Using Young Adult Novels to Create Social Change: Anna Gabriella Casalme
By, Monika Samtani and Charlotte Cook
In recent years the world has seen an influx of activism from adolescents. Between protests for gun control and Black Lives Matter, an increasing amount of young people are finding their voice.
Anna Gabriella Casalme pictured at the beach PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Casalme
Anna Gabriella Casalme, in the aftermath of a sexual assault case in which she witnessed a lack of education and justice as well as fear among adolescents, has founded a platform in which students and other youth are able to have conversations about issues facing society through a young adult novel medium. Her organization, Novelly, is an educational-technology startup which combines a digital platform and young adult fiction into student civic education.
Anna has been involved in a multitude of other projects centered around improving the well-being and education of children and adolescents including participating in Future Founders, Dreamers // Doers, and School-Based Health Alliance.
In partnership with Vital Voices, The Fem Word co-founder Monika Samtani and contributor Charlotte Cook were able to get Anna’s input on her mission, passion, and inspiration for adolescents’ education and how to encourage conversations among them.
Monika samtani and charlotte cook: One of Novelly’s more prominent components is its focus on different forms of creative writing and creating youth-driven spaces for courageous conversations. What is it about this style of writing in particular that helps younger generations communicate social issues and advocate for social change?
ANNA GABRIELLA CASALME: Meaningful conversations about difficult and complex topics can feel so intimidating and inaccessible, especially in an attention economy that benefits from us feeling angry and disconnected from one another. But taking the time to read and step into someone's story is the exact opposite of that. We all know the feeling of reading or watching a story unfold that makes us feel seen or expands our understanding of the world in some way. I think that young adult fiction, along with so many other forms of storytelling, helps younger generations in that way.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: You have shared that one of the reasons you started the organization was the impact that a sexual assault case near your home had on you. Many victims of sexual violence often never get justice, and the environment surrounding these cases is often hostile; what kinds of conversations do young people need to be having in order to change these things?
ANNA: There's a strong instinct and tendency to talk about sexual violence abstractly, like in terms of the intricacies of sexual assault law or definitions or "Would it still be sexual assault if Person X did this and Person Y did that?" I understand the urge to take the human element out of discussions about sexual violence, because it's scary and emotional. There are so many great books, movies and TV shows nowadays that not only address and humanize the issue of sexual violence and are also a reflection of where we're at as a society in how we're thinking about sexual violence. I think these are great opportunities to ask each other questions and start conversations about how sexual violence is portrayed and how we can do better.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: In the past few years this country (and the world) has witnessed a remarkable amount of young people and students speaking out against injustices, but even still it remains difficult to spark such conversations. How does Novelly foster the confidence in adolescents to use their voice to speak up?
ANNA: How can you feel confident if you don't feel like your voice matters? I believe that good writing can heal the soul and remind you of this truth: your voice does matter. At Novelly, we publish stories that are written by diverse talented young writers all over the country, stories that aren't mainstream, because they help young people feel seen and celebrated.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: Aside from Novelly, you’ve been involved in a couple organizations centered around teaching women and adolescents entrepreneurial skills. Why do you think it is so important to provide a community for future entrepreneurs?
ANNA: Our ideas are informed by our lived experiences. When we support more diverse entrepreneurs, we open up so many possibilities for products, services, and solutions that address hidden problems for overlooked communities. However, entrepreneurship can already be such a lonely journey, and providing a community for future entrepreneurs, especially ones who might not have had the opportunity otherwise, is crucial to making sure that these ideas don't remain unsaid and unrealized.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: Tell us about your Filipino background and the influence of growing up with immigrant parents on what you are doing for youth today.
ANNA: Both of my parents are immigrants from the Philippines. I was born in Los Angeles and growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked so that my siblings and I could have the experiences and opportunities that we had. I felt this especially when I saw and heard my family cheering during my graduation from Stanford University. I'm proud of my family's story and what it contributes to the broader American story. It's had a tremendous influence on Novelly and why we choose to celebrate the diversity of youth and their narratives.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: Having worked with children who lack the resources needed to thrive either physically or psychologically (or both), how do you provide them with motivation in a situation that may feel hopeless or debilitating?
Anna speaking at the 2018 School-Based Health Alliance Convention
ANNA: There's so much power in simply saying the hopeless or debilitating feeling out loud and hearing someone else say, "Me, too." That's why we're a publisher. We believe that these authentic stories and the vulnerable conversations are one of many ways young people can say "This is how I feel" and "Me, too." Once students realize that they have a voice and other people care and are listening, we as a team oftentimes just need to get out of their way and let the magic happen.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: You’ve accomplished so much with Novelly since its founding in 2019. You're releasing an app with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and AT&T. How do you see Novelly expanding in the future?
ANNA: I hope that Novelly can be the go-to resource for young people to feel seen and heard in stories and conversations about race, gender, and sexuality. Beyond the app, we're leaning into our role as a publisher and a community. As a publisher, we're excited to continue searching high and low for the top diverse young writer-advocates in the country and grow our library. As a community, we're excited to grow our clubs program for high school students seeking to gather and start a dialogue sparked by Novelly stories.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: Do you have any particularly notable stories about individuals or groups that you have worked with at Novelly (or any of your past organizations)?
ANNA: I'm so proud of our students! I'm honored that some of them have even joined our team. Shantelle is one of our alumni and she recently joined our team as our Product Director. Kyra is another alum who has joined our Board of Directors. It's been such a pleasure to watch them grow into powerful young women who encourage their peers to see reading and discussing fiction as a tool for social change.
MONIKA AND CHARLOTTE: Tell us a moment when you felt powerful.
ANNA: Since I was a kid in PE class, I'd get shin splints immediately, even if I had only run for 5 minutes. Last year, when I ran 5 miles straight for the first time and found myself experiencing the mythical "runner's high," I felt like I could do anything. For the first time, I truly regarded my body with awe. As miniscule as that one-hour run might have been over the course of my life, it reminded me that our identities are malleable, constantly evolving and exploring, and that our bodies deserve our love and respect.
Novelly is launching a web app on September 13th, 2021, offering original stories from Novelly Youth! Find Novelly at novelly.org.
THIS INTERVIEW WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FEM WORD X VITAL VOICES PARTNERSHIP. VITAL VOICES INVESTS IN FEARLESS WOMEN LEADERS WITH A DARING VISION, AND PARTNERS WITH THEM TO MAKE THAT VISION A REALITY. THE FEM WORD BROADCASTS STORIES OF BOLD WOMEN IN CREATIVE SPACES AND HAS PARTNERED WITH VITAL VOICES TO BRING THESE STORIES TO YOU.
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