Tag: emma

10 Great Audiobooks for Fans of Jane Austen

December 27, 2023

One of literature’s most beloved authors, Jane Austen has mesmerized generations of readers with romantic tales like Pride and Prejudice that are set within Regency England. And even if you’ve read her novels before, they’re always worth revisiting as audiobooks.

Spotify recently redesigned the covers for a number of literary audiobook classics, including five from Austen. Working with Spotify designer Jessica Dugan, artist Ariel VanNatter took inspiration from embroidered handkerchiefs to create the detailing and lettering featured on each cover. 

If you’re caught up on your Austen classics, we also have a collection of romantic romps, thrilling whodunits, and non-fiction deep dives to recommend. So keep scrolling to discover 10 great audiobooks for fans of Jane Austen.

Rekindle your love for Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen

Narrated By Hannah Curtis

Austen’s debut novel Sense and Sensibility is a tale of love set in late 18th-century England that has captivated audiences since it was published. After tragedy strikes sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, they find themselves searching for suitable husbands. Each approaches love differently, with one impulsively jumping into romance while the other taking a more prudent path. Elinor feels ill-equipped to compete with the self-centered, fortune-driven society she finds herself in, whilst Marianne’s unshakeable belief in her own feelings makes her susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men. Can they both find true love?

Mansfield Park

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Winding romantic entanglements, mature situations, and familial drama are common in Austen’s literature, but Mansfield Park is one the author’s most complex novels. The book has been lauded for its challenging of the conservative values of the age, and for its masterful artistry which cleverly disguises the social commentary within. When Fanny Price is very young, she is sent away to live with her aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park, a large estate filled with all of Fanny’s insufferable cousins and family members. Her life is full of people mistreating her and acting unpleasant, and generally giving her a difficult time. As Fanny grows older, she faces awkward situations as her cousins begin to fall in love and pair off, and what ensues is a twisting tale of love triangles, mistaken affection, playful seductions, and the pain of young love scorned.

Emma

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Told with Austen’s signature charm and wit, Emma is the story of an unusual heroine and the chaos she creates in her friend circle with her antics. It’s a humorous and heartwarming novel that will leave readers amused and enchanted.Emma Woodhouse has successfully played matchmaker for her friend and discovers a new skill. She gets to work meddling in her friends’ affair, convincing them to call off imminent engagements and relationships in favor of ones she creates.The matchmaking quickly gets out of Emma’s hands, and her actions and instructions begin to harm. Though well-intended, her interference spirals, causing difficulties and confusion. And though Emma continues to make matches amongst her friends, the question becomes: Which couples will be together by the end?

Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Northanger Abbey is Austen’s satirical, self-referential parody of the gothic fiction. This classic coming-of-age story blends over-the-top drama, fascinating characters, and Austen’s patented eloquence. Catherine Moreland is an imaginative 17-year-old who loves to read the dark, mysterious, and romanticized genre. She is at the age that ladies of her era are meant to be courting and settling into lives of leisure. As Catherine begins to navigate the world outside of her family, her naivete and escapism become barriers to society. She begins to fancy herself as a character in a gothic drama. Everyday scenarios become romanticized and dramatic, natural deaths become mysterious, and innocent motives are questioned.

Lady Susan

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

One of Austen’s earliest completed novels, Lady Susan is a fun glimpse at British society in the 18th century. It’s also a fascinating character study of Lady Susan Vernon, an unscrupulous widow who charms everyone she meets—particularly the men—and is keen on toying with emotions for her own amusement. Told in letters between various characters, Lady Susan follows the coquette’s escapades and influences on her family, and the impact her presence has on their trysts and ties to one another. 

Looking for more Regency romance?

Once Upon a Duke

Erica Ridley

Narrated By Rosie Akerman

Part of the 12 Dukes of Christmas historical romance series, Erica Ridley’s Once Upon a Duke is a heartwarming romance full of reunions and second chances. Due to the terms of an estranged relative’s will, the Duke of Silkridge must revisit the cold, unforgiving mountains where he lost everything he once loved. And as soon as he restores his family legacy, he’ll return to London where he belongs. Noelle Pratchett is immune to charming scoundrels like the arrogant duke. He stole her heart, stole a kiss, and then stole away one night never to return. Now he’s back—and they both know he won’t stay. But how can the Duke resist rekindling the forbidden spark crackling between him and the irresistible spitfire he’d left behind? How can Noelle maintain her icy shields when every heated glance melts her to her core? 

