Savitri: An Audiobook
from Prisma Books, Auroville
The Savitri Audiobook, narrated by Audrey McGauley, is one of a series of ambitious projects undertaken by Prisma’s Pranav Kumar. The audiobook is one of the many audio narrations of Sri Aurobindo’s works that will be part of the collection.
The Savitri audiobook is offered in a gift-economy format, meaning by donation to those who moved to contribute.
Explore the audio book by clicking below, and bookmark the page for easy revisiting! Explore the sections by clicking on the headings for the pages with the recordings.
Prisma is happy to announce the conclusion of its latest major audio production, an audio rendition of Savitri narrated by Audrey McGauley. The audiobook is available at – https://savitri-audiobook.com/.
Available in our open-access format on a gift-economy basis
The audiobook is available in its entirety without a paywall or any advertisements, embracing a gift-economy and pay-what-feels-right model. This approach allows listeners to access and enjoy the work freely and reflects Prisma’s commitment to making the audiobook accessible to everyone, fostering a community of sharing and appreciation for Sri Aurobindo’s profound work.
Audrey’s comments on the process of this Savitri project
In my youth I memorized portions of this poem because I couldn’t live without these words, these thoughts. I needed them close for guidance, inspiration and the beauty of poetry. In middle age I thought of recording the poem for the time I might be too old to read. I wanted to listen to an American English rendition of the poem. I hoped an American English narration of the poem would become available in university curriculums for students of Literature and Theology. I also hope that additional narrations will become available, each with its own unique voice.
With help from AVI-USA and Prisma, I started and completed the narration. It was a joy. I wanted to narrate from my heart and wanted my consciousness to express what was being presented in the poem. It was like reading a holy book. I didn’t want my narration to be in the way of the poem itself, so I tried to offer my truest self as it is to date.
Thank you, Mathew at AVI-USA and Pranav at Prisma, for your support and kindness along the way. I am humbled to offer you, the listener, this narration of poetic literature, Savitri by Sri Aurobindo. For newcomers to the poem, it may be of benefit to listen and read the poem at the same time. Several written copyright editions of the poem are available. This narration was completed from the Savitri Digital-Friendly First Edition which is available on Amazon.
It is my hope that the listener will receive this narration as a mantra from Sri Aurobindo – a mantra or a means that will connect one as directly as possible to the truth and light of the poem, its words and consciousness. This poetry awakens and enlightens those who stay close to it.
On Audrey’s voice
Having worked with and experienced several male and female voices in these contexts, we found a unique neutrality and even-keeled quality in Audrey’s voice. This neutrality has been consistently noted by our reviewers – some wished for more emotion, mood or inflection while others praised the excellent and consistent work with her neutral tone, commenting on how it allowed them to engage with the material. This neutral energy in Audrey’s voice, we hope, creates a space for listeners where they can connect with the materials in a deeper way, facilitating their own inner processes – the evenness of her delivery ensures that the focus remains on the content rather than the performance, providing a clear and unobstructed path to the profound communications within the works. We hope that Audrey’s rendition resonates with you and enhances your experience of the audiobook.
On the production of the audiobook
Completing this audio book after two years of dedicated effort has been a major milestone for us. This project, our third major audio production production, has been demanding. Unlike the two project before, where we worked mostly with already-existing audio files, in this project we needed a more hands-on approach, and had to work closely with the audio, often re-mastering and fine-tuning segments of recordings. In our previous audio projects our role was more of an assembler and editor, focusing mostly on organising and arranging pre-recorded and archived content. This time we had to dive deeper into technical aspects of audio production. Remastering often involved balancing sound, removing imperfections and ensuring consistent clarity throughout the audiobook. Such close engagement with the audio material not only honed our technical skills but have also given us a deeper appreciation for the art of audio storytelling.
Future directions
Prisma plans to embark on three new audio ventures. All of these are renditions of Sri Aurobindo’s other major works, including the titanic Life Divine. The scale of it is both inundating but also profoundly fulfilling. The opportunity to bring Sri Aurobindo’s writings to life through audio renditions is a task we look forward to with great anticipation.