James Baldwin, an Italian podcast in Pride month to celebrate the author and activist

In the context of Pride month and the ongoing battles for civil rights, Audible has announced the launch of a new Audible Original podcast dedicated to James Baldwin. On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the American writer and activist, “In the name of James. The adventurous life of James Baldwin, writer” is produced by Fandango Podcast, and will offer an in-depth and kaleidoscopic portrait of Baldwin, exploring his works and his life through the voices of seven contemporary intellectuals.

According to Audible Compass 2023 research, audiobooks and podcasts have proven to be powerful tools for conveying stories that promote courage, inclusion and sensitivity towards issues dear to often under-represented communities, such as the LGBTQIA+ one. “57% of the sample studied said they had broadened their perspective thanks to listening to this audio content. This Audible initiative, in line with Pride month, is part of a broader debate on civil rights,” he says the company.

The podcast is divided into seven episodes, each lasting 45 minutes, in which as many authors offer their perspective on Baldwin. Giulia Caminito inaugurates the series with an introduction to the figure of the writer, who has become a symbol of the fight for civil rights. Nadeesha Uyangoda, in the second episode, reflects on the condition of blackness in the America of Baldwin’s time. Paolo Giordano explores Baldwin’s vision of the future and the lessons to avoid the mistakes of the past in the third episode. Cristina Ali Farah, in the fourth episode, deals with themes of permanence and integration in Baldwin’s works. Sabrina Efionayi faces difficult adolescence and the desire to emerge from the suburbs. Djarah Kan, in the sixth episode, recounts Baldwin’s activism and militancy in the 1960s. Finally, Saif Ur Rehman Raja closes the series by highlighting Baldwin’s importance in LGBTQIA+ movements.

James Baldwin was a leading intellectual for the civil rights movement in the United States, establishing himself as a powerful voice against racism and for gay rights. A passionate reader and poor teenager, preacher in a Pentecostal church in Harlem, Baldwin often found himself confronted with “all that anguish and desperation, and all that beauty” throughout his life. Growing up in Greenwich Village, Baldwin realized he was homosexual and found refuge in literature and writing. His international experiences, living between New York, Paris, Switzerland and Istanbul, contributed to shaping his free and cosmopolitan thinking. Returning to the United States in the 1960s, Baldwin became a protagonist of the civil rights movement, facing criticism both for his pacifist positions and for his discussion of issues such as homosexuality within New York’s black community.

With the arrival of the Audible Original podcast dedicated to James Baldwin, Audible is celebrating Pride month with some literary events open to the public. Among these, on June 26, at 7:00 pm, as part of Milan Pride in Piazza Lavater, Saif Ur Rehman Raja will talk with Pietro Turano, actor, activist and vice-president of Arcigay Roma, on the figure of Baldwin and his literary legacy, social commitment and fight against inequalities and prejudices. The event will be moderated by Alessandro Lussiana.