Narrator Interview - David Hobbs

David Hobbs, a retired control-systems engineer, has been volunteering for Calibre Audio as a narrator since early 2016. To date he has recorded nearly 70 books, including the 700+ page blockbuster Penmarric by Susan Howatch which took him 44 evenings to record. Here, David tells us a little more about his time as a volunteer narrator for Calibre:

“One of the things I love most about volunteering for Calibre is that I’m able to read the whole story which is really satisfying. In some of my other volunteer narrating work in the past I’ve mainly worked on recording parts of books or other types of commercial recording. For Calibre, I’m able to get involved and bring the book to life from start to finish.

“I’ve never found it a problem fitting my recording into my daily life. I live in quite a noisy location being near a farm, an airfield and a motorway as well as keeping peacocks, so I quickly identified that a convenient quiet period was between 5.30 and 7.30 in the evening and I always record then. I aim to do a minimum of five sessions a week, taking about 40 minutes to record the next instalment of the current book and spending the rest of the session checking and editing the previous night’s recording.

“My favourite of all the books I’ve narrated is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. When I read the synopsis, I really didn’t expect to enjoy it. I thought that a novel based around a man who had to spend the rest of his life in a hotel and who would be shot if he went outside would be, quite frankly, boring. It was far from it and nobody I’ve recommended it to has failed to enjoy it.

“I read a wide variety of books for my own pleasure ranging from adventure fiction to historical works but narrating for Calibre has introduced me to even more types of books that I might not otherwise have read.

“I’ve taken on a range of different volunteering roles and have always found it rewarding. From helping prisoners in HMP Peterborough record bed-time stories for their children at home (Storybook Dads/Mums scheme), to recording for other charities and a few personal or diary stories, I have always enjoyed the variety.

“Volunteering at Calibre is a bit special though. There is a great atmosphere at the charity and you feel like part of the family. I keep doing it because I really enjoy it. Receiving my next job is always exciting and I’ve been lucky enough to receive some lovely thank you messages from Calibre members.

“One was sent to me when I was on a birthday trip to IWM Duxford with my son and I have always said that it was truly the best birthday present I have ever received.

“Calibre offers its members a huge range of books which means anyone of any age should be able to find something to interest them, from fantasy to factual war stories and everything in between.

“I’d encourage anyone who loves reading, has a good voice and is computer-literate enough to operate the recording equipment, to give volunteering as a narrator a go. It’s immensely rewarding being able to pass on the love of books to those who struggle to read for themselves and the diversity of titles you’ll get to read along the way is a great bonus.”

29 June 2022