In preparation for the release of Mark Kermode’s Surround Sound: The Stories of Movie Music on September 11th – available to pre-order now in ALL good bookshops! – Mark and I recently spent some time recording the audiobook at the Chatterbox Studios in St Agnes.

Mark did all the work, seeing as he read the entire book out loud, while I occasionally interjected with a query about pronunciation or punctuation. I found the whole process fascinating, both with my radio producer hat on and as the co-writer.

At the time of recording, we were still going through the second proofreading phase. This meant we’d reached the part of the process where we’d re-read every page so many times we hoped we’d ironed out any errors but equally we were questioning everything we’d written. Some issues could only be spotted once the text was read out loud, so it was a very useful exercise as it allowed us to triple-check things and make any necessary tweaks.

We also finalised certain parts of the book such as the Acknowledgements, and the two of us squeezed into the recording booth to do a Q&A which will be available as bonus material to listeners who’ve made their way through to the end of the audiobook. I can’t really remember much about it although I do recall enthusing about the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack and how this was one of my gateways into the world of film music.

All in all, it was a fun experience and it made the book release feel all the more real. Not long to go now! We’re announcing some events soon, and the next step for us is signing 1200 copies for independent booksellers….