Najoua Martin (Najoua Martin-Bijjir) is a Dutch novelist of Moroccan descent. She studied Business and Law in Rotterdam, where she was born and raised. Najoua is also the author of El Weswes, the Secret Life of Young Women and Fantasma. Morocco World News spoke with Najoua about the publication of her novel Lala Rosa Girls and about her life as an American-Moroccan family living in The Netherlands.
MWN: Congratulations on the English translation of your novel Lala Rosa Girls. What is the novel about?
Najoua: Thank you! Lala Rosa Girls is a fiction novel about three hairdressers who feel they must take desperate measures to succeed. These characters make poor choices due to their desires. Outlandish situations arise as a result of this, which are expressed in the book.
MWN: What inspired you to write this story?
Najoua: I once visited a hair salon, and at the time the hairdressers encouraged me to write a story about their lives there. It was there that I discovered the world of the salon, which inspired me to write this novel. I was intrigued by the phenomenon of a hair salon as the centerpiece of a story. The ethnic ‘barbershop’ is well represented in American movies. In Europe, we have our own societal genre that has yet to find its way into books and films, which I greatly anticipate.
MWN: In Lala Rosa Girls, the characters have an obvious cultural background, are they Dutch or Moroccan?
Najoua: The characters have a cultural background but it is not a cultural novel. Lala Rosa Girls is an urban story. I really feel the need to highlight this point. As a Dutch-Moroccan writer, I was expected to write about cultural cliches, repression and politics. As a creative writer, however, those subjects would mean I would simply be extending a stereotype based on what will create conflict. I have never, nor will I ever be interested in writing about these themes. I am more interested in finding similarities among people rather than focusing on their differences.. Lala Rosa Girls is a crazy dark comedy, and has nothing to do with all these subjects. The story is about characters that are strange, strong, and funny in their own way.
MWN: Readers may think that Lala Rosa Girls has something of an edge. What do you think about that?
Najoua: Lala Rosa Girls definitely has something of an edge. I was born and raised in a neighborhood named “Cool”. It is in the center of Rotterdam, and it was known as one of the most dangerous ghettos. I’m sure being brought up in a neighborhood as dangerous as “Cool” makes you very aware of the rough edges in life. It also makes you aware of the crazy situations you face everyday. It helps you understand why people sometimes make strange decisions. People desire a sense of safety and security.
The people from my neighborhood, including the store and restaurant owners, did everything they could to keep us safe. It was a very diverse neighborhood. I must say that I often miss that neighborhood-togetherness. It never mattered what your cultural background was, your religion, your education or profession, nor the color of your skin. We were all in it together.
As a young girl, my father kept us at home most of the time, and he would tell us stories, fairy tales, about Arab superheros that were often female. They always contained a moral message. I remember sitting on my father’s lap for hours until I fell asleep on his chest. The first story I wrote about after my father died was a fictional story about a superhero. My father’s stories, and all the comics I read when I was young, must have influenced the way my stories come together and the way I write them.
MWN: You’re Moroccan, your husband is an American, and you’re living with your children in The Netherlands. How does that work?
Najoua: We make American Philly Cheese Steaks with Moroccan brochette during Ied (laughs), and we communicate in three languages with our kids. Although I was born and raised in Holland, my Moroccan background is very much present. It is nice to have so much culture represented in our home. We would watch American football or NBA Basketball after a very nice Moroccan dinner, and bake Dutch pancakes the next morning.
If you have traveled a lot and met people with diverse backgrounds, you’ll understand that in essence people do not differ from each other. I always compare culture and tradition with spices you mix into a dish. They give flavor.
MWN: What does your husband think about your Moroccan background?
Najoua: He is fond of the Moroccan kitchen, especially harira, a traditional Moroccan soup. My husband really appreciates the sense of togetherness within the Moroccan culture and how we celebrate important moments in life.
MWN: The Dutch version of Lala Rosa Girls was sold out and adapted into a successful play. When can we expect the version for the screen?
Najoua: Lala Rosa Girls is a unique story because of its urban settings, and is written from a woman’s point of view, with its diverse environment in a ghetto. In order to translate this story for the screen, you need filmmakers that can keep up with the characters, and who are not polluted with all sorts of stigmas and stereotypes, as well as ‘the fast paced urban language’.
MWN: Are you working on other projects in addition to this one?
Najoua: There are a number of great projects in the works with great producers and talented writers. I really enjoy working on these projects, but all in good time (laughs).
