Minister of Loneliness Audiobook By Matt Boren cover art

Minister of Loneliness

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Minister of Loneliness

By: Matt Boren
Narrated by: Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver
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A bittersweet love story told in four phone conversations, starring Minnie Driver and Billy Crudup.

Julia Fletcher takes her job seriously. Even as she’s planning to leave her post as the U.K.’s Minister of Loneliness, a government role designed to address the emotional epidemic plaguing modern citizens, Julia is invested in her successor, choosing to conduct the interviews herself. When an internet rabbit hole leads her to Henry Hall, a writer and iconoclastic, beloved professor at New York University, Julia’s interest is piqued. Henry is an unlikely choice: an academic located an ocean away from the Minister’s office in London, but Julia sees something in his writings that makes him a standout candidate in her eyes.

During a series of unorthodox, thought-provoking phone interviews, Julia asks Henry tough, philosophical questions aimed to get at deep truths. And Henry doesn’t hold back, displaying a vulnerability neither of them were expecting, even getting Julia to open up as well. Within their deep and winding conversations, the two of them quickly develop a comedic language all their own, the kind of which is usually reserved for life-long friends or soulmates. Well into middle age and at inflection points in their careers, both Henry and Julia are contemplating life, legacy, what it’s all for. Whom it’s all for. Soon, Henry has answered all of Julia’s questions and is left with one, burning question for her: Why is she leaving this job she’s clearly so passionate about? It’s the one question Julia isn’t ready to answer.

Lines are blurred—personal, professional. Circumstances and emotions get complicated. And somehow, two people acutely acquainted with loneliness form an unshakable connection.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2025 Matt Boren (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.

Accolades & Awards

Best of 2025
Editors Select
Best of 2025 Contemporary Editors Select Entertainment & Performing Arts Women's Fiction Funny Feel-Good Witty Heartfelt

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About the performer

About the performer

Minnie Driver first came to the attention of audiences and critics alike in 1995 for her critically acclaimed performance in Circle of Friends, in which she starred with Chris O’Donnell. She went on to earn Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for the award-winning feature, Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant.Driver can currently be seen in Uproar, an official TIFF selection directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett. Minnie can also now be seen on the small screen starring as Elizabeth I in season 2 of The Serpent Queen on Starz.\n\nIn 2022, Driver appeared in, Chevalier, directed by Stephen Williams and also stars Samara Weaving and Kelvin Harrison Jr. The same year, Driver could be seen in Rosaline. Before this, Driver starred in the second season of the critically acclaimed series “Modern Love” based on the New York Times column of the same name. Shortly thereafter, she was seen starring in the musical Cinderella written and directed by Kay Cannon and based on the fairy tale of the same name.\n\nPreviously, Driver wowed in three seasons of the hit comedy, Speechless. Amongst her other notable television credits, Driver appeared as the unforgettable, Dahlia Molloy on the critically acclaimed television series, The Riches. An audience favorite, Driver received an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for her role. She also made several guest appearances on Will & Grace, as Lorraine Finster, a critic and fan darling.
About the Performer - Billy Crudup

