Ocean Grove author spins wild orangutan tale

SIBLING squabbles take a wild turn in Ocean Grove author Heather Gallagher’s new children’s novel My Brother, The Orangutan.

The story, which Gallagher will launch at the One Planet Festival this month, follows 11-year-old Esther, who has had enough of her younger brother Rex until he mysteriously swaps places with an orangutan named Harta.

Gallagher said the idea for the story first came to her during a visit to Melbourne Zoo.

“I love the orangutans. They’ve got so much personality,” she said. “The more you look at them, the more human they look.

“I’ve always loved the movie Freaky Friday, and I just thought that would be a really cool idea for a story: a boy that swaps bodies with an orangutan.”

The visit also introduced Gallagher to a conservation campaign highlighting the link between palm oil production and the destruction of orangutan habitat.

My Brother, The Orangutan is Heather Gallagher’s fourth children’s book and her first novel for readers aged eight to 12 years. Photo: Supplied

“Palm trees make up their habitat and they get logged for their palm oil,” she said. “You end up with all these baby orangutans that have lost their families. It’s really awful.”

While the novel draws on these environmental issues, Gallagher said its main aim is to entertain young readers.

“First and foremost, I hope they enjoy the story and hopefully get a bit of a laugh out of it. I’ve certainly got – I like to think – lots of humour in there,” she said.

“But then I hope that it might prompt them to find out for themselves what’s happening with orangutans and, more generally, ways in which they can be activists in the world.”

My Brother, The Orangutan is Gallagher’s fourth children’s book and her first novel for readers aged eight to 12 years.

She said the shift to a longer format brought both greater freedom and new challenges.

My Brother, The Orangutan follows 11-year-old Esther, who has had enough of her younger brother Rex until he mysteriously swaps places with an orangutan named Harta.

It required thinking more deeply about plot, character arcs and emotional development, and the author revisited the manuscript many times while refining the story.

Gallagher said her interest in writing for children grew after starting a family.

“I’d always fancied writing creatively, but it wasn’t until after I had my kids that I decided that I wanted to really write for children,” she said. “Now I’m super committed to it.”

Gallagher will launch My Brother, The Orangutan on 28 March at 11.30am, during the One Planet Festival at Ocean Grove Park.

The community-led event will run from 11am to 5pm and feature workshops, food, music and activities exploring practical ways to live more sustainably, with dedicated zones covering food and growing, renewable energy, nature care and children’s activities.

Gallagher’s novel will be available for purchase at the festival or online via heathergallagher.com.au