Audible founder Don Katz to be honored by PEN America

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The founder of Audible Inc., a leading force in the booming audiobook industry, will be honored in May at PEN America’s annual gala. Don Katz has been named the literary and human rights organization’s Business Visionary Honoree for “his transformative contributions to the world of literature and audio storytelling.” Katz founded Audible in 1995 and guided it through a time of extraordinary growth and change, with digital technology helping audiobooks become one of publishing’s most profitable and imaginative formats. Audible, purchased by Amazon.com in 2008, is both a top distributor and producer of audio works.