Moby Dick Big Read

In the 160 years since its first publication, Moby Dick has become one of the most acclaimed novels in the English language. However, while most people have heard of the book and its most famous characters, few have actually read it. Now, however, artist Angela Cockayne and writer Philip Hoare, both big fans of Moby Dick, seek to correct this problem and give people a chance to experience this masterpiece in a new and exciting way.

Their Moby Dick Big Read project, which started on the September 16 and runs till the end of January, each day releases an audio clip of one of the book’s 135 chapters — each read by a different, well known individual. Readers have already included Tilda Swinton, David Cameron and Stephen Fry. They are set to be joined in the coming months by the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir David Attenborough. Each reading is also accompanied by an image, inspired by the novel, created by a renowned artist.

The project’s creators say that they were inspired by the novel’s continuing relevance. They say: “Moby Dick is the great American novel. … Sprawling, magnificent, deliriously digressive, it stands over and above all other works of fiction. … Now, in the 21st Century, a century and a half since it was first conceived and launched onto a misbelieving world, Moby-Dick retains its power – precisely because we are still coming to terms with it, and what it said. Incredibly prophetic, it foresaw so many of the aspects of the modern world which we deal with. The abuse of power and belief; of nature and the environment; of the human spirit. It deals with art and artifice and stark reality – in an almost existential manner. It is truly a book before its time – almost ancient myth, as much as futuristic prophesy.”

All the chapters that have been released so far may be downloaded for free from mobydickbigread.com.