About the performer

Equally memorable on the stage and screen, Billy Crudup has earned critical accolades for his performances. He currently stars as Corey Ellison in Apple TV+’s three-time Golden-Globe nominated The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, which earned him two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (three nominations total), two Critics Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. He also recently starred in and executive produced Apple TV+’s Hello Tomorrow!, as Jack Billings, which centers around a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares.
Previously, he starred in the film adaptation of Maria Semple’s novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, alongside Kristen Wiig and Cate Blanchett and in Bart Freundlich’s After the Wedding, alongside Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. Crudup also starred in Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant along with Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston and made his television debut in Netflix’s psychological thriller Gypsy opposite Naomi Watts. He appeared in Jackie opposite Natalie Portman; Zack Snyder’s Justice League, alongside Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Jason Mamoa; 20th Century Women alongside Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig; Spotlight, for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; the film also won the 2016 Academy Award® for Best Picture; Youth in Oregon, which debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival; and IFC Films’ The Stanford Prison Experiment, which is based on the landmark experiment conducted at Stanford University in the summer of 1971.
Crudup made his motion picture debut in Barry Levinson’s Sleepers, opposite Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt and Jason Patric, followed by Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You, and Pat O’Connor’s Inventing the Abbotts. Crudup played the leading role in critically acclaimed Without Limits, the story of legendary long distance runner Steven Prefontaine, for which he won the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year.
He then starred in the critically acclaimed Jesus’ Son opposite Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter and Denis Leary, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and he reunited with Jennifer Connelly in the acclaimed Waking the Dead. Crudup also starred in Cameron Crowe’s Academy Award®-winning Almost Famous along with Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson.
Crudup’s other film credits include: 1 Mile to You, based on Jeremy Jackson’s novel Life at These Speed;. Noah Buschel’s Glass Chin; William H. Macy’s directorial debut Rudderless; Guillaume Canet’s Blood Ties opposite Clive Owen; the box office hit Eat Pray Love starring alongside Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, and James Franco; Michael Mann’s Public Enemies alongside Johnny Depp and Christian Bale; Zack Synder’s Watchmen opposite Patrick Wilson; Charlotte Gray opposite Cate Blanchett; Tim Burton’s fantasy tale, Big Fish, also starring Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, and Albert Finney; Stage Beauty opposite Claire Danes; Trust the Man with Julianne Moore; J.J. Abrams’ Mission Impossible 3 opposite Tom Cruise; and Robert De Niro’s The Good Shepherd alongside Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie.
On stage, Crudup most recently starred in Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Ibsen’s Ghosts. Additionally, he recently reprised his role in the one-man play Harry Clarke at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End, following a limited engagement at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He first performed this play at the Vineyard Theatre, for which he won an Outer Critics Circle Award, Off-Broadway Alliance Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award, Obie Award and garnered a nomination for a Drama League Award. Crudup starred in the repertory productions of No Man’s Land and Waiting for Godot on Broadway, opposite Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Shuler Hensley. In 2007, Crudup won a "Best Performance by a Featured Actor" Tony for his role in the Broadway production of The Coast of Utopia. He also received Tony nominations for his roles in The Elephant Man, The Pillowman, and Arcadia.
He made his Broadway debut as Septimus Hodge in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, directed by Trevor Nunn, which won him several awards, including the Outer Critics Circle Award for "Outstanding Debut of an Actor" and a Theater World Award. He was also honored with the Clarence Derwent Award from Actor’s Equity for "Outstanding Broadway Debut".
His other stage credits include: William Inge’s Bus Stop and the Roundabout Theater’s production of Three Sisters, which earned him a Drama Desk nomination. He has appeared in Oedipus with Frances McDormand, starred in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Measure for Measure at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and starred in the off-Broadway run of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui opposite Al Pacino and Steve Buscemi.
Crudup received his Masters of Fine Arts from New York University and also attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He resides in New York City.
Photographed by Jesse Dittmar

Editorial Review

So much more than a job interview
Who knew that a series of phone calls between the current “Minister of Loneliness” and her prospective replacement could be filled with so much witty banter? Performed by Minnie Driver and Billy Crudup, this short listen will leave you enthralled and wanting more. I found myself examining the same big questions these characters explore (maybe I’d make a good Minister of Loneliness?). These two definitely have a vibe going and, at certain moments, I felt like a third wheel. It’s the kind of storytelling that leaves a lot to be imagined on the part of the listener—all we have are these few phone calls. How would you want their lives to converge? Where might it all go on from here? After just one hour and 42 minutes of listening, I’ve spent days contemplating the possibilities.—Tricia F., Audible Editor

Heartwarming Story • Clever Dialogue • Exceptional Voice Acting • Relatable Characters • Thought-provoking Content

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
Beautiful performances in a touching, bittersweet love story. I just wish it were longer. I will searching for more like this

Hard to say

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This is a beautifully insightful and thought-provoking listen. The writing is powerful and the performances elevate the experience even further. While I found myself wishing the book were longer, its brevity allowed me to mentally shift away from the characters so I could focus on how to integrate the book’s messages into my own life. Powerful stuff! I highly recommend this listen!

Incredible in every way

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A half glass full, view of the world. The story was too short. I didn’t want it to end. It encapsulated the idea that life isn’t perfect, yet there is plenty to live for.

Much credit to the narrators. It was easy to like the characters knowing who the faces were behind the voices.

Well done.

Captivating Feel Good!

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I could have listened to these two talk for hours on end. The dialogue was fantastic, the set up was unique, and the chemistry was oooh so good! Voice acting isn't easy, but so much emotion (conflict, admiration, longing, grief) was conveyed by both performers. I'm ready for the sequel!

Ready for more!

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I tried this on a whim and I loved the story. Very heart warming. You never know how any of got to where we are not really unless you hear it from their own mouth. most people don't take the time.

Unexpected

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