To Hani, and all the poets who have crossed the seas
Supported by
First published by Allen & Unwin in 2018
Copyright © Text, Emily Conolan 2018
Copyright © Cover illustration, Sher Rill Ng 2018
Copyright © Poem ‘I Have a Dream’ on page 122–123, Hani Abdile 2016
Copyright © Poem ‘I Will Rise’ (shortened) on page 265–266, Hani Abdile 2016
Copyright © Poem ‘To the Ones I Left Behind’ on pages 285–286, Hani Abdile 2016
Copyright © Poem ‘Freedom for Education’ on pages 292–293, Hani Abdile 2016
Copyright © Poem ‘I Write’ (excerpt) on page 302, Hani Abdile 2016
Copyright © Interview replies on pages 324–327, Hani Abdile 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.
Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Email: [email protected] Web: www.allenandunwin.com
ISBN 978 1 76029 492 2
eISBN 978 1 76063 593 0
For teaching resources, explore www.allenandunwin.com/resources/for-teachers
Cover design by Karen Scott and Sandra Nobes
Text design by Sandra Nobes and Karen Scott
Photo of Hani Abdile on page 324 © Dominic Lorrimer
Vintage map on pages 330–331 © Lukasz Szwaj / Shutterstock
Photo of author on page 334 © Nick Tompson
www.emilyconolan.com.au
CONTENTS
Author’s Note
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
Fact File: Somalia
Fact File: Journalists at Risk
Fact File: Religious Extremism
Fact File: Crossing Borders ‘Illegally’
Fact File: Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Fact File: Bottle-lights and Other Great Inventions
Fact File: People Smugglers
Fact File: Life in Limbo
Fact File: Australia’s Immigration Policy
Fact File: Interview with Hani Abdile
Stories About Somali Refugees, by Somali Refugees
Take Action
World Map
Acknowledgements
About the Author
WARNING: YOU MAY DIE
WHILE READING THIS BOOK.
When you read this book, you are the main character, and you make the choices that direct the story.
At the end of many chapters, you will face life-and-death decisions. Turn to the page directed by your choice, and keep reading.
Some of these decisions may not work out well for you. But there is a happy ending. . . somewhere.
In the Freedom Finder series, it is your quest to find freedom through the choices you make. If you reach a dead end, turn back to the last choice you made, and find a way through.
NEVER GIVE UP. GOOD LUCK.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
DEAR READER,
I grew up reading ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books by Edward Packard, RA Montgomery and others. I loved making the choices as I read the story, and backtracking through the maze of plots until I found the most satisfying ending. Sometimes I’d end up being eaten by a giant squid; other times, I’d get to save the universe from aliens.
Those books were pure fantasy. The Freedom Finders books are different, because the choices here are based on real events. Although this story is made up, it contains some scenes of violence and difficult choices that shouldn’t – but unfortunately do – sometimes happen to real kids like you. If you find anything in this book upsetting to read, make sure you find a trusted adult to talk to about it.
I work as a teacher and refugee advocate. Through this work, I’ve made many friends who have lived through a refugee’s journey: taking enormous risks to escape danger, and eventually making it to safety in Australia. During these journeys, sometimes there was no choice about what would happen next. At other times, these friends faced life-and-death decisions.
Each Freedom Finders book tells the story of a different child from a different generation and place coming to Australia as a migrant or refugee. In my eyes, people who undertake this journey are heroes, and are just as deserving of being the star of a book as any alien-busting dude with superpowers. As you read the series, I hope you will see that the journeys in each book have similar themes running through them: courage, sacrifice and love.
I have never experienced danger like this. My life in Australia has been privileged and comfortable, and I’m thankful for that. I am not a refugee, a Somali person, a Muslim, or a young boy – and you, reader, might not be either – but the character you will become while you read this book is.
So, how did I write this story, when it is not my story? Well, in part I combined the experiences of lots of real people, my imagination, and some memories of grief, triumph and terror from my own life … but it wasn’t that simple.
I also worked really closely with my Somali friend Hani Abdile, who came to Australia by boat. Although it’s not a retelling of her life story, Hani’s journey and her choices had a huge influence on this book, and I worked hard to try to understand them.
That’s why I’ve included an interview with Hani in the back (see pages 324–327), plus Hani’s poems on pages 122–123, 265–266, 285–286, 292–293 and 302. Hani is an amazing writer, and I’m certain she has much success ahead of her. Hani, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I also needed to check I’d got the details in the story right, and that I hadn’t accidentally included any culturally sensitive or offensive information, including religious details.
My sincere thanks go, again, to Hani, as well as to another excellent Somali friend, Abdi Aden, and to Nadia Niaz, for checking the story for accuracy before it went to print.
There may still be some places where I got things wrong. In these instances, I can only ask for forgiveness, take criticism on board, and hope that the book still has a positive impact overall.
For details of Hani and Abdi’s own books, and ways you
