Audiobook given trigger warning for listeners playing it in public

AUDIOBOOKS are now being given trigger warnings so people listening on devices without using headphones do not offend members of the public.

Hachette, one of the world’s largest publishing houses, has attached a content warning to a thriller, Small Mercies. Listeners are advised the book contains “themes of racism” that could offend others “if you’re listening in public”.

Hachette has not explained in what context audiobooks would be played publicly and without headphones.

The note in Small Mercies, written by the best-selling American author Dennis Lehane, states: “Please be aware that this audiobook covers themes of racism and abuse, using language which may cause offence to others if you’re listening in public.”

The note appears on the audiobook platform Audible’s website but it is understood it was provided by Hachette. The novel is set in 1974 Boston and relates to a fictional murder taking place against the backdrop of unrest and racial tension over the desegregation of the city’s schools.

Hachette’s warning comes following the 2022 Ofcom research that revealed 46 per cent of respondents said they listen to videos in public without using headphones. The research found 45 per cent of people admitted they made video calls without headphones, while 36 per cent said they listened to music in public without using headphones.

The study also found “this was more common among younger people and respondents from BAME backgrounds”.

Hachette’s warning also comes amid a trend of pranksters on Tiktok who seek a reaction by playing inappropriate audiobooks out loud at drive-throughs or in other public contexts.

The social media trend makes use of sexually explicit books for shock value, with the erotic novel 50 Shades of Grey a popular choice among pranksters.

Trigger warnings for plays and books have faced a backlash over fears they are being implemented to protect people from views they disagree with or could find offensive. Ralph Fiennes, the actor, has called for trigger warnings for theatre audiences to be scrapped, saying people should be “shocked and disturbed” by what they see.

Last month, Cate Blanchett, the

Australian actress said trigger warnings imply a “lack of mutual respect” between artists and the audience. She told The Sunday Times that “tough conversations” are needed and that audiences should be challenged or even offended by what they see

Books which have been given trigger warnings include Virginia Woolf ’s To the Lighthouse. Vintage, owned by Penguin Random House, printed a disclaimer in a new edition intended for an American readership last year.

Readers opening the novel are told in the opening pages: “This book was published in 1927 and reflects the attitudes of its time. The publisher’s decision to present it as it was originally published is not intended as an endorsement of cultural representations or language contained herein.”

The warning raised concerns that publishers are worried about the general potential of past literature to offend after Woolf experts did not identify any controversial content in the novel.

TV shows are also increasingly being given trigger warnings. Last month, it was reported that the BBC sitcom Terry and June had been given a trigger warning for “discriminatory” language.