Already in the introduction to the story about the teenagers Ryan, Caspian, and Amir comes the shocking news: Amir is to be deported and will no longer be allowed to stay in Sweden. But Nora Khalil's debut novel, which was also nominated for the August Prize, has despite the heavy subject been highlighted by its readers as a warm and humorous story.
Now the boys' teenage lives are being portrayed in a new SVT series, directed by Tuna Özer ("No Angel"). Nora Khalil, who had grown tired of the dark image of the suburb, thinks it "feels big".
I wanted to show Alby or the suburb in a new light, and what it was like for me to grow up there. A more realistic image. So I tried to find the humor in everyday life, she says.
Changing Power Positions
Nora Khalil was last year the most booked author for school visits in Sweden, and one reason why the book works so well in education, she believes, is the language: the boys speak suburban slang. Therefore, the tone also becomes extra important in the TV series.
I don't write the script but give input, especially regarding the slang. Young people can read that kind of thing quickly and you don't want them to be disappointed.
The story is a mirror for many who have not been represented in literature or on TV, Nora Khalil believes. It also gives students more self-confidence in school.
The teacher may stand up and read aloud, and the students start laughing because she has pronounced all the slang words wrong. Suddenly, it's the young people who own the language. You change the power positions, so it's the students who raise their hands, correct, and explain.
Daily Life
Many young people Nora Khalil has met have wished for a film adaptation of the book. Most in the suburb identify more with the everyday portrayal than the "snabba cash-image", she emphasizes.
Often, you talk about guys in the suburb as tough with a lot of macho culture, who almost don't have any feelings. But they're just like any other young people.
She also hopes that the TV series awakens empathy around Amir's fate, which she thinks is more relevant than ever.
It's more common to be deported than to be allowed to stay, and considering everything that's happening in the world, we need to start seeing that human rights should apply to everyone.
SF Studios is producing "Yani" with SVT and Film Stockholm. Filming starts in June in Alby. The screenwriter is Jessika Jankert ("Forever"), and the director is Tuna Özer.
Nora Khalil is an author and teacher. She debuted with "Yani" and has written the sequel "Abow". This fall, she will release a new book, for middle school, about a soccer team in Alby.
