There is something crucial missing from most true-crime podcasts: the voice of the victim. That is not true of Stories of the Stalked, a six-part Audible series from the award-winning film-maker and dancer Lily Baldwin. Having spent13 years being stalked, she has written and narrated an immersive series in which illusory sound design transports the listener into the midst of the experience.
We join her in 2009, when she is touring the world as a backing dancer for the musician David Byrne. We hear bags hit the floor, curtains rolling up, music playing and crowds applauding. We are right there with her as the stalking starts with an email; we hear her log on to her computer and fall into confusion as she reads a sinister message from someone who had seen her in a show the week before. It goes into intimate detail about her performance, and the writer invites her to work for a company he is starting. Over five episodes, we hear about the next 13 years, with Baldwin’s stalker emailing, calling, messaging, sending parcels, and eventually hunting her down. At this point, she goes into hiding and changes her name; she is left facing lasting psychological distress.
