AudioFile is thrilled to celebrate Dominic Hoffman as one of our 2024 Golden Voice narrators. Behind the Mic host Jo Reed spoke with Dominic about his multifaceted journey through the performing arts that led to his career in audiobook narration and becoming one of the most distinguished voices in the industry. Dominic explains how his experience on stage informs his audiobook narration, and the unique challenges of serving both the author’s intent and the audience’s listening experiences.
Jo and Dominic discuss his narrations of James McBride’s audiobooks, including , which he says was “as fun as it was challenging,” with its many accents and its nuanced story. Dominic also explains his initial reluctance to narrate Percival Everett’s newest audiobook, , but he grew to appreciate the new perspective offered on . I think there is a way where you’re so good at flushing out the music in every book, but in the books where there is that kind of music, you’re really good at getting at that.
It saves you as a narrator, I think. It’s like doing Shakespeare. If you can jump on that rhythm train, the iambic pentameter.
All of a sudden, you’re just riding it. They wrote it. You’re just riding it, and I think that’s the key to a successful reading of an audiobook from the narrator’s point of view.
I’m an author. I got a book coming out October 14th, 2025, Simon & Schuster. It’s called , a bunch of short stories.
But I think about somebody else recording, na.
