Play Audiobook Sample
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.13) - 224 listener ratings
Publisher Description
Winner of the 2010 Audie for Audiobook of the Year, Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales is an extraordinary audiobook featuring Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Scarlett Johansson,Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker, and Alfre Woodard, with a special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and original music by South African legends by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela, directed by Alfre Woodard. The audiobook was a truly international affair, recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, and Johannesburg. The stories were chosen by the Nobel Laureate himself, from every region of Africa.
“We hope this audiobook will be enjoyed by people of all ages across the globe, increasing awareness of Africa’s rich cultures while creating a better future for South Africa’s most vulnerable children,” said ANSA executive director Sharon Gelman.
In his original foreword for the folktales, Nelson Mandela wrote, “It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books.” The audiobook brings his vision full circle, as these timeless tales return to the oral tradition to be heard around the world.
Download and start listening now!
“In tales such as these, the dream-like, unpredictable symbology and sometimes cruel morality of myths resonate, and, in Mandela’s words, the ‘gritty essence of Africa’ shines through in stories with universal themes.”
— Publishers Weekly
Quotes
-
“A treasure for everyone in the family.”
— Bill Cosby -
“This is a rich collection.”
— School Library Journal -
“The African landscape plays a vital role in each of these thirty-two lively folktales.”
— Booklist
Awards
-
Winner of the Audie Award Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales Listener Reviews
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
About Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) won the Novel Peace Prize in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President George W. Bush, among many other accolades. He became the first freely elected president of South Africa in 1994. He gained popularity while in prison for being a prominent member of the African National Congress and became a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement. He authored numerous works, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with Myself, as well as his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.
About the Narrators
Blair Underwood is an author and award-winning actor, director, and producer. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Don Cheadle is an acclaimed actor who is known for the scene-stealing yet understated intensity of his performances. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in the historical drama Hotel Rwanda. Cheadle is also a dedicated activist committed to humanitarian causes, and continues to appear in major films and television.
Scarlett Johansson is an actress best known for her work in films like Lost in Translation, The Nanny Diaries, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Avengers, and Hitchcock. She began acting as a child, and her role in the movie The Horse Whisperer brought her critical acclaim at the age of thirteen. Also a singer, Johansson released her first album in 2008 with musician Pete Yorn.
Gillian Anderson is an award-winning film, television, and theater actor and producer, writer, and activist. Her acting credits include the roles of Special Agent Dana Scully in the long-running and critically acclaimed drama series The X-Files, ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in The House of Mirth, and Lady Dedlock in the BBC production of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. She also plays the role of Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier in Hannibal and is a costar on the television thriller Crisis.
Debra Messing is a widely recognized American actress, seen in such roles as Will and Grace and Smash. Throughout her career, she has received multiple Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms and starring in Eve’s Bayou, which won her a Critic’s Choice Award. More recently she has starred on Friday Night Lights and is currently starring on WGN’s Underground.
Alan Rickman is a renowned, award-winning stage and film actor. His breakout performance was as the Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Rickman is known for his film performances in Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the Harry Potter film series, Michael Collins, and Dogma. He has won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also garnered two Tony Award nominations.