BEHIND THE SCENES AT KERNING CULTURES

What’s On chats To hebah Fisher (Left), Co-founder And Presenter, And Razan Alzayani (Right), Co-founder And Executive Producer

Why did you start Kerning Cultures?

We wanted to capture the depth of our region in ways we’re not seeing now. Turn on any media and it’s either politicised or shallow content, neither of which resonate with our own experiences.

Who are your listeners?

People who identify with the Middle East, either because they’re from here or wish to learn more – people who are curious about their worlds, who want to engage in conversations.

Any favourite episode so far?

The episodes on the Egyptian brain drain phenomenon were so rewarding. A mentor told us that the best work starts from hard questions and we looked at why Egyptians appear to be giving up on Egypt. Being half-Arab, westerners ourselves, questions like, ‘ What do we owe the places that made us who we are?’ are issues we’ve not found answers to. The result is an expression of our own soul-searching.

What’s the production time like?

An episode takes anywhere between one to six months of preparation, research, interviews, drafting, editing and then another two weeks of audio production to create each episode.

What do you love about podcasts?

Podcasts have this powerful ability to transport you into other worlds. They build an intimate relationship between the hosts and the listeners in a way that sinks the stories that much more deeper.