Caedmon Audio and HarperCollins Audio are record label imprints of

HarperCollins Publishers HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...

that specialize in

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

s and other literary content. Formerly Caedmon Records, its marketing tag-line was Caedmon: a Third Dimension for the Printed Page. The name changed when the label switched to CD-only production.

Caedmon history

Caedmon Records was a pioneer in the audiobook business, it was the first company to sell spoken-word recordings to the public and has been called the seed of the audiobook industry. Caedmon was founded in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in 1952 by college graduates Barbara Holdridge and Marianne Roney (later Marianne Mantell). The label's first release was a collection of poems by

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

as read by the author. The B-side contained '' A Child's Christmas in Wales'', which was added as an afterthought; the story was obscure and Thomas himself could not remember its title when asked what to use to fill up the LP's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

. However, this recording went on to become one of his most loved works, and launched Caedmon as a successful company. The original 1952 recording was a 2008 selection for the United States National Recording Registry, stating it is "credited with launching the

industry in the United States". The company went on to record other notable writers reading their own works, such as

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, ...

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and ...

, and many more. The label expanded further to encompass other types of spoken-word recordings, including children's stories, speeches, plus English- and foreign-language classics. Theater performances were also staged for the label, starring either the Shakespeare Recording Society or the Theatre Recording Society, depending on the playwright. These performances included many famous actors and actresses, including Anthony Quayle,

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles on stage and screen and has received two BAFTA Awards and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award an ...

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...

, Siobhán McKenna,

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English actor and filmmaker. Beginning his career in theatre, he first appeared in the West End in 1937. He made his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Lady Vanishes'' ...

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

Felix Aylmer Sir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones (21 February 1889 – 2 September 1979) was an English stage actor who also appeared in the cinema and on television. Aylmer made appearances in films with comedians such as Will Hay and George Formby. Early life ...

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...

Alec McCowen Alexander Duncan McCowen, (26 May 1925 – 6 February 2017) was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions. Early life McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the son of Mary (née Walkden), a dancer ...

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He was known for his "bald head and intense, staring eyes," and played more than 250 stage, film, and television roles across a nearly sixty-year career. Pleas ...

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

, Max Adrian, and

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...

, among others. Other notable readers for the label included

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

, and

Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), '' Let ...

Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...

, which also owned D. C. Heath and Company, bought Caedmon in 1971.

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins, based in New York City. Founded in New York in 1817 by James Harper and his brother John, the company operated as J. & J. Harper until 1833, when ...

(now HarperCollins) purchased the label in 1987.

Selected discography

This partial discography provides an idea of the range of literary and acting talent that Caedmon was able to record and distribute. * ''Dylan Thomas Reading, Volume 1'' (TC 1002) * ''Laurence Olivier'' (TC 1003) * ''Thomas Mann Reading'' (German) (TC 1004) * ''Tennessee Williams Reading'' (TC 1005) * ''Katherine Anne Porter Reading Downward Path'' (TC 1006) * ''Catcher in the Rye'' (read by Ray Hagen) (TC 1007) * ''Chaucer: Nun's Priest's, Pardoner's Tales'' (Middle English) (TC 1008) * ''Archibald MacLeish Reading'' (TC 1009) * ''Eudora Welty Reading'' (TC 1010) * '' Peter Marshall Speaks'' (TCR 101/TC 1011) * ''Sean O'Casey Reading'' (TC 1012) * ''Osbert Sitwell Reading'' (TC 1013) * ''Israel is Born'' (TC 1014) * ''Ogden Nash Reading'' (TC 1015) * ''Edith Sitwell Reading'' (TC 1016) * ''e. e. cummings Reading'' (TC 1017) * ''Dylan Thomas Reading, Volume 2'' (TC 1018) * ''W. H. Auden Reading'' (TC 1019) * ''Colette Reading'' (TC 1020) * ''Hearing Poetry, Volume 1'' (TC 1021) * ''Hearing Poetry, Volume 2'' (TC 1022) * ''The Rubiyat'' (read by

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Bro ...

) (TC 1023) * ''Millay Poetry'' (read by

Judith Anderson Dame Frances Margaret Anderson (10 February 18973 January 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film, and television. A pre-eminent stage actress in her era, she won two ...

) (TC 1024) * ''Marianne Moore Reading'' (TC 1025) * ''Wordsworth Poetry'' (read by

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned over 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and hi ...

