Welcome to The Story Circle

Under the direction of Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross, The Story Circle is a creative team of recording experts using imaginative writers, skilled voices, original music, thrilling sound effects and state of the art studios to transform your material into great audio. Details of our services can be found here.

To listen to samples of Story Circle productions, visit our Listening Circle.

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Late News

We started the New Year with a blockbuster recording Mark Billingham thrillers, 'Death Message' and 'Buried' with Mark himself reading in full flow. Both audiobooks are on Audible published by Hachette Audio and directed by Garrick Hagon.

Recently we participated in the recording of the new book by millionaire financier Scott Galloway published by Penguin Random House. Invaluable advice and a personal history as told by the author himself. Fascinating.

For Penguin Random House were so happy that Geri Halliwell had time to record her exciting and endearing story about Rosie Frost a feisty young student at a mysterious and daunting school resonating with history and adventure. It is called Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen and she looks to have a promising future with more tales to come. Directed at ID Audio by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross.

Just about to be published is Werner Herzog's magnificent account of his life and work which he himself recorded over two weeks at Dave and Dave's studios in Los Angeles directed by Garrick Hagon. Echoing a title he wanted to use on one of his films, the book is called 'Every Man for Himself and God Against All' it is an incredible life story. Endlessly probing, courageous and curious Werner Herzog explores so many grand themes that have obsessed him throughout his prolific career in film and in opera theatres throughout the world. It was an education and a great pleasure to work on this project at the special request of Mr.Herzog and PRH.

Then we turned to the next ingenious thriller from Robert Galbraith, aka J.K.Rowling, produced by Sarah Shrubb at Hachette. Read by the superb narrator Robert Glenister, it is a tale of the dark side of cult religion and it leaves you gasping.

For all those who loved the powerful, spectacular, subversive sounds of the punk and no wave musicians in the 70's and 80's first in New York and then over the world, guitarist and composer Thurston Moore has written and read his dynamic account of those times, those turbulent lives which stunned and thrilled a generation. Thurston's vivid recollections and encyclopaedic memory captures the magic of the times. It was directed by Garrick Hagon and produced by Denise Lee of PRH.

What a great pleasure to work with Werner Herzog on his latest book, The Twilight World! It is the strange history of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who remained on a Philippine island existing alone in the jungle still fighting the unseen enemy for 25 years, oblivious to the fact that the war had ended. Herzog describes Onoda's survival and meditates on life and nature in a fascinating and beautifully evocative study. Garrick Hagon directs for Penquin Random House.

'Old Rage' is the splendid title of Dame Sheila Hancock's latest autobiography and she came to ID Audio to record it herself for Harper Collins Audio with all her usual dynamism and eloquence. It was directed by Garrick Hagon.

For Hachette Audio, Garrick directed the next instalment Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series. Among many other themes it deals with the repercussions of social media in a long and absorbing mystery 'The Ink Black Heart' read by the superb Robert Glenister who has been the voice of all J.K. Rowling's tales of the ex-SAS, London detective and his co-partner Robin Ellacott.

For Blackstone Audio, Anna Beer has just recorded her latest work, 'Eve Bites Back', a marvellously readable narrative history of early female writers who broke through the male literary hierarchy and paved the way to the future, among them Julian of Norwich, Aemilia Lanyer, Aphra Behn, Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Jane Austen.

We’ve just completed ‘Glory’, a mesmerising poetical fable of life and political turmoil in an unnamed but recognizable African country, written by NoViolet Bulawayo and read by the dynamic and versatile Chipo Chung. It was directed for PenquinRandomHouse by Garrick Hagon who also directed PRH’s Rebels Against the Raj by Ramachandra Guha read by the excellent Vidish Athavale.

The Story Circle has been thrilled to have had a run of productions during the past months for publishers Penguin Random House, Hachette and Harper Audio. Among the titles directed by Garrick Hagon are: the complete and unabridged 'Lord of the Rings' performed by Andy Serkis; Cold Justice, by Ant Middleton, a dramatized reading by Ant and a full cast; Wole Soyinka's 'Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth' read by Michael Obiora; 'Man and His Symbols' by Carl Jung read by Raj Ghatak; 'The Alchemy of Your Dreams' written and read by Athena Laz and Eoin Colfer's 'Artemis Fowl: The Foul Twins Get What They Deserve', performed by Nathaniel Parker. All of these audio productions are about to be launched for the autumn season.

What a treat to direct a great team on the 10-hour audio drama of the new Tom Thorne thriller by Mark Billingham, ‘Cry Baby’. Thanks to Sarah Shrubb at Hachette Audio for making it all happen, to Patch McQuaid, Steve Chase and Sarah Radford at ID Audio for keeping us all safe and happy and to David Morrissey, Robert Glenister and Nathalie Buscombe for leading such a fine cast.

GOLLUM! Andy Serkis, who famously played Gollum in Peter Jackson's film trilogy has just recorded a full audiobook version of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' with Garrick directing down the line from The Story Circle studio to Patrick McQuaid's ID Audio studio in London. The engineer was Stephen Chase and the publishers Harper Collins.

