Celebrating the Tapestry of Latino and Hispanic Heritage Through Stories

Audible celebrated Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month with events highlighting exciting new content, discussions about the transformative power of storytelling, and self-development workshops designed to spark professional and personal growth. Hosted by our employee-led impact group Unidos, the month’s happenings honored the diverse tapestry, experiences and identities within the Latino and Hispanic community.

We kicked off festivities with an intimate, virtual Q&A between Audible employees and New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez, whose debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, explores family, race and identity and is being adapted for TV.

Meanwhile the Unidos book club discussed the month’s listen, The Hacienda, a thrilling debut novel by Isabel Cañas. A gothic-style ghost story set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, the novel contends with race, colonialism, religion, and class.

Audible Editors curated collections of listens for customers, in Spanish and in English, that explore the various identities, cultures, and experiences of Latinos and Hispanics in the US and across Latin America. The collection spans fiction, memoir, history, kids and teens, and feature new and emerging storytellers alongside world-renowned literary legends such as Jorge Luis Borges and Sandra Cisneros.

In our blog feature, Voices of Audible, employees shared thoughts on what Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month means to them, what makes up their unique Latino/Hispanic identity, and which Audible listens are most resonant right now. Recommended listens included Definitely Hispanic, a comedic essay collection by LeJuan James, and the coming-of-age novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz, as well as the incomparable classic One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez. “Being Latino or Hispanic is not monolithic,” writes Audible Editor Patricia Burgos in the post’s introduction. “The Latino and Hispanic community is diverse in experiences, identities, and heritages. And therein lies the beauty.”

Unidos also hosted an energizing and self-reflective session by Michelle Poler, author of Hello Fears. The Venezuelan-born motivational speaker presented her new talk, Becoming Unapologetically You!, which focuses on building courage and confidence, living authentically and personal branding.

Christian Martillo, a creative director at Audible and co-founder of Unidos, was invited to give opening remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 2022 Leadership Conference, of which Audible was a sponsor. He talked about the importance of initiatives like Hear My Story that amplify stories from different cultures, and how our workplace fosters a culture of belonging for all of our employees. Martillo and Audible’s creative marketing team were honored by The Promax Latin America Awards for their work promoting the Spanish-language Audible Originals Alicia en el país de las Maravillas (Alice in Wonderland) and Mujeres De Fuego. Mujeres De Fuego was also nominated for Colombia’s Premio Gabo, otherwise known as the Gabriel García Márquez Award.

We will close out the month with a social event at our hub in Newark, hosted by Unidos, offering employees a chance to come together in person and celebrate.