Our Story
Kikiyomi is a project born out of a passion for stories and literature, led by a sister-brother duo who, like many others, have always dreamed of writing their own books. This project is also the result of encouragement from many people who inspired us to pursue this path (or should we say, voice).
Kikiyomi is a fusion of the Japanese words Kiki (聞き or キキ in katakana, the Japanese phonetic alphabet) and Yomi (読み or ヨミ in katakana). Kiki is derived from the verb kiku (聞く), meaning "to listen" or "to hear," while Yomi comes from yomu (読む), meaning "to read."
With Kikiyomi, we aimed to create an innovative platform that allows everyone to listen to audiobooks while following the text, offering a unique immersive reading experience. For language learners, this immersion provides an opportunity to improve their listening skills by hearing native speakers, while also enhancing their reading comprehension and expanding their vocabulary.
Thanks to a library of classic and popular works (currently narrated only in French), Kikiyomi offers total linguistic immersion and a seamless, natural learning experience. Accessible to all, the platform celebrates cultural diversity through literary works from around the world in a continuously expanding collection.
Our story as a tale
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Benoît. Curious by nature, he loved traveling and discovering the world. His first experience living abroad, in the UK as part of his university studies, sparked a strong interest in international relations.
This led him to complete his final year of studies in a program primarily composed of international students. It was there that he had the opportunity to learn a few words in various languages and take on the role of a French teacher, earning the nickname "Prof."
That same year, his sister became gravely ill. In the evenings, he was no longer a student or a teacher but a narrator. He read her favorite story to soothe her: the tale of a young wizard with a scar.
In the eleven years that followed, people often whispered to him that he should do something with his voice. This thought stayed tucked away in a warm corner of his mind until one autumn day in 2024, when a friend mentioned it to him once again.
Our Mission
Our mission is to make reading and language learning accessible to everyone by combining listening and reading of the world’s most famous books, for a complete linguistic immersion.
Our Values
Making audiobooks available to everyone, everywhere.
Facilitating language learning through an intuitive experience that combines reading and listening.
Offering full immersion in the language with books narrated by native speakers.
Celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity through stories from around the world.
Our Vision
To become the global leader in language learning through immersive reading, combining simultaneous listening and reading.
This is just the first page.
This story is only beginning. Here are our ideas for the next chapters of Kikiyomi:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Lao Tzu