) (TC 1026) * ''Mark Twain'' (read by

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

Brandon deWilde Andre Brandon deWilde (April 9, 1942 – July 6, 1972) was an American theatre, film, and television actor. Born into a theatrical family in Brooklyn, he debuted on Broadway theater, Broadway at the age of seven and became a national phenomenon b ...

) (TC 1027) * ''Edgar Allan Poe'' (read by

) (TC 1028) * ''Baudelaire Reading'' (read by Eva LeGallienne,

), (French) (TC 1029) * ''Wellsprings of Drama'' (TC 1030) * ''Everyman'' (read by

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" ...

) (TC 1031) * ''The Second Shepherd's Play'' (TC 1032) * ''Dr. Faustus'' (read by

Frank Silvera Frank Alvin Silvera (July 24, 1914 – June 11, 1970) was a Jamaican-born American character actor and theatrical director. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Boston, Silvera dropped out of law school in 1934 after winning his first stage ...

) (TC 1033) * ''Greek Prose and Poetry'' (Greek) (TC 1034) * ''William Faulkner Reading'' (TC 1035) * ''Frank O'Connor Reading'' (TC 1036) * ''Leaves of Grass, Volume 1'' (read by

Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...

) (TC 1037) * ''Just So Stories, Volume 1'' (read by

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

) (TC 1038) * ''Conrade Aiken Reading'' (TC 1039) * ''Red Badge of Courage'' (read by

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (; September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television, and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on th ...

) (TC 1040) * ''Vachel Lindsay Reading'' (TC 1041) * ''Poetry of Byron'' (read by

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

) (TC 1042) * ''Dylan Thomas Reading, Volume 3'' (TC 1043) * ''Wilde Fairy Tales'' (read by

) (TC 1044) * ''T. S. Eliot Reading'' (TC 1045) * ''Walter de la Mare Reading'' (TC 1046) * ''William Carlos Williams Reading'' (TC 1047) * ''Poetry of Browning, Volume 1'' (read by

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

) (TC 1048) * ''17th Century Poetry'' (read by

, Robert Newton) (TC 1049) * ''Gertrude Stein Reading'' (TC 1050) * ''Sermons of Donne'' (read by Herbert Marshall) (TC 1051) * ''Book of Judith, Ruth'' (read by

) (TC 1052) * ''Psalms and David'' (read by Judith Anderson) (TC 1053) * ''Cambridge Treasury of English Prose: Malory to Donne, Volume 1'' (TC 1054) * ''Cambridge Treasury of English Prose: Burton to Johnson, Volume 2'' (TC 1055) * ''Cambridge Treasury of English Prose: Defoe to Burke, Volume 3'' (TC 1056) * ''Cambridge Treasury of English Prose: Austen to Bronte, Volume 4'' (TC 1057) * ''Cambridge Treasury of English Prose: Dickens to Butler, Volume 5'' (TC 1058) * ''Poetry of Shelley'' (read by

) (TC 1059) * ''Robert Frost Reading'' (TC 1060) * ''Dylan Thomas Reading, Volume 4'' (TC 1061) * ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (read by Joseph Schildkraut) (TC 1062) * ''Joyce's Ulysses'' (read by Siobhán McKenna,

E. G. Marshall E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...

) (TC 1063) * ''Frank Lloyd Wright Speaking'' (TC 1064) * ''Diego Rivera Speaking'' (Spanish) (TC 1065) * ''Robert Graves Reading'' (TC 1066) * ''Lorca'' (read by Maria Douglas, Raul Dantes) (Spanish) (TC 1067) * ''Wallace Stevens Reading'' (TC 1068) * ''Noel Coward Duologies'' (read by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

, Margaret Leighton) (TC 1069) * ''Ecclesiastes'' (read by

) (TC 1070) * ''E. B. Browning Sonnets/Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (read by

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by cri ...

, Anthony Quayle) (TC 1071) * ''German Lyric Poetry'' (read by

Lotte Lenya Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is be ...

) (German) (TC 1072) * ''Andersen Fairy Tales'' (TC 1073) * ''Reluctant Dragon'' (read by Boris Karloff) (TC 1074) * ''Pied Piper/Hunting of the Snark'' (read by Boris Karloff) (TC 1075) * ''The Book of Job'' (read by Herbert Marshall) (TC 1076) * ''Child's Garden of Verses'' (read by

) (TC 1077) * ''Nonsense Verse'' (read by

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989) was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedy performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debut in 1914 and soon gain ...

Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook i ...

, Stanley Holloway) (TC 1078) * ''Juan Ramon Jimenez Reading'' (Spanish) (TC 1079) * ''Poetry of Tennyson'' (read by

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her h ...

