‘I was trying to explain it to my own children’: writing a kids' book on the plight of refugees

Sinead Moriarty gained more than she could have imagined when she wrote a book about a Syrian girl who comes to Ireland from a refugee camp in Greece, writes Marjorie Brennan

Sinead Moriarty and Sarra al-Hariri. Photograph Moya Nolan

When Sinéad Moriarty and Sarra al-Hariri met three years ago, it was friendship at first sight. And it is friendship which is at the core of the book that brought them together. Sinéad met Sarra, who is originally from Syria and now lives in Wexford, when she had just completed the first draft of The New Girl, which tells the story of Ruby, an Irish girl, and Safa, a Syrian girl, who form a bond that enables them to face the different challenges in their lives. Sinéad wrote the book, her first for younger readers, having seen the harrowing footage of refugees’ bodies being washed up on the beaches of the Mediterranean.

“I had written the first draft and I contacted the Refugee Council because I wanted to talk to someone who had actually experienced what it was like to be in this situation. They put me in touch with Sarra, who was doing her leaving cert at the time. I drove down to Enniscorthy on a filthy November night, and I met her, her mum and her sister. We sat down and chatted for hours and we have become really good pals. I am so proud of her, she is the most incredible young woman,” says Sinéad.

The book has been a labour of love for the Dublin novelist, best known for her romantic fiction. She says initially she wanted to write something for her own three children — now aged 16, 15, and 12 — to help them understand the plight of refugees.

“I had seen those awful pictures of people being washed up on beaches. It was inconceivably horrific and I was trying to make sense of it myself and explain it to my own children — and the way I make sense of things is by writing about them. I felt very much compelled to write a children’s book because I wanted to help them make sense of the world around them. The best way for a kid to understand somebody else’s life is to try and get them to walk a mile in their shoes. And that is what I am trying to do with this book — it is to show the power of compassion and empathy and the importance of kindness.

“It is so important that we get to kids early because they are such little sponges and they are so willing, open-minded, and sweet. I feel if we can open that compassionate valve in their heart early, that will stand to them in life.”

Sarra says the book captures how difficult it was for her when she arrived in Ireland, aged 17. After fleeing Syria, she spent time in Turkey before making the perilous trip to Greece in a rubber dinghy. After spending time in a refugee camp in Greece, she eventually arrived in Ireland with her mum and two sisters. They were initially sent to the accommodation centre in Mosney, Co Meath, and Sarra started fifth year in Our Lady’s College in Drogheda.

“I love the book — it explains really well how it is really hard to fit in. It was hard to find girls in school who understood what it was like to come from a totally different place and culture. All my life I have been travelling from one place to another, changing schools. For me, it has been a normal thing to change friends or change environment. 

"You come to a school and some of the girls have known each other for 13 years, so for them, it is their second home maybe. They don’t know what it feels like to change environment and go to a new place. For me, it does give an overview of the struggle to make new friends or cope with a new environment. To fit in, you have to change your personality a bit, what you like and dislike.”

In The New Girl, education is very important to Safa’s family, echoing Sarra’s situation. It is testament to her dedication and resilience that she excelled in school and is now studying pharmaceutical science at TU Dublin.

The book deals with Safa’s efforts to accommodate her new culture as a young Muslim girl, for example, when she can wear her hijab and her reluctance to wear shorts during PE class. There are also funny observations that echo Sarra’s own experience.

“Meeting Sarra helped me add that extra layer of authenticity to the book,” says Sinéad. “One of the things that Sarra said, which I did use in the book, was she didn’t understand why so many girls here painted their skin brown — she found our obsession with fake tan hilarious.”

Sinéád also enlisted her own children when it came to getting the tone of the book right. While keen to get the message of compassion and understanding across, she was also very conscious of not sounding preachy or condescending.

“All my kids were very involved in it, which was really helpful — they read the book, and edited it and gave constructive criticism. There was one point where Safa makes this speech, and they were like ‘that is too much, it’s too preachy, cut it out, kids are going to get bored’.

“They helped me pare it all back and keep the momentum and engagement going.”

In the book, Safa is not the only one adapting to difficult circumstances. Ruby also struggles with her feelings for her brother Robbie, who has learning disabilities. This was also an issue which Sinéad researched to get right.

“The book shows kids how no one ever really knows what is going on behind closed doors. Ruby would seem to have a lovely life but actually she is really struggling. As with all my adult books, research is really important and you have a responsibility as a writer to do that.

“So I did a lot of research into what it is like living in a family where there is a child with disabilities. There is a very common thread with siblings where they have this guilt because they love their sibling but they also slightly resent them for the fact that they take so much of their parents’ time and energy.

“I really wanted to convey
what it was like to be in that very intense situation.”

While writing a book for young readers was a new challenge for Sinéad, it was one she enjoyed immensely and hopes to repeat.

“It was very different. I felt so passionately about the subject that I really enjoyed writing about it. I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what I wanted to say and that is always a big help when you are starting out.

“I am really happy with the result and I am already working on a new one. It is definitely a space I would like to explore further. It has been a learning experience but it has been an absolute joy.”

For Sarra, it is still difficult to think about what is going on at home in Syria, and, in the maelstrom of 24/7 news, she feels that the plight of its people has been forgotten about.

“I have lots of family members still in Syria, mostly on my dad’s side. Most of my mother’s side of the family, they all left the country. Even myself, I try my best not to go to the news all the time. We can’t blame people for not hearing these stories, it is really complicated.”

While, when she first arrived, she would go to schools to give talks on her experiences, and was happy to tell people her story, now she is ready to move on.

“In the beginning, I really wanted people to know what it is like, how it felt and what I had been through. But as time is passing, I am trying to put that behind me. I am doing very well now in my studies and everything. Now, I want to put it behind me and just move on.”

For Sinéad, the book is already achieving what she wanted.

“Anyone who has had advance copies, their children have come to them wanting to talk about it and that is music to my ears because that is what we are trying to do — to open conversations, open minds and most of all, show the importance of compassion.”

Sinéad cherishes the lasting friendship that has emerged from working on the book and says she has learned that good things happen when you go with your heart. “When I met Sarra, I felt an instant affinity, I wanted her to be in my life. I knew she was going to be successful because she has an amazing inner strength, she is beautiful and calm.

“What I learned from writing the book is that if you are passionate and curious about something, go with it because there is a reason it is tapping you on the shoulder. You never know who you are going to meet along the way.”

• The New Girl, by Sinéad Moriarty, published by Gill, is out now.