James Robinson is the author and narrator of the 2026 Odyssey Honor-winning audiobook, WHALE EYES produced by Iris McElroy and Olivia Langen. He’s also the recipient of this year’s Schneider Family Book Award. His speech was delivered at the Odyssey Awards at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois on June 27, 2026. Learn more about all the 2026 Odyssey Award Winners from Listening Library here.
“Thank you to the Odyssey committee, to Olivia, Iris, and everyone at Penguin Random House Audio.
So much of this book is about my childhood difficulty with reading—a time when audiobooks were a lifeline. But also a source of shame.
If you were the kid who needed books on tape, it meant that you were different. And you were struggling.
And those large cassettes and chunky headphones advertised your difference.
But thanks to some technological advancements, and more importantly, thanks to the work of so many people in this room, audiobooks have reached the penultimate status of status quo.
And they continuously remind us of the beauty of accessibility:
That it’s not just an obligation but an art form—an opportunity for creativity and reinvention. And that when we design our world to be accessible, all of us benefit.
It’s been an honor to share this work and share this story with this wonderful team.”
Whale Eyes audiobook team
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