Calligraph is an Iko column where we interview writers and unpack the work and inspiration behind a story, an essay, a review, a poem, or a piece they published on Iko. In this edition, we have  Rigwell Addison Asiedu, writer of the short story - Woody Perennials.

***

Iko: Do you remember where you were when you first had the idea for the piece?

Rigwell: I was struggling to sleep after a long day—a usual occurrence as a chronic insomniac—and my racing thoughts made me ponder on the stream-of-consciousness technique in literature. I love learning new things about craft and pushing myself to hone my skills, so I took it up as a challenge. The characters came to me almost immediately. “Woody Perennials” is an experimental piece that blurs the lines between prose and poetry, and this gave me the freedom to work with characters who are somewhat nebulous. 

Iko: After the idea, how soon did you start working on it?

Rigwell: I worked on the first draft that same night. I couldn't sleep anyway. The best I could do was be productive with the time I had. 

Iko: Was translating the idea to reality more difficult than you typically experience? 

Rigwell: Yes. I usually work with the traditional plot structure, so writing something that abandoned it was uncharted territory for me. It was freeing in a way that felt almost terrifying. I wanted to create a character who would feel things so intensely that the piece could read as a journal entry. The fluidity of the stream-of-consciousness narrative suited the work’s preoccupation because it blurs the boundaries between genres; it also oscillates between memories, sensual recollections, and bitter realisations.

Creating such an emotionally transparent and sensitive character was a challenge for me because vulnerability does not come easily to me. The character is deeply religious with a conservative background so it made sense to structure the piece as a confessional monologue with elements of epistolary fiction. He believes he shares a telepathic connection with an ex who has insisted on a no-contact agreement, so the piece is like a letter that will never be delivered. Working on it was quite challenging, but the aftermath has been rewarding. 

Iko: How did this piece come together? Did you write it in one sitting, or did it go through multiple drafts and revisions?

Rigwell: It went through multiple drafts and revisions. My first drafts are usually terrible. For me, the work is in rewriting. I see it as a labour of love. 

Iko: Were there any deliberate choices you made about language, tone, or structure to convey the message or mood of the piece?

Rigwell:  I wanted a fluid structure to mirror the character's emotions. I was also particular about portraying the sensuality in the erotically charged piece, even as it veered into uncomfortable territory. Fiifi’s body is an archive of intimacy; his physical sensations trigger memories that threaten to overwhelm him.

The language, infused with a poetic sensibility, is also intentional to mirror how much the character romanticises the past relationship and idolises his ex despite the fallout. He feels pathetic about the whole arrangement and struggles to accept the implications of the age gap, homophobia and class division that drove a wedge between them. His lyrical recollections that border on rhapsodic indulgence are desperate attempts to reconstruct the past. 

Iko: How did you feel after finishing the piece? Was it satisfying or just a typical work day?

Rigwell: I felt fulfilled. “Woody Perennials” is one of the most honest pieces I have ever written. Everything I wrote is intentionally fictional but also strangely personal. 

Iko: What kind of reactions have you received from readers about this piece? Were there any responses that surprised or moved you?

Rigwell: A few people have asked me if the piece is inspired by true events in my life. Someone even admitted that they were worried about me after reading it. I wasn't thinking about myself when I wrote it, but writers bring a piece of themselves to everything they write. Maybe I was thinking about someone when I wrote it. Maybe. I was surprised when more than one reader told me that the piece made them uncomfortable. Discomfort seems to be the consensus.

Iko: When people discuss the piece, what part do they seem more focused on? Do you agree with the focus, or is there a part you wish got more attention?

Rigwell: The focus has been on determining if it's fictional or autofiction or a sort of personal essay. Readers interpret works in all sorts of ways, and it's always interesting to see how that unfolds. I like to focus on doing the work. That is what I can control and hone to perfection. Whatever gets the readers' attention is fair game. 

Iko: Is there a particular audience you hope this piece reaches? Why?

Rigwell: “Woody Perennials” is a piece about queer longing and repression, so I hope it reaches the marginalised community. Losing a partner to a cishet arrangement is a common experience that queer folks are familiar with. I'd be glad to know that something about the work comforts someone who is grieving a lost relationship.

Iko: Which artist + their work would you be most flattered to hear in comparison to yours? Would you say they're a significant inspiration in your work? 

Rigwell: For this particular piece, that would be Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Jeanette Winterson’s Written on the Body, Akwaeke Emezi’s works in general, and Arinze Ifeakandu’s God's Children Are Little Broken Things. They are all significant influences who have shaped my artistic sensibilities. I was particularly inspired by Charles Pierre Baudelaire’s modernist prose poetry and how his work juxtaposes sensuality with morbidity. “Woody Perennials” is admittedly Baudelairian in its tragic eroticism with Gothic undertones and its exploration of love as both ecstasy and doom.

Iko: If this piece were the only thing someone ever read of yours, what would you want them to remember about it?

Rigwell: I would want readers to remember the honesty and vulnerability that defined this piece. I hope they would take away a sense of empathy and understanding for queer people who have to deal with such struggles and relational anxieties. 

Iko: Did you learn anything new—about yourself, your writing, or the subject matter—while working on this piece?

Rigwell: Until very recently, I was very uncomfortable with exploring queerness in my writing. I was also very ashamed of how intense all my emotions seemed to be. Working on pieces such as “Woody Perennials” has made me confront my own emotions and experiences. Also, I've always loved surrealism but was somewhat scared to alienate readers who prefer stories grounded in the traditional realist approach. Writing this piece pushed me to be bold with my creative vision. I wrote a few surrealist stories afterwards that would have been impossible without the first experimental attempt of “Woody Perennials”. 

***

Find Rigwell on Instagram @rigwellasiedu and X @asiedu_rigwell

Read more of his published work here.