Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls and Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls 2 were the runaway hits of 2016 and 2017, and now the Rebel Girls Movement has been turned into a podcast – ten amazing adventures read by ten captivating storytellers for inspiring girls (and boys) were!) everywhere to be their own person and not to be afraid to be different. We were lucky enough to chat with the authors of the books. Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli, about and what the future holds Rebel girls!
Good Night Stories is a beautifully illustrated book published in 2016. Now, less than two years later, it has been adapted as a podcast. From a creative and productive point of view, what was the process like converting written and illustrated stories into audio stories? What tips would you give someone who wants to make the same transition from the written to the spoken word?
As we wrote the books, we imagined how they would be read – not just parents reading these stories to their children, but as part of a larger storytelling tradition. We wanted the stories to feel like the stories you would share by the fire. That way, the transition to audio felt natural, and the sonorous medium of podcasts allowed us to further illustrate the stories and immerse our audience with sound effects and varying numbers of narrators.
Young women starting and listening to podcasts have become a growing trend, as most research into podcasting trends confirms. what’s your opinion on this? And where do you see this trend?
Most people look to podcasts for knowledge or insightful information. So it’s not surprising that more women are listening to podcasts. Women earn the majority of college degrees in America today. There is a thirst for knowledge, especially with numbers that have gone unnoticed or strategically deleted. but regardless had a huge impact on history
Let’s get back to the topic of your book and now to the podcast. How did you choose the rebel girls who told the book and podcast? What do you think it means to be a rebel woman in 2018?
We want to show young girls and young women that it is not always important to be liked. Not only do we want to include perfect women or saints, they can also be imperfect. These are stories of women living on their own terms – this is important. We identified three main criteria for story selection: 1) We wanted a range of different professions and fields. 2) We wanted to include women from all over the world. 3) We had to find women with fascinating stories that would appeal to readers.
For us, being a “rebel girl” means living on your own terms and defying society’s expectations. Most women are exposed to some kind of sexism on a daily basis, and as a rebel, they must find a way to survive and thrive in spite of all odds. Rebels make the most of their circumstances and they are all around us, in all walks of life and in all corners of the world. The rebel girls featured in these books are not perfect women, but they have achieved something extraordinary in their lives. They show that real women can achieve incredible goals.
Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite Have you found any other podcasts with a similar topic, aimed at young and brave women like the one you are launching?
We listen to podcasts and were inspired by a number of productions in creating our podcast. Similar to the books, however, we have found that the market simply lacks such content and we hope that with our new podcast we can help change that. We can’t wait to continue this conversation with such a rich medium and hope that it can show young girls that no dream is too big or too far out of reach.
Think about the future. Can we expect a volume 3? What does the future hold for Rebel Girls?
We have always viewed our books as a stepping stone for a larger media company. That’s why we want to tackle the radio too. This is a storytelling revolution and we are just getting started.
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So there you have it – Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is not just a book, it’s a mindset and way of life. The podcast looks just as inspiring and exciting as the books themselves. If you or a “rebel girl” in your life want to be inspired, press “play” and stay rebellious!
Listen to “Margaret Hamilton Read by Poorna Jagannathan” on Spreaker.
