more people who can benefit from our service.

We’re launching our very first book festival to celebrate our 50th with fascinating and thought-provoking interviews from a diverse range of adults’ and children’s authors. We’ll be releasing regular online interviews and discussions throughout the year, and watch this space for news of an exciting live event in October.

We'll be inviting budding authors of all ages to enter our short story competition. We're asking for stories to include a character with a print disability to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people who struggle with the printed word. And of course, entries can be in a written, audio or video format so everyone can take part. We're lining up a judging panel of leading experts and we have exciting plans for the winning entries. Find all the information on our competition including how to enter by clicking here.

We'll be charting the development of the charity in a special book to commemorate the 50th anniversary. We'll also be creating podcasts and newsletters to ensure our members, some of whom have been with Calibre for many years, can get to know and celebrate our history too.

To get everyone involved in a celebratory activity and some fundraising for Calibre, we’ll be asking people to take on a challenge involving the number 5 or 50. Whether it’s running 50 miles, making 50 cupcakes for a bake sale, recording a TikTok video featuring 5 people, or reading 50 books, everyone can choose their own challenge. For ideas, inspiration, and a fundraising pack, please click here.

There will also be activities to thank our hundreds of volunteers who devote so much of their time to the charity, either narrating books, checking them, working in our postal library or helping in our offices.

Find out more about volunteering with Calibre by following this link.

If you'd like to stay in touch and find out the latest about our 50th activities, you can opt in to receive our special newsletters in the following ways:

Calibre members can opt in to receive email from us by clicking here.

Supporters who are not members can sign up for our supporters' newsletter by entering their email into the box on the footer of this page.