Q&A with Malorie Blackman

What inspired you to write Pig Heart Boy and how does it feel to see your story being adapted for the stage? 

Pig Heart Boy originally came about because I read a newspaper article by a doctor predicting that we’d soon have to start using animal organs for heart and kidney transplants due to a severe shortage of human donors – and I thought what a wonderful idea for a story!  

Before I started writing, I did a lot of research on transplants. There weren’t many books about xenotransplantation at the time, but I was fortunate that a TV documentary called Your Life in Their Hands was airing, which provided useful insights into surgery and transplants.  

The fact that Pig Heart Boy is now being adapted into a stage play is just amazing. When you read a book, you imagine the characters and their inner lives, but there’s something magical about seeing real actors bring those characters to life on stage. It’s almost like peeking into somebody’s window and seeing that life unfold before you – and that’s really special. 

How does it feel to revisit this story more than 20 years after you wrote it? Especially in light of what happened in the last couple of years in terms of pig to human transplants?  

I wrote Pig Heart Boy in the mid-90s, and back then xenotransplantation was still an idea the doctors were speculating about: would it ever happen? This type of transplant was still perceived as science fiction when I wrote the book, but then, a couple of years ago, surgeons in the US performed the first pig heart transplant. Unfortunately, I think the patient died a couple of weeks after the operation but the doctors learned important lessons from it.  

I’ve always loved science and exploring the subtle line between what’s possible and what’s probable. Many things once deemed ‘science fiction’, like mobile phone technology for example, have now become reality. This evolving potential is what fascinated me about xenotransplantation. 

I think the story’s themes of resilience and bravery will resonate with both schools and families, giving people a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes.  I hope the play will help inspire empathy and provide strategies for people who are going through something similar, showing them that they’re not alone.  

What challenges did you face in writing a story that deals with complex medical and ethical issues and how did you make these accessible to children? 

Writing Pig Heart Boy involved a number of challenges. I had to make sure all medical details were correct, so I watched documentaries and read extensively about transplants. To keep the story relatable, I narrated it from Cameron’s perspective; a teenager facing these dilemmas. I also visited a lot of schools and talked to many children about how they felt about this subject. For me there was no right or wrong; what I wanted to explore was ‘what would you do in Cameron’s shoes?’. Many had reservations about animal transplants, even if they weren’t vegetarians, which sparked lively debates about the ethics of it. What I wanted to do with the book was to present Cameron and his own experiences. These are the choices he made – good or bad, right or wrong, these are his choices. What would you have done? Where do you think he got it right, where do you think he got it wrong? I hope the play sparks up debate about xenotransplantation and how people feel about it, and what choices they would make. I think this approach is much more engaging than dictating what’s right or wrong, especially for young readers. 

In what ways do you believe that the stage adaptation will bring new dimensions to the characters and the story of Pig Heart Boy? 

I think the wonderful thing about the stage adaptation is the fact that you’ll see real actors inhabiting the characters. It’ll be like walking in their shoes and seeing the world through their eyes. There’s something really special about being in an audience and watching the play unfold before you. So I hope audiences will be first and foremost entertained, but then I also hope the play will spark up some real debate and empathy amongst people.  

What message do you hope audiences will take away from the stage adaptation, especially in the context of the current societal issues? 

First and foremost, I’d like audiences to enjoy the show. But if there’s a takeaway, I’d like it to be the importance of empathy and understanding for others who may be going through similar life experiences. I’d love audiences to consider not just the science, but also the ethics behind xenotransplantation, and ponder ‘Would I be comfortable receiving an organ from an animal if needed? How would I feel about it?’ I really hope audiences will understand why Cameron and his family made the choices they made and feel connected to the story. 

Have you been collaborating with Tristan [Fynn-Aiduenu, the director] and Winsome [Pinnock, the adaptor] yet, or what has the collaboration process been like? 

It’s still early in the collaboration process, but I’ve read each draft of the script and given feedback. It’s very nice to feel included and be part of the process, but obviously this is Winsome’s project, she’s the playwright.  

How do you think teachers can use Pig Heart Boy as a tool to discuss complex topics such as the medical ethics and organ donation in the classroom? 

I think teachers will be able to use Pig Heart Boy, the novel and the play, as a way to spark discussions about these topics in a way that feels less intimidating. It’s easier to discuss gritty topics when you’re talking about somebody else, whether a real person or fictional characters. I think the idea of being able to watch a character, in this case Cameron, and what he’s going through and why he decides to have the pig heart transplant and what it does to his life, makes it easier to discuss than just saying let’s talk about xenotransplantation in the abstract. I think this makes the subject matter much more engaging and accessible. 

How did you ensure that the language and dialogue used in the adaptation and in your book are appropriate and relatable to students? 

To make sure the story resonated with young people, I engaged with my target audience directly. I visited a number of schools and asked students questions like, “How would you feel about receiving an organ from an animal? Would you go along with it? If not, why?” 

This always led to interesting debates, with roughly half the room open to the idea and the other half opposed. As always, there was no right or wrong answer – I was just genuinely interested in their opinions. I wanted Cameron’s thoughts on xenotransplantation to mirror how a real teenager might think. His family dynamic plays a role too – he’s aware of his own mortality, even as the adults around him try to shield him from it. Capturing that mix of maturity and vulnerability was essential for me. 

When I was Children’s Laureate, I spent a day at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where I saw how much the children understood their situations and prognoses. I believe it’s crucial to give young people the chance to talk about or read about these issues, allowing them the space to express and process their feelings.