A Lebanese podcast about the inner life.
Written by Nadine Zakhem · Last updated 4 October 2026
Inner Narratives is a Lebanese podcast about identity, belonging, migration and the inner life. It is hosted by Nadine Zakhem (Nadz), recorded in Beirut, and every episode is in English. Each episode is one long conversation with one guest. There are 18 conversations so far.
In Arabic you might call it a بودكاست لبناني. In practice it is a Lebanese interview podcast that sits with one person at a time and talks about the part of their life that does not appear in a biography.
Lebanese life produces a particular kind of person: capable, adaptable, quietly exhausted, and practised at saying they are fine. We are interested in what sits underneath that. Family expectation. The pressure of being the dependable one. Ambition in a country that keeps interrupting plans.
Who is this Lebanese podcast for?
It is for anyone shaped by Lebanon, wherever they now live. In practice our listeners tend to be in one of three places.
People who left. If you live abroad, you may know the feeling of being too Lebanese in one place and not Lebanese enough in another. Our page for the Lebanese diaspora collects what listeners abroad tend to find here.
People who came back. Returning is its own kind of migration. The country moved on while you were away, and so did you. Several guests describe studying or working abroad and then choosing Beirut again.
People who stayed. Staying is a choice too, and it carries its own weight. Guests who built careers in Lebanon talk about crisis, care work, justice and starting things in a place that keeps changing under them.
What does a typical episode feel like?
It feels slow, in a good way. One guest, one host. No panel, no debate, no advice segment.
Nadz asks a question and then leaves room for the answer, even when it takes a while. The pauses stay in, because that is often where people decide whether to tell the truth.
There is no script for the guest. We follow the thread that matters and stop when it is finished. Each episode page then gives you chapters, quotes, takeaways and reflection prompts, so you can return to the parts that stayed with you.
The six themes the show returns to
Every episode is tagged to one or more of six themes. Each theme has its own page with every conversation where it comes up.
Identity and belonging. Who you are was assembled early, mostly by other people, and rarely revisited since. It comes up in 10 episodes, including conversations with Dr Tala Abdallah, Joelle Choueiry, Nadine Mhanna, Dr. Jase Moussa-Inaty.
Diaspora and migration. Leaving is one decision. Everything after it is negotiation. It comes up in 8 episodes, including conversations with Dr Tala Abdallah, Samar Hawa, Maya Nassar, Lisa Sofian.
Emotional pressure. Pressure rarely announces itself. It accumulates, and then it presents as something else. It comes up in 6 episodes, including conversations with Dr Tala Abdallah, Dr. Jase Moussa-Inaty, Maya Nassar, Dr. Hadi Akl.
Ambition and purpose. Ambition is easy to admire from outside and difficult to live inside. It comes up in 10 episodes, including conversations with Samar Hawa, Nadine Mhanna, Dr. Hadi Akl, Lisa Sofian.
Culture and adaptation. Culture decides what feels obvious before you have had a chance to consider it. It comes up in 8 episodes, including conversations with Dr Tala Abdallah, Samar Hawa, Nadine Mhanna, Maya Nassar.
Reflection and growth. Growth here is not a plan. It is noticing a pattern and choosing differently once. It comes up in 7 episodes, including conversations with Joelle Choueiry, Dr. Jase Moussa-Inaty, Maya Nassar, Dr. Hadi Akl.
How is this different from a news podcast?
News and politics shows explain what is happening to the country. This show tries to understand what is happening inside the people living through it. Both are useful. They are different jobs.
So you will not hear opinions on parties or elections here. You will hear a doctor describe exhaustion, a founder describe doubt, a musician describe the pull of home. That is the category we chose: a Lebanese storytelling podcast about the inner side of a life.
Every episode so far
- 1. The Weight of Stability, with Carla
Carla's work looks orderly from the outside.
- 2. The Precision of Care, with Lara
Lara's days are built on accuracy.
- 3. The Cost of Control, with Rym
Banking rewards composure.
- 4. The Weight of Vision, with Nadim
Nadim makes films, which means he spends most of his time trying to convince reality to match something that so far exists only in his head.
- 5. The Weight of Justice, with Nada
Law gives you a title, a vocabulary, and a set of expectations that arrive before you do.
- 6. The Starting Point, with Youmna Baladi
It started as a mother's private worry.
- 7. The Painkiller Society, with Mike Harb
Mike calls it a painkiller society, and the phrase lands because it describes something most people recognise before they can name it.
- 8. The Strength of the Human Spirit, with Jihane Boustany Khoury
Some conversations do not need a frame.
- 9. Coming Back to Herself, with Nina
Nina left investment banking at the point where most people would have stayed.
- 10. The Weight of Sacrifice, with Dr. Ramzi
Dr.
- 11. One Person. One Idea. A Lasting Impact, with Lisa Sofian
Lisa started with one idea and a coastline worth protecting.
- 12. The Mind Decides, with Dr. Hadi Akl
Thirty-three days on Survivor.
- 13. The Strength to Ask for Help, with Maya Nassar
Sometimes the people who look the strongest are fighting the hardest battles in silence.
- 14. The Weight We Don't Show, with Dr. Jase Moussa-Inaty
Silent trauma doesn't always look dramatic.
- 15. The Story Behind the Strings, with Nadine Mhanna
Most people place the harp in Greece or Europe.
- 16. After the Explosion, with Joelle Choueiry
There are moments that divide life into a before and an after.
- 17. Change Without Waiting, with Samar Hawa
Beirut does not have to wait for change.
- 18. What We Carry Underneath, with Dr Tala Abdallah
Talking to AI about your mental health can be appealing.
How to listen
Full episodes are on Spotify and YouTube. Short clips are on Instagram. There is no Apple Podcasts feed at the moment.
Common questions
What is Inner Narratives?▾
Inner Narratives is a Lebanese podcast of long, unhurried interview conversations about identity, belonging, migration and the inner life. Each episode is one conversation with one guest.
Who hosts the podcast?▾
Nadine Zakhem, known as Nadz, hosts and leads every conversation.
What language is the podcast in?▾
Every episode is in English. Now and then a guest uses an Arabic word when English does not have the right one, and we keep it.
How long are the episodes?▾
Length varies with each conversation. We do not pad a conversation to hit a length, and we do not cut it short while a guest is still thinking.
How often do new episodes come out?▾
There is no fixed schedule. A new episode comes out when a conversation is ready. Following the show on Spotify or YouTube is the simplest way to hear about each one.
Who are the guests?▾
Doctors, founders, lawyers, coaches, artists and musicians, most of them Lebanese, at home or abroad. What they share is a willingness to describe their life accurately rather than impressively.
Is the podcast about politics?▾
No. We do not cover news, parties or elections. We talk about what life feels like on the inside for the people who live it.
Where should I start?▾
The Start Here page suggests first listens grouped by what you are going through. You can also choose a theme, or play the newest episode.
How can I be a guest?▾
Apply through the Be a guest page. Tell us what you do and the story you carry. Being a guest is free and separate from any paid work.
How can a brand sponsor the podcast?▾
The sponsorship page explains the formats and the process, and has an inquiry form. Paid work is always labelled Sponsored, and partners never edit or approve the regular episodes.