STORYTEL, the division of one of Europe’s leading platform for audiobooks, is set to debut the much-anticipated Harry Potter audiobooks in Arabic at Cairo International Book Fair last Jan. 23, a landmark move that will Storytel’s first ever participation in the largest and oldest book fair in the Arab World. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will be available on the Storytel platform this spring, while the remaining books series will be gradually released throughout 2019. Fans of the Harry Potter book series in the Arab region are in for a major treat as the Arabic audio format is narrated by top voice-over artist Samaan Ferizali.

Pottermore, the global digital publisher of stories from the Wizarding World, and Storytel have partnered to make the Arabic audiobook version of the stories about The Boy Who Lived exclusively available on the latter’s platform. The collaboration is expected to expand Storytel’s audience and bring the Harry Potter series to listeners in the Arab world.

Ammar Mardawi, Country Manager of Storytel Arabia, said: “Harry Potter is a unique global phenomenon which helped many people around the world to become regular book consumers by captivating their imagination and emotions. The debut of the Arabic audiobook version of Harry Potter is a major milestone for Storytel Arabia as it will introduce them to the audiobook experience for the first time. We are announcing the Arabic audiobooks of Harry Potter at the Cairo book fair because of the outstanding Harry Potter fan base among Egyptian young people.”

“We are very pleased with Ferizali’s work in this project. It took us several months of auditions and evaluations as well as series of surveys among Harry Potter fans before we arrived at our final decision. Ferizali is doing a fantastic job in bringing over 150 characters to life in the series,” Mardawi added. — SG