An ideal book for a youth performance
Zindzi Zevenbergen and Maarten van Hinte on Lennox
Zindzi Zevenbergen is a children’s book author and copywriter. Theatre-maker Maarten van Hinte adapted her book Lennox en de gouden sikkel (Lennox and the Golden Sickle) into a libretto for a youth opera. A conversation with the two writers about the journey from personal stories to book, and from book to libretto.
Zindzi, Lennox en de gouden sikkel is your debut as an author. How did the book come to be?
Zindzi Zevenbergen: “It began before I became involved. Chantelle Rodgers, founder of the IXL Foundation - Sickle Cell Awareness, had the idea to create a children’s book about sickle cell disease to raise awareness about the condition. She approached artist Brian Elstak, who had been writing and illustrating children’s books since 2017. He suggested making it more like a brochure, a short story with illustrations. He also brought in others: Hedy Tjin as co-illustrator and me as the writer.”
“For a few weeks, we worked on that brochure. It was a clear-cut assignment, similar to the copywriting work I was used to. I thought the project was finished, but then Chantelle came back to us. She had shown our story to publishers, and although a few had rejected it, De Harmonie publishers saw potential. That’s when I was asked if I wanted to turn it into a real children’s book. That’s how my career as a children’s author began, with the crowning achievement being the Zilveren Griffel award.”
The book was created to raise awareness of sickle cell disease, but its success shows it’s much more than just an educational tool.
ZZ: “Chantelle’s mission is crucial. Sickle cell disease is extremely common, and those affected are almost exclusively people of colour, which likely explains why historically, there’s been so little awareness of it. I thought it was an important project and was happy to get involved, but only on the condition that it became a fun, exciting, and bold story, despite the serious topic. That way, people are more likely to listen. It had to be a book for everyone, not just for those already familiar with the disease.”
“Telling the story from a child’s perspective also adds to its educational power. As a reader, it’s okay if you don’t know anything about the disease yet. Your world expands through the story, just like it does for the character Lennox.”
Let’s talk about him. Lennox and his father are real people. How did you come to them?
ZZ: “That was also Brian Elstak’s idea. When we started working on the short version, he suggested using his childhood friend Furgen and his son Lennox as a starting point. Initially, I thought I would interview Furgen extensively and keep in close contact while writing, but as the process went on, I realized he gave me the freedom to shape the story myself. ‘I’ll read it when it’s done,’ he said. Looking back, I think that gave the creative process a boost.”
“When I base characters on real people, I want to do them justice and make sure they feel represented. But it doesn’t all have to be factual. For example, I found out that Lennox isn’t nearly as shy in real life as he is in the book: at his primary school, he proudly told everyone that he’s the boy from the book. In the end, the book blends various experiences: stories I heard from Furgen, things I found online when researching the disease, and experiences shared by Chantelle, who also has sickle cell disease.”
Maarten, why did you want to adapt this book into an opera?
Maarten van Hinte: “When RIGHTABOUTNOW INC. [the urban production company led by Maarten van Hinte and Marjorie Boston, ed.] was approached by Dutch National Opera to collaborate on a youth opera, we quickly decided that we wanted to adapt Lennox. We asked Bnnyhunna, one of the rising stars in the Dutch music scene, to compose the music. It was the perfect moment in his artistic development to take on the challenge of writing an opera.”
“We wanted to tell a story from a cultural context that’s underrepresented in opera, but it wasn’t meant to be just about representation. Lennox tells a deeply human story while also being a playful book. It’s perfect for a youth performance. I hope that children get lost in the show and also think, ‘Hey, if this story can be told, then my story can be told too.’”
What were some key changes you made in adapting the book into a theatre piece?
MvH: “It’s always a puzzle when translating something from one medium to another, and in this case, I had to consider how music would take on part of the storytelling. I shifted some emphasis in the story because, in theatre, you have limited time to guide the audience through the narrative arc.”
“One significant change was making the father even more closed off. In the book, he’s willing to tell Lennox about his illness right from the start, but the mother feels it’s too soon. In the opera, I reversed that dynamic, so both Lennox and his father have something to overcome. I took such liberties to make the adaptation work for the stage.”
“Another crucial question was: how do I begin? I decided to have Glimmerik, an eccentric figure who collects shiny things, appear as the narrator from the start. Lennox is initially afraid of him, but they eventually team up. I find it intriguing to have him be the one who leads the audience into the story. Classical opera can sometimes feel like a closed-off art form, something you watch from a distance. In Caribbean cultures, theatre is often a mix of disciplines: dance, music, and acting. And importantly, you don’t just watch it—you participate. Glimmerik is a character in the story but can also interact directly with the audience, while Lennox remains more of a character.”
You also made another striking choice in your adaptation.
MvH: “Yes, I did something else with the form, specifically with Lennox’s mother. In the book, she only appears at the beginning and end. I chose to have the singer who plays the mother also perform all the characters Lennox meets on his journey. I like the idea that she’s with him on his journey, even though he’s unaware of it.”
ZZ: “That’s beautiful; she’s watching over her husband and child. In the book, there are moments when Lennox reflects on what his mother would think of what he’s doing. I love how you’ve interpreted that.”
Text: Wout van Tongeren
Award-Winning Children’s Book
“Soon Lennox wanted to be brave. And preferably as soon as possible. He was ready for it. For a boy who wasn’t brave yet, Lennox looked pretty cool.” — This is how the book Lennox en de gouden sikkel begins. Author Zindzi Zevenbergen won the 2022 Zilveren Griffel for it, and illustrators Hedy Tjin and Brian Elstak won the Zilveren Penseel.