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

KJ Charles

Narrated By Martyn Swain

In KJ Charles’ The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman, Gareth Inglis is a lonely, prickly man who was abandoned by his father. While he is used to disappointment, he still longs for connection. He falls head over heels with a charming stranger, but everything goes wrong and he’s left alone again. When Gareth’s father dies, he transforms from a shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a family he doesn’t know and a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh. But the Marsh is a bleak, bare place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers and deadly secrets. And when Gareth finds himself threatened from every side he must learn to trust those around him. 

Want a thriller featuring one of Jane Austen’s most notorious villains?

The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Claudia Gray

Narrated By Billie Fulford-Brown

In Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham, an imagined mystery blending the styles of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, a summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Austen’s notorious villain meets a sudden and suspicious end. The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma—characters beloved by Austen fans— are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

Learn more about Jane Austen’s world

Mad and Bad

Bea Koch

Narrated By Rengin Altay

Bea Koch’s Mad and Bad takes the Regency, a world immortalized by Austen, and reveals the independent-minded, standard-breaking real historical women who lived life on their terms. Examining broader questions of culture in chapters that focus on the LGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities, the lives of women of color in the Regency, and women who broke barriers in fields like astronomy and paleontology, Mad and Bad looks beyond popular perception of the Regency into the even more vibrant, diverse, and fascinating historical truth.

Our Tempestuous Day

Carolly Erickson

Narrated By Simon Prebble

The tumult and opulence of England’s Regency era burst from the pages in Our Tempestuous Day, a work of literary nonfiction from historian Carolly Erickson. When dementia forced King George III to vacate his throne, the kingdom slipped into a decade marked with excess, scandal, and riots. Hoping to control the crisis early on, Parliament appointed the king’s unpopular son Prince George IV as Regent or caretaker. But for the next nine years, this substitute ruler shocked the nation with his drunkenness, his mistresses, and his wanton spending. 

Ready for more? Check out some great literary classics to listen to here.

Spotify Celebrates International Women’s Day With the Music that Powers Movements on EQUAL

March 6, 2023

Music has often stood at the forefront of social change, especially when it comes to the fight for gender equality. For women’s rights in particular, music has been a decades-long source of power and inspiration. 

“Women are leading the way forward on the biggest challenges in our world today. Their voices must be heard at full volume,” shared Lorraine Ní Annracháin, Global Lead of Social Impact at Spotify. “Too often, women are confronted with harmful gender stereotypes, discrimination, and threats of violence, especially when they raise their voices and demand change. Women-led movements around the world are a powerful driver of change, and we’re excited by the opportunity to amplify and support the work they do, every day, and to explore the role that music can play in driving social change.” 

Spotify recognizes the power of our platform to amplify the voices of women everywhere. In 2021, we launched the EQUAL Global Music Program to ensure we were amplifying the work of women artists year-round—whether the music comes from an emerging artist in Germany or a Canadian country crossover legend. 

Since EQUAL’s inception, we’ve added more than 5,000 artists to EQUAL playlists and supported over 700 ambassadors in their home countries and beyond. Collectively, these artists received nearly half a billion streams within their first month of joining the program. And the amplification goes beyond the work we’ve done with EQUAL—these artists have also been added to more than 4,000 Spotify playlists.

Now, for International Women’s Day, Spotify is working with women artists, movement leaders, and partners around the world to share stories about the songs and messages in women’s music and how they have inspired social change. 

“We are committed to uplifting the voices of women artists year-round, and for International Women’s Day, we’re reflecting on the power of music in the movement for gender equity, amplifying and supporting the voices of women creators, and celebrating the acts of courage and determination of women across the globe who have played an extraordinary role in uplifting their voices,” said Bel Aztiria, Global Lead of Social Equity Music Programs at Spotify.

A destination for music and inspiration—on- and off-platform

On Spotify’s EQUAL hub, listeners can browse and discover new artists through playlist takeovers. They’ll hear inspiring stories through music with the Playlist clips recorded by the artist. From Janelle Monáe in the U.S. to Lola Indigo in Spain, EQUAL artists are celebrating International Women’s Day by taking the reins and creating special playlists to celebrate women across the globe. 

This month, we are also proud to announce the launch of our EQUAL program in Ukraine by spotlighting singer-songwriter Jamala. The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest winner now graces the cover of our EQUAL Global playlist, which features her song “Take Me To A Place.” 

We’re also amplifying the voices of activists, movements, leaders, and the issues they care most passionately about. Tarana Burke, the founder of me too., Shar Jossell, an award-winning journalist, and Favianna Rodriguez, an artist, organizer, and social justice advocate, are all telling “Behind the Movement” stories on Spotify’s social media platforms. 

