PUBLISHING NEWS
Hilary Mantel has personally cast Ben Miles to narrate the audiobooks for the entire Wolf Hall trilogy, revealing she worked closely with him on the final book.
The new, unabridged audio adaptation of The Mirror and the Light, will be released on the 5 March 2020 by W.F. Howes, closely followed by the new recordings of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Hilary said: “Having played Thomas Cromwell on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon, in the West End and on Broadway, Ben understands the main character from the inside. His insights from the rehearsal room helped shape the story. He is familiar with how all the characters grow, from first page to last. His voice is as close as can be to the voice that’s in my head as I write.”
Ben said: “It is always a thrill to visit the world created by Hilary and walk alongside Thomas Cromwell, but it is a particular delight to revisit Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies as narrator of these wonderful stories for the audiobook versions. Reading aloud The Mirror And The Light to complete the trilogy is such a rare privilege: It is a monumental final act, and to be a part of its genesis and future life is nothing short of an honour.”
Dominic White, head of publishing and commerce at W.F. Howes, said “We are thrilled to be releasing Mantel’s Man Booker winning titles and unveiling the first audio edition of her long-awaited third title, The Mirror and the Light. We were keen to create a single narrative voice across all three audio editions that would fully immerse listeners in the full glory of her writing– from beginning to end- and to get listeners even closer to some of the most monumental characters in English history.”
Ben Miles has also starred as Peter Townsend in The Crown and as John Profumo in the major new BBC series The Trial Of Christine Keeler.