Bill Dufris	Andy Serkis

Yesterday we lost we lost our shining light Bill Dufris who passed away peacefully at home after treating his illness over the last few months as a signal to gather all his friends and family together in joy and celebration of his life with them. In messages of love and encouragement he shared his recent trials and brave struggle to make every last moment count. He was a generous and thoughtful inspiration to us all. Bill, an accomplished voice artist, teacher and director, was a co-founder of our company. He helped us on our way with brilliant early productions and remained a wise guide and advisor to us after he moved to Portland, Maine and created his own successful company, Mind's Eye Productions. Thank you, Bill, for your bright smile, your laughs, and the energetic support you gave us always. We send our love and deep sympathy to his wife Maria and their family.

AUDIE AWARDS in New York, 2019: we are delighted with the award for the Story Circle/Audible production of ‘The Man on the Mountaintop’ in the Best Faith-based Fiction and Non-fiction category. Congratulations to adapter Libby Spurrier, director Liza Ross, composer Odinn Hilmarsson, sound designer John Wakefield and the fabulous team of actors lead by Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones.

Ken Clarke, M.P., in all-day sitting at Soundhouse

For Sarah Shrubb at Hachette, Garrick is directing Mark Billingham reading his first Thorne novels: ‘Sleepyhead’, ‘Scaredy Cat’ and ‘Lazybones’ and he is about to enter the dark world of Mark’s latest crime thriller, ‘Their Little Secret’, due for release in April 2019.

Garrick enjoyed working with on Maria Popova’s new book ‘Figuring’ for Penquin Random House recorded at Heavy Entertainment, London.

For Hachette Audiobooks Garrick directed Robert Glenister’s reading at Strathmore Studios of Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling’s) ‘Lethal White’.

Now released by Audible is the Story Circle full cast production of ‘Last Seen Wearing’ an 8-episode thriller by David Hewson starring Laurence Bouvard, John Guerassio, Lorelei King, Stuart Milligan, Martin T. Sherman and a full cast, with sound design by Steve Foxon and music by Jordan Killiard. Directed by Garrick Hagon.

Samantha Bond and Jamie Glover at the mic

We are thrilled with the Earphone Award for our Audible production of 'The Man on the Mountaintop' adapted by Libby Spurrier from Susan Trotts' 'Holy Man Trilogy' and starring Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones with a full cast including Tim Bentinck and Alison Dowling.

Do listen to the classic performance by Miriam Margolyes of Charles Dickens 'Bleak House' which Garrick directed for Audible.

Rachel Atkins	Harriet Carmichael

Naxos Audiobooks has now released the full multi-voiced unabridged production of Samuel Richardson's 'Clarissa', with Samuel West as the Narrator, Lucy Scott as Clarissa and Roger May as Lovelace. Also in the cast are Nigel Pilkington, Teresa Gallagher, Anna Bentinck, Katie Scarfe, Hayward B. Morse, Paul Panting and John Foley, directed by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross.

Juliet Stevenson	Nicholas Boulton

Two programs which Garrick directed for Ukemi and Audible were nominated for AUDIE AWARDS in 2016: 'The Oedipus Plays', starring Jamie Glover, Hayley Atwell, Julian Glover and Samantha Bond, in the Best Production category and 'Glitterland' read by Nick Boulton in the Romance category.

Congratulations to Simon Callow on the Earphone Award for 'Tales of the Peculiar' by Ransom Riggs which Garrick directed at Motivation Sound for Penquin Random House.

Jeremy Irons	Mark Billingham

Garrick had a delightful time working with M.P. Ken Clarke recording his wonderfully entertaining and informative autobiography, Kind of Blue, at The Soundhouse in London. The book is published by PanMacmillan .

Juliet Stevenson gave a tour-de-force, 22-hour performance of Sarah Waters' 'The Paying Guests' directed by Garrick Hagon for Hachette Audio.

Diana Athill	Michael Brandon

Brian Cox performed J.R.R. Tolkien's translation of the great Norse poetic saga, 'The `legend of Sigurd and Gudrun' from the Poetic Edda.

Hugh Laurie is a masterful reader of Alexander McCall Smith's 'Portuguese Irregular Verbs'.

Alan Howard	Lucy Scott

In 2013, Audible U.K. named 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J.K.Rowling) read by Robert Glenister, The Audio Book of the Year and the happy partnership of Hachette Audio, Robert Glenister and director Garrick Hagon continues in the series.

Garrick is thrilled to work with author and splendid reader Mark Billingham on his Tom Thorne series of terrific thrillers. His latest is 'The Killing Habit'.

Claire Bloom	Michael Maloney and Adrian Sear

Nicholas Boulton, the reader of Laura Kinsale's exciting historical-romance novels, has been a stalwart with The Story Circle for over 15 superb readings.

Bill Bryson at Q Sound	Sylvester McCoy	Brian Cox with Garrick	David Rintoul

Julie Walters	Charley Boorman	Frances McDormand

Recent Awards...

Awards for Story Circle Productions are listed on the Winner's Circle page.

Working with clients, The Story Circle will:

• adapt or abridge your material into any audio format: solo, dual, multi-voiced reading, fully-fledged drama, dramatised narrative
  
• provide a budget for your production
• compose original music when required
• create a special effects soundtrack
• record and digitally mix the production
• submit a listening copy of the production for your approval
• present the finished product on audio CD or in appropriate files for download

If you would like a quote or would like to discuss your project with The Story Circle, please see our contact page, or e-mail us by clicking here. We would be pleased to provide a competitive estimate for any audio project.