We’re partnering with UN Women and Calling All Crows, organizations that champion gender equality, and continuing to support women creators. 

Each month For the Record highlights EQUAL ambassadors from around the globe. For International Women’s Day, we caught up with two EQUAL ambassadors—Italian artist Emma and Chilean artist Francisca Valenzuela—who explained why music has the power to drive change.

Is there a song that makes you feel like you can change the world?

Emma: This got me thinking of one song that really has an impact on me: “Imagine” by John Lennon. A true masterpiece, and a manifesto that prompts you to imagine a better, fairer world where people can be respectful of others and of the environment we live in. That song gives you a boost to make the difference.

Francisca Valenzuela: “Arriba Quemando el Sol” by Violeta Parra. This song shows us what is right in front of us, but what we sometimes don’t see. In this case, it’s the quiet desperation, rage, and pain of perpetual social injustice. There is a collective pain and heartbreak that makes me feel activated, moved, and alive through Violeta’s beautiful, evocative, unnerving melody and precise, witty, confessional lyrics. She describes a specific and particular mundane reality of Chile, yet it is also an (unfortunate) universal day-to-day sentiment and situation of the world. There is such power and rebellion in writing and singing in a raw, true, and personal way—the personal can become political, and songs can become a vehicle for change or shedding light on a certain reality or story.

playlist cover art depicting the italian artist emma looking at the camera and the equal logoWhen did you realize that music has the power to drive real change?

Emma: The first time I “showed up” for myself in a song, I felt exposed and seen. That also made me rather vulnerable and easy to be targeted with criticism that was not always constructive. Then and there I realized how powerful music can be, how it can drastically move the needle in any conversation and influence the way you’re being perceived from the outside world. 

Francisca: I think music and art have an impact on us individually, and through that power of connection, identification, and activation, we are mobilized, and even transformed. That inner change can affect outer change. It can also be a space to be free and alive, to connect, to feel truth, something that I think is a big part of the reason why I need to create and why I’m drawn to creativity and am a believer in music and art.

How have you used your own music to engage others in the fight for gender equality?

Emma: The music I make is the reflection of my beliefs; it’s like a mirror where I pour my heart and soul. What I fight for, the daily struggles to be recognized as worthy of respect, the power and the breakthrough. It’s all in there, always on the front line.

Francisca: I think I have engaged and promoted gender equality through my music in three ways. First, I write from a very personal, confessional place. There is radical emotional transparency and authenticity in my songs. A

playlist cover art depicting the chilean artist francisca valenzuela looking at the camera and the equal logo

nd the mere fact of showing parts of myself—and the reality of a woman in the world—feels powerful, rebellious, and illuminates certain realities and sides of ourselves that many times are hidden or inappropriate. 

Second, I also make certain songs and creative pieces (videos, performances, etc.) with a specific fe

minist and/or message or emotion or objective in mind. These are more collective, conscious, and explicit songs or pieces—from my song “Por Que Me Lo Hiciste” about femicide to “Dulce” about the objectification of women. 

And third, I’ve used my musical platform and visibility in Latin America to create an intersectional trans feminist initiative called Ruidosa (which means “women who make noise! Women who rumble!”), which is a Latinx music festival, community, and platform. Ruidosa was born because I wanted to be a part of the change but I also felt, at many times, alone and confused in our music industry and I wanted to learn from women I admire. How do they make their own paths, their own way? I wanted to create a community and celebrate that, too.

Where do you see real breakthroughs in the fight for women’s equality?

Emma: I won’t stand here saying it has all been solved and women won’t have to face other challenges in order to be seen as equal—that would be a lie. At the same time, it is difficult to list what’s causing us issues as there are so many topics still to be uncovered. Nevertheless here I stand, ready to fight the good fight for my team.

Francisca: I am a fan of women, and women in the creative worlds have always inspired me. Women in music have always been—and are—still pioneers, yesterday and today. Tremendous forces that lead creative disruption, that have incredible discipline. We all work so hard, we create community, we open new spaces. We see this in certain areas of the music industry and I can’t wait to see it in all areas—not just in creative or performative endeavors—from management to press to tech. 

This will help us really change the paradigm and create new leadership and structures. Change the old-school patriarchal gatekeeper ways and systems. I am excited for a Latin American music industry that is truly diverse and free, and not promoting one narrative or one way of success or one way of being a woman.

 

Celebrate women with us year-round by visiting the EQUAL hub.