Lewis Casson Sir Lewis Thomas Casson (26 October 187516 May 1969) was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.Devlin, DianaCasson, Sir Lewis Thomas (1875–1969) ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' ...

) (TC 1080) * ''Poetry of Yeats'' (read by Siobhán McKenna, Cyril Cusack) (TC 1081) * ''Henry Mencken Speaking'' (TC 1082) * ''Jean Cocteau Reading'' (French) (TC 1083) * ''Stephen Spender Reading'' (TC 1084) * ''Song of Songs/Heloise & Abelard'' (read by Claire Bloom,

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

) (TC 1085) * ''Joyce's Finnegans Wake'' (read by Siobhán McKenna, Cyril Cusack) (TC 1086) * ''Poetry of Keats'' (read by

) (TC 1087) * ''Just So Stories, Volume 2'' (read by Boris Karloff) (TC 1088) * ''Rootabaga Stories'' (read by

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg w ...

) (TC 1089) * ''Moll Flanders'' (read by Siobhán McKenna) (TC 1090) * ''Mother Goose'' (read by Cyril Ritchard, Boris Karloff,

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...

) (TC 1091) * ''Poetry of Coleridge'' (read by Ralph Richardson) (TC 1092) * ''Boswell's London Journal'' (read by Anthony Quayle) (TC 1093) * ''Apple Cart and Poems by Noël Coward'' (read by Noël Coward, Margaret Leighton) (TC 1094) * ''Picture of Dorian Gray'' (read by Hurd Hatfield) (TC 1095) * ''Genesis'' (read by Judith Anderson) (TC 1096) * ''Alice in Wonderland'' (read by Joan Greenwood, Stanley Holloway, Cast.) (TC 1097) * ''Through the Looking Glass'' (read by Joan Greenwood, Stanley Holloway, Cast.) (TC 1098) * ''Gulliver's Travels'' (read by

) (TC 1099) * ''Kipling's Jungle Books: How Fear Came'' (read by Boris Karloff) (TC 1100) * '' The Bab Ballads of WS Gilbert and The Cautionary Tales by

Hilaire Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc ( ; ; 27 July 187016 July 1953) was a French-English writer, politician, and historian. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. His Catholic fait ...

'', (read by Stanley Holloway and

Joyce Grenfell Joyce Irene Grenfell (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo show ...

), (TC1104) * ''Ezra Pound Reading'' (TC 1122) * Jeeves: ('' PG Wodehouse''), 'Indian Summer of an Uncle'. 'Jeeves Takes Charge': readings by : '' Judith Furse'', ''

Miles Malleson William Miles Malleson (25 May 1888 – 15 March 1969) was an English actor and dramatist, particularly remembered for his appearances in British comedy films of the 1930s to 1960s. Towards the end of his career, he also appeared in cameo roles ...

'', ''

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 1911 – 8 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members ...

'', ''

Rita Webb Olive Rita Webb (25 February 1904 – 30 August 1981), later known as Olive Rita Thompson, was an English character actress, mainly in comedy roles. She was the eldest child of Henry Augustus Webb (1880–1926) and Rose Jeannette Keysor. She had ...

'', and ''

Roger Livesey Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', '' ...

'', (TC-1137) (mono), 1958, and (TC01137-S), stereo, 1964 * ''Ezra Pound Reading, Volume 2'' (TC 1155) * ''

Poems and Songs of Middle Earth ''Poems and Songs of Middle Earth'' is a studio album of Spoken word, spoken-word poetry by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien and art songs composed by the English musician Donald Swann. On the first half of the album, Tolkien recit ...

'' (read by

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

) (TC 1231) * ''What is Puerto Rico?'' (read by

Geraldo Rivera Geraldo Rivera (born Gerald Rivera; July 4, 1943) is an American journalist, attorney, author, and political commentator who worked at the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Geraldo'' from 1987 to 1998. He g ...

) and ''So Far'' (read by Miguel Robles) (TC 1431) * '' Alligator Pie and other poems'' (read by Dennis Lee) (TC 1530) * ''Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears and Other Tales'' (read by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis) (TC 1592) * ''Churchill in His Own Voice: and the Voices of His Contemporaries'' (read by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and

) (TC 2018)

References

External links

Official WebsiteHarperCollins Audio
* * {{Authority control American record labels Record labels established in 1952 Spoken word record labels Audiobook companies and organizations HarperCollins books

Caedmon history

Selected discography

See also

References

External links