How Women Are Changing The Landscape Of Audio Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most potent vehicles for societal and cultural change. In the margins of the stories we experience as entertainment, are ideas, laced with hope and aspiration, about who we are as a society and who we can become. Audio storytelling is special in that it is an experience that lives in the mind and imagination of each listener.

Without the aid of visuals constructed for the audience, the listener must paint pictures in their mind to make the protagonists, and the story, come alive. In doing so, they rely on their memories and their own experiences, to shape the images their imagination conjures up as they listen to each story. As the story evolves, they must, in their mind, confront and evolve their own biases, their inner conflicts and their limitations of perception, as the power of voice and sound takes their mind to a new reality, a new story, a new possibility.

The Power of Women: A Revolution that Starts in the Mind

We believe in and invest in female creators and their stories of women, not only to promote an evolution in how the stories of women are told but also to disrupt entrenched ideas about our collective future. We amplify stories of women who embody strength, resilience, and agency, who challenge the status quo by presenting a full spectrum of the female experience through evolved protagonists, and new stories about female aspiration, inevitably expanding our minds as we listen. 

I am consistently moved by the rich insights and narratives that women contribute, bringing to the fore a diverse perspective for all to open their minds to. The stories shared by female storytellers through audio storytelling today highlight the triumphs, challenges, and personal journeys from the female lens, offering fresh perspectives, and leaving a lasting imprint on our listeners. We believe in the power of these stories to inspire and provoke thought, enriching the lives of those who listen. It's a privilege to amplify these voices and foster a greater understanding of the world through their stories.

In Desi Down Under, written by Mithila Gupta, a young female protagonist, performed so beautifully by Prajakta Koli, challenges her parents’ notion of what she should become in her career, as she chases her adventure abroad. As listeners experience her story, their minds open to the possibilities that living outside of their comfort zone and societal expectations in their own lives. In Chitra Divakaruni's audiobook ‘The Forest of Enchantments,’ listeners are invited to experience the epic of Ramayana through the lens of its female characters, particularly Sita, and through this lens, the powerful lessons of the Ramayana take on a distinctly female form. In Psycho Saiyaan, starring Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, a woman who has been the victim of a violent crime re-claims her voice and fights for justice, refusing to have her voice suppressed through fear. Another Audible Original which captures inspiring female narratives is Mad Mommas, created and written by screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary. Set in Gurugram and Delhi amid the Covid-19 pandemic, 'Mad Mommas' touches on the bittersweet realities of four women who are in different stages of motherhood. It is narrated by famed TV journalist and RJ, Richa Anirudh. 

This women's month, and every day, let's spend time listening to stories that challenge our innate biases and encourage us to transform limiting mindsets as much as they entertain. This truly has the power to shift our culture at large. Every word whispered into an open mind is a crack in the glass of ceilings that can and should be shattered.

Authored by Karen Appathurai Wiggins, VP and Head of Regional Content APAC, Audible