Sphere rushes out Felton's review of the year in audio-only first

Sphere has snapped up an audio-only comedic annual review by James Felton, narrated by Russell Kane, marking a first for the publisher. 

Emily Barrett, publishing director, acquired world rights directly from Felton to The Year Was 2021, which published on 8th December, only in audio.

Publishing an audio-only title is a first for the Little, Brown division and required "unbelievable speed and finesse", as the publisher only had two weeks to turn the final manuscript into the finished product.

The audiobook is described by the publisher as "a hilarious review of the rollercoaster ride that has been 2021, covering the good, the bad and the downright bonkers news and culture stories from the year". It added: "You might have forgotten (or wanted to forget) the storming of the Capitol, the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah, Dominic Cummings turning on his former master and *that* bum squeeze by Matt Hancock – but James Felton is here to remind listeners of all of that and more using his usual razor-sharp wit and gleeful disdain. Whether people are after some painfully funny company on their commute, or want to chuckle/become enraged on the way to visiting loved ones over the festive period, The Year Was 2021 reminds us all just how ridiculous the past 12 months have been – and prepares us for the onslaught of 2022."

Barrett said: "Sphere and Little, Brown want to connect with audiences outside of stereotypical readers, and audio is a fantastic medium for reaching entertainment consumers who might not usually buy books. This subject matter feels like the perfect space to experiment with audio-only, and James is the perfect author for it, being the whip-smart news critic he is. He’s done his usual fantastic job of creating comedy that’s packed full of substance and still drips humour from every line. It’s been an adventure pulling it together throughout the year: the way in which we’ve approached the content and the campaign – both logistically and to complement the nature of it as an entertainment product first and foremost and a book second – is different to any other project I’ve worked on in my career so far. I can’t wait to see it fly!"

Felton added: "In terms of years, 2020 wasn't going to be hard to beat. It's essentially got the relief factor of whatever show follows 'Mrs Brown’s Boys': you're too busy saying, ‘thank Christ that's over’ to notice you're watching 'The Human Centipede Part 3'. Yet 2021 managed, in its own unique way, to be unsurpassably terrible. From the boat that got caught in the Suez Canal with a giant supply of dildos, to the Amelia Earhart mystery of our generation (Nicki Minaj's cousin's friend's unusually enormous testicles) this year has been a rollercoaster, and I hope you'll all join me for another look at the weird bits you may have missed. It's been an absolute privilege to be able to look back at the year and make an audiobook for the kind of masochists who want to live through that mess twice."

Kane said: "This book is so hilarious that I kept laughing my butt off while recording it. I ended up having to find an extra four-hour session to get the bloody thing fully read. Very, very funny."