I would listen to more podcasts if they were under 10 minutes long. Think about it: a single narrative podcast for every walk to the grocery store or from the train. Sometimes you just want concise, bite-sized storytelling! If you think this is impossible, I have some news: 5-year-old Azka Sharief just showed us all what can be done with the format.
Sharief, who has a metabolic disorder that requires her to receive treatment every few months, got connected to the Make-A-Wish Foundation when a school nurse recommended it to her parents, Good Morning America reports. And her wish was to make a mystery podcast, which she did with the help of WBEZ. “My name is Azka, Azka Sharief,” says in the intro, which has maybe the best intro music I’ve ever heard. “And I am doing a podcast on a story I wrote. The name is ‘The Stealer of the Diamonds.’”
This story has everything: A repentant thief, crying babies, banks with no money (tapping into a real-life nightmare scenario of mine, where the FDIC at?). Sharief narrated it in one take with the help of her older sister, 11-year-old Afifa Sharief, who works on her school’s TV show. Sorry, but these kids are coming for your and probably my job.
“The Stealer of the Diamonds” currently has almost 8,000 listens on Soundcloud and was published a week ago. Give Azka a whole WBEZ series!