INTERVIEW What is the next book you’re writing? Can you give us a brief overview of what it is about? I’m on a break at the moment! I’ve just published a young adult novel, When Michael Met Mina. Just over three and a half years’ ago I quit law and started a PhD to explore racism and Islamophobia in Australia. While I was conducting my fieldwork, interviewing people, attending anti-Islam and anti-refugee rallies, a character popped into my head. Well, two to be precise. One was a young Afghan refugee. A ‘boat person’ we see maligned and stigmatised by both sides of politics. Bright, fierce, courageous, scarred, she wouldn’t budge from my head. I thought about what it would mean for this young girl to have fled Afghanistan, grow up in Western Sydney, only for me to then throw her into a private school in the lower north shore of Sydney. I called her Mina. The other person who popped into my head at one of the rallies I attended was a boy called Michael. As I interviewed people about their ‘fears of being swamped by boats’, about the ‘Islamisation of Australia’, about the so-called ‘clash of civilisations’, I wondered what it would mean to be a teenager growing up in a family peddling such racism and paranoia. How do you ‘unlearn’ racism? How do you find the courage to question your parents’ beliefs? How do you accept responsibility for learning about the world on your own terms? That’s when I decided to write a story that took these two characters, Michael and Mina, and threw them at each other. EVA DI CESARE How many books have you adapted into plays? What do you love about adapting popular novels? Monkey Baa has adapted 18 children’s picture books and young adult novels to date, plus we have written some shows from other sources such as The Unknown Soldier. Sandra, Tim and I are huge readers and love a great book we can sink our teeth into. All of the books we have adapted have fantastic characters in them who go on a journey and change while they are on it. The authors of the popular books we select to adapt are already respected, so for us we are just extending and theatricalising their stories. Where do you start when adapting a novel for the stage? Prior to writing, the three of us spent time reading the novel and looking at how the story is presented, the characters and whose story is being told. In some cases, the book includes the stories and journeys of multiple characters. In this case, we consulted with the author to decide which character’s story we want to present on stage. It can take 12 – 18 months for us to put pen to paper. When we are ready to do this, we sit and work in the writing room, continually analysing the character, their journey and the structure of how we want this presented on stage. Where the Streets Had a Name is the first time I have ventured out to adapt a novel on my own. Due to this I have taken a different approach to the adaptation process which has involved creative engagement with the students from Sir Joseph Banks High School, Revesby and Chullora Public School. I worked with the students on different scenes around the book to determine which were imperative to include. This was a great process as the students are of the same age group as the main character, Hayaat. I also spent time talking to a range of members in the Palestinian community and listening to their stories. I was fortunate to have four Palestinian advisors to assist me in terms of the culture and language and making sure the experiences adapted remained authentic. By the time it came to writing I had a much deeper connection with the community, story and Hayaat. What do you think is the most important thing when adapting a novel for stage? Monkey Baa have always worked to honour the story of the author, regardless of whether it is fact or fictional. To ensure this happens, the author always has veto over the script. With Where the Streets Had a Name I feel very fortunate and humbled that Randa has entrusted me with a story that is personal to her. Although it is fictional, the characters and the journeys they have followed are based on real people and events. Why did you choose Where the Streets Had a Name for a stage adaptation? After hearing about Randa I read a couple of her books. I absolutely loved her first novel Does My Head Look Big in This? It is a fantastic story about Amal who makes the decision to wear the hijab, despite her MONKEY BAA THEATRE COMPANY: WHERE THE STREETS HAD A NAME (IN DEVELOPMENT) 29