Co-authors Wali Shah and Eric Walters share what it was like to work together when writing Call Me Al—and tell us about the things they learned from each other along the way.

 

How did you both meet?

 

WS: We met when I was about 19 years old. I was invited to do a poetry performance at Mississauga Celebration Square for an event with the Mississauga Library, and Eric had come to share some of his work.

 

After my performance, we had a chance to chat and I told him I had read one of his books, Bifocal, written by him and Deborah Ellis. It was the first time I’d ever read about a Muslim character in a book—a book that, ironically, was written by two white authors. I found that kind of interesting. And we have kept in contact ever since then.

 

EW: But we should also add that I got to see Wali perform. I thought, Wow, at 19, this kid really is good. I was trying to figure out how far he was going to go and how fast he was going to get there.

 

What was it like to write Call Me Al together?

 

WS: I grew up reading Eric’s books when I was in middle school, so writing with Eric was kind of surreal for me at first. And through this collaboration, I’ve really grown to respect the process and the work that Eric does. He’s undoubtedly one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. And the fact that he is someone that I can call a collaborator—not just a collaborator but also a friend—is something that’s important to me.

 

About two years ago, during Ramadan, while we were in the process of writing this book, one of the things that I really appreciated about Eric was that he wanted to join me in a day of fasting to really understand the Muslim narrative. For me, that really spoke volumes about taking a step in someone else’s shoes. So, this has been a wonderful process where I feel like we’ve learned a lot from each other in many ways.

 

EW: This is a true collaboration. I’ve learned from Wali. I’ve become a better writer working with him, and I hope he’s become a better writer working with me.

What are some of the things you learned from each other during this process?

 

WS: Eric’s good at prose, and he has a good understanding of how structure needs to be in a book. I’ve never written a novel before, so understanding how sections would be laid out and what the prose would look like was new to me.

 

EW: A poet sees words differently. There’s a rhythm to things, and working this story back and forth, Wali had this rhythm, especially with the dialogue. This is Wali’s natural skill: the nuances, the poetry, the rhythm. And I think that’s shaped the entire book. I got better at prose writing because Wali’s a poet.

 

The goal of the process is to become better and to trust your partner. And to trust each other to produce good work, but to also trust them enough to say, “I don’t like that so much. Can we change that?” and to be willing to try things.

 

What main takeaways do you hope for readers after they finish your book?

 

WS: I wanted to focus on community. With Zach and Ali, we see two kids that come from completely different places, but they’ve built this powerful and beautiful friendship together and worked through it. I want kids in classrooms to see that in their peers—with someone that might not look like them, someone that comes from a completely different background, but someone that they’re friends with.

 

I think that also speaks to the partnership between Eric and me. We come from two very different cultures and faiths, and there’s also a generational gap. But still we came together to make this work. That’s what I want to leave with everyone that reads this. It’s not just my personal experience. It’s not just Eric’s personal experience. It’s a collection of experiences that many people go through in schools just like Camilla Road. This is that community’s story as much as it is mine.

 

EW: This story is about friendship, and I think Wali and I have become the personification of what the story is about. Friendships are based on what we have in common as well as understanding and accepting our differences and finding those places of love.

 

The resolution of the book is also about hope. There’s such hope, there’s such optimism. That’s what I want people to get from this. There are terrible things in the world, but we’re going to get better. We’re going to get through this. We’re going to work together.