Maya Hawke to Narrate Audiobook of Joan Didion's “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”: 'An Incredible Experience' (Exclusive)

The 'Stranger Things' star's narration of the 1968 essay collection will be available to listen on Nov. 5

Maya Hawke is entering her audiobook era with a beloved classic that holds a special place in her heart.

The actress and singer, 26, is bringing her signature raspy voice to Joan Didion’s first nonfiction essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, in a new audiobook format — and PEOPLE has an exclusive first listen.

Originally published in 1968, Slouching Towards Bethlehem captures the essence of Didion's native California in the '60s and her upbringing there through essays like "On Keeping a Notebook" and "Goodbye to All That.”

It is one of the late writer’s most iconic works, and is widely considered to be a watershed moment in American literature. It has also proved critical for Hawke as she navigates her 20s.

“I have always been a huge fan of Joan Didion’s writing. Many of the essays in Slouching Towards Bethlehem were written when she was in her 20s, and it’s been an incredible experience to get to spend so much time with her words and feel a sense of camaraderie almost sixty years later,” the Stranger Things star said in a statement.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to narrate her brilliant work and introduce her iconic prose to a new generation,” she added.

Hawke has previously done narration for audiobooks including Alexi Pappas' memoir Bravey and James Ellroy's American Tabloid, whose voice cast also included Brian Cox.

Notably, she also voiced Anxiety in box-office hit Inside Out 2.

Related: Joan Didion's Biggest Pop Culture Contributions, from Slouching Towards Bethlehem to A Star Is Born

Didion, who died in 2021, was known for her storied journalism and literature career, which can be traced back to her iconic 1961 essay “On Self-Respect." It was originally published in Vogue, where she was interning at the time.

Also during her time at the magazine, Didion released her first novel, 1963’s Run River, though Slouching Towards Bethlehem is what really cemented her reputation as a keen observer and storyteller.

Both works ultimately sparked a decades-long career that spawned literary staples like The White Album (1979) and later, The Year of Magical Thinking (2005), which won a National Book Award for nonfiction writing.

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The audiobook edition of Slouching Towards Bethlehem will be published by Macmillan Audio on Nov. 5, and is available now for preorder, wherever audiobooks are sold.

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