British actor Andrew Lincoln has teamed with Pottermore Publishing to narrate the guide to the wizarding world’s favourite sport, available from Audible, with a proportion of the proceeds going to Comic Relief and Lumos.
Quidditch Through the Ages written by Kennilworthy Whisp, is the go-to guide to the high-flying sport for all wizards and witches.
Now, thanks to the talented vocals of the BAFTA-nominated actor Andrew Lincoln – currently starring in The Walking Dead – it has been turned into an audiobook, due for release on 15 March.
Here’s Andrew’s message to the crowd at A Celebration of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort earlier today.
We can say that listening to Andrew channelling his ‘inner witch’ is great fun – our favourite is definitely Gertie Keddle, whose acidic diary entries about the early days of Quidditch are brought to life with great gusto. Andrew’s accents are a joy, and it’s nice to hear someone pronounce ‘Creaothceann’ as though they’ve been saying it since they were a toddler. Your chin may also wobble as Andrew narrates the plight of the unfortunate Golden Snidget.
The audiobook will also feature some extra bonus audio content in the form of a Quidditch match commentary. These come courtesy of an enthusiastic Ginny Potter voiced by Imogen Church, who should probably take up sports commentary 24/7 as she’s such a natural. Rita Skeeter is voiced by Annette Badland, whose Rita is so teeth-grindingly spot-on that it’s like listening to the real thing.
They’ll analyse the tactics used by the players and will have a little gossip about the game’s celebrity spectators. You’ll really feel as though you’re at a Quidditch match, only without the fear of being hit by a rogue Bludger.
The whole thing is going to sound amazing, too, because the sound design was created by an award-winning team from Pinewood Studios, no less.
Andrew says of his experience recording the audiobook: ‘The Wizarding World is one that I always wanted to get the chance to step into. What makes this project so special, is not only that it allowed me the opportunity to create something my kids love and enjoy, but it also supports great causes, like Comic Relief and Lumos.’
Excited? There’s not long to wait: the audiobook version of Quidditch Through the Ages will be published globally on 15 March. To order, visit the Pottermore Shop.
