DREAMLAND BURNING by Jennifer Latham, Read by Pyeng Threadgill & Luke Slattery, Wins Audie Award for Best Multi-Voiced Performance

New York, NY – March 7, 2019

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced the winners of The Audie Awards®, a program recognizing distinction in spoken word and audiobooks, at their annual black tie gala this week. Dreamland Burning, written by Jennifer Latham and narrated by Pyeng Threadgill and Luke Slattery, was honored with the distinction of Best Multi-Voiced performance, in a competitive category featuring An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, Any Man by Amber Tamblyn, Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales, Sadie by Courtney Summers, and There There by Tommy Orange.

Author Jennifer Latham reflected on the honor: “There’s really no way to describe the magic of hearing gifted actors like Pyeng Threadgill and Luke Slattery literally breathe life into your characters, or to overstate the creativity, skill and dedication of Elece Green, Michelle Figueroa, Gabino Reyes and the entire crew at Hachette Audio. I’m grateful to everyone who helped transform Dreamland Burning into an audiobook, humbled that their work earned it a place alongside amazing stories by Tayari Jones, Amber Tamblyn, Courtney Summers, Tommy Orange, and Hans Christian Anderson, and thrilled that the Audio Publishers Association has honored our labor of love with an Audie.”

Narrator Pyeng Threadgill “was honored to get to voice this audiobook along with Luke Slattery, and even more so to hear that the Audie judges deemed it the best Multi-Voiced performance of the year, knowing that our colleagues in the category were also so worthy. The pivotal American moment of Tulsa 1921 is so beautifully and painfully brought to light in this story; I was deeply gratified to be a part of bringing it to life through my performance.”

“I’m totally thrilled and honored to have been a part of Dreamland Burning,” said Luke Slattery. “The award means so much. Honestly, the lion’s share of the work was already done for me. Elece’s direction helped me keep the characters distinct and Jen’s writing provided an incredible foundation. The voices were so unique and original, I basically just had to read her words out loud. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Hachette and to tell a story that was at risk of getting lost to history.”

“It’s not every day that a resonant book like Jennifer Latham’s Dreamland Burning comes along,” noted Producer Elece Green, who brought the elements of this audiobook together.
“So from the outset, I knew this had to be a special audiobook—from the casting, to the incredible performances from Luke and Pyeng, all the way to the carefully chosen musical cues and sound design. I had a vision for the audiobook as Producer and Director, but it is thanks to the skill of technicians Gabino Reyes and Michelle Figueroa that every element came together so beautifully on Dreamland Burning.  It’s a truly special book, and I’m fiercely proud to see it be recognized and celebrated with an Audie Award from the Audio Publishers Association.”

Hachette Audio’s other Audie Award Finalists included:

Audiobook of the Year & Humor
CALYPSO, written and read by David Sedaris

Narration by the Author & Memoir
IN PIECES, written and read by Sally Field

Nonfiction
DOPESICK by Beth Macy, read by the Author

THE CADAVER KING AND THE COUNTRY DENTIST by Radley Balko & Tucker Carrington, read by Robert Fass

Fantasy
JADE CITY by Fonda Lee, read by Andrew Kishino 

Mystery
LETHAL WHITE by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister

Faith-Based Nonfiction
PULL IT OFF, written and read by Julianna Zobrist

Best Female Narration
TRANSCRIPTION by Kate Atkinson, read by Fenella Woolgar

Read more about the Audies Competition here.

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world.

Hachette Audio is a publisher of a variety of popular genres in audio form, which matches HBG material with talented actors, composers, and producers to find its fullest expression. Their audiobooks are primarily based on material published in print and online by Grand Central Publishing, Little, Brown and Company, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, JIMMY Patterson, Hachette Books, Black Dog & Leventhal, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Perseus Books, and have been recognized for the highest quality of content and production with numerous GRAMMY, Audie, Listen Up! And Earphone awards. Unabridged and abridged titles are available on CD and as digital downloads.