By Shakira Shareef I have binge-watched and read everything related to storyteller Stephi Herft’s genre because she tells stories that make me want to listen more. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way. Herft has a considerable amount of followers on TikTok and Instagram. Q: Why storytelling? What made you want to do this? A: I have always been that girl who would point out the history or have an intriguing story to share about every place I visited (although I doubt my friends would call my rants intriguing). My parents are both true crime enthusiasts, and my mother would collect every article from every high-profile case in a scrapbook. My dad was this amazing storyteller, truly the life of every party. When he told a story, he would make you feel as if you were actually at the scene of the crime. They both lived through the 80s, which was a hotbed of criminal activity with the riots and the JVP insurrection. Growing up, they would never fail to educate us on the horrors they lived through during that time. I have always been passionate about bringing forgotten cases to light. Though high profile, I feel the stories I choose to highlight have been forgotten with time. After my dad passed away earlier this year, I struggled to cope with the grief, and this project became my outlet. It was sort of a way of continuing the storytelling tendencies he instilled in me, so eventually, that turned into what was my first video, and here we are. Q: What was your first story? A: The sensational 1967 murder of Lady Shirley Boonwaat by her husband, the Burmese Ambassador at the time Sao Boonwaat at the Capri Club Kollupitiya, their residence at the time. Spoiler alert – Ambassador Boonwaat claimed diplomatic immunity and got away with murder. This case horrified and intrigued me in so many different ways and thus became the subject of my first video. Q: Are you a storyteller by profession or passion? A: Being a storyteller is definitely a passion that I am hoping to turn into a profession. My current profession is in the world of digital marketing and sales. There is a passion project revolving around storytelling in the works that I am very excited about. I will be hosting a true crime/thriller podcast that will delve much deeper into the stories I tell, targeting an audience that would like to gain a broader perspective on true crime, thrillers, and the occult. Q: What is it like to narrate true crime stories to Sri Lankans? A: Sri Lanka has many skeletons buried deep beneath our sunny shores, and we Lankans are curious to know more about our island’s dark past. Narrating stories of true crime, historical crime, or even the occult, I’ve found, has truly piqued every generation’s curiosity. The stories I mostly choose to tell are of cases that have been lost in time or forgotten, and I really enjoy bringing these stories to light. Q: You started on TikTok and now have a presence on Instagram. There’s obviously a difference between the two platforms. Tell our readers about this. A: Yes, I started on TikTok because I felt I could appeal to an audience that hadn’t heard of these stories. With TikTok and its massive organic reach, my content did reach more people than I initially expected. The only limitations I had with TikTok were that my videos kept getting banned for graphic content – a lot of my videos would be taken down, and I would be banned from posting, which was when I started posting all of my videos on Instagram. Although its reach was not as much as TikTok, Instagram would reach a whole new audience, mostly boomers and millennials who aren’t on TikTok. Q: Who is your inspiration? A: My mum and dad are definitely my greatest inspirations. Their influence sparked my love for storytelling and interest in mystery. As a creator, I would say YouTuber Bailey Sarian definitely inspired me to get into the true crime genre. Q: Are you planning on sticking to true crime stories, or do you want to experiment with other areas as well? A: I am currently experimenting with other genres besides true crime. I would definitely love to focus more on the paranormal, occult, and sci-fi genres, maybe even dive into conspiracy theories. Q: How hard is it to become a true crime storyteller in Sri Lanka, especially when you start on TikTok? A: Re-telling true crime in Sri Lanka requires sensitivity, especially on a platform with a wide reach like TikTok. Videos about recent cases could be disruptive and affect the victims’ and their perpetrators’ families and friends. I have faced instances where a perpetrator’s family reached out with threats. A few other challenges I initially faced on TikTok were videos being reported or banned on the space. But over time, you learn what works, what doesn’t, and what’s a trigger, and the dos and the don’ts. It’s definitely still a learning curve. Q: I hear that you weren’t comfortable in front of the camera. How did you get past that fear or discomfort? A: Yes, I am quite camera shy, so initially, I did really struggle. In my first video, if you listen closely, you can hear the nerves in my voice. But I pushed through that first video; it wasn’t perfect, but I knew what to do the second time, and I did better. Eventually, the more videos I made, the more comfortable I got in front of the camera. Q: Is true crime storytelling on TikTok a well-known genre among Sri Lankans? If so, what is your piece of advice for beginners? True crime is a well-known genre abroad. You have a countless number of YouTubers and TikTokers doing true crime. Yet, in Sri Lanka, I believe I was the first to break into the Lankan story niche on TikTok. Given the response to the genre, I see a lot of potential, and I am certain it will take off as a well-known genre in the coming years. A piece of advice for beginners would be to focus on bringing to light untold stories that they believe deserve to be heard. PHOTOS © STEPHI HERFT