Calibre Audio is delighted to announce a new agreement with Hachette UK, extending its existing partnership so that all of Hachette UK’s titles will now be available in all formats for Calibre members; donated free of charge.
The two organisations are building on a long-standing charitable relationship, having signed their previous agreement in 2014. This updated agreement will provide Calibre members with access to more than 10,000 Hachette UK titles across all its platforms so that members can listen to titles such as Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and audiobooks by authors such as Elly Griffiths, Cressida Cowell, Ian Rankin, and Mark Billingham via streaming, download, and memory stick.
Calibre Audio is the only national charity in the UK to provide a completely free for life audiobook service to anyone who has a print disability. Its 17,000 members have a range of disabilities that make reading and understanding text difficult, including a visual or cognitive impairment, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and physical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson's, and arthritis.
Calibre Audio exists to connect members to books in the format they require, delivering 1,700 books per day. Members aged 5 to 105 rely on the service whether it is for stimulation, companionship, education or simply escape. Partnerships such as this play a huge part in providing the highest quality service for these members.
Anthony Kemp, CEO of Calibre Audio, said: ‘With Calibre’s widening membership and embracement of recent technological advancements, this is the perfect time to address how we can best serve our members, and we are thrilled Hachette UK is giving them access to this incredible pool of books and authors in whichever format works for them.’
Jasmine Palmer, Co-chair of the Hachette UK Accessibility Network, added: ‘We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Calibre Audio to allow its members to access more of our audio offering. Working with the Hachette UK Accessibility Network, Calibre Audio is helping us to reach a wider audience and to make it easier for everyone to access our content.’