Nigerian poet and editor-in-chief at Agbowó, Adedayo Agarau, is rooting for all African writers: ‘I think we work extra hard on our craft, and for what purpose? We are writing and building structures for other emerging collectives, and it just has to work.’
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
What poems or kinds of poems did you read growing up?
I grew up reading and studying books about mathematics, physics, and further mathematics. The first anthology of poems I ever read was West African Verse: An Anthology, chosen and annotated by Donatus Ibe Nwoga. It was my window into creative writing.
If your life at this moment was a line from a poem, what poem would that be and what line?
‘Light enters the cathedral, the way persuasion does.’ This line is from a poem titled And If I Fall by Carl Phillips.
What’s the last poem you read that changed your mind about something you had written?
The last poem that changed my mind about something I wrote was Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden.
The first anthology of poems I ever read was West African Verse: An Anthology, chosen and annotated by Donatus Ibe Nwoga. It was my window into creative writing.
What’s the last thing you read that changed your mind about something?
We Do What We Do in the Dark by Michelle Hart is currently workshopping my notes on desire and how we carry it as humans.
What is your writing process: edit as you write or draft first, then edit?
I draft first and edit later. I am so lucky to work with other fellows and professors whose opinions on my writing I respect. My friend, DeShaun, mentioned that I am capable of writing a finished work in one sitting.
What was your process for writing your chapbook, Origin of Name?
I wrote Origin of Name at Olajide Salawu’s small hostel in Ile-Ife, Osun State. At that time, I was very much interested in the intersection between Yoruba mythology and the onomastics of Yoruba naming traditions.
How did your approach change in writing the next chapbook, The Arrival of Rain?
I wrote both chapbooks simultaneously. In The Arrival of Rain, I explored what longing meant to me at that time—the bone of my own desire, my grandmother, lovers, and mental illness. I am not sure I paid so much attention to approach—I just wanted to write, and I did.
Do you have a personal favourite from the collection?
The years have worked on my craft, and I cannot throw my weight behind these poems. My forthcoming collection, The Years of Blood, must be my most intentional, intense collection of poems.
You will see what the work means to the writer in the way the sentences progress—the way the dialogues thicken and thin—you’d almost see the spear of the work coming at you in your dream.
You’re the editor-in-chief at Agbowó, an African magazine of literature and art. What makes a piece of writing unforgettable?
You will see what the work means to the writer in the way the sentences progress—the way the dialogues thicken and thin—you’d almost see the spear of the work coming at you in your dream. Sincerity is in the language. I read for language and make editorial decisions on the most coherent. I am lucky to have read a lot of writers, and the sincerest works, at least for me, stay with me for a while.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published?
Craft is eternal.
Who are some of your literary influences?
I spend a lot of time reading Carl Phillips and Richard Siken, whose works, I believe, operate in a similar liminal space as obsession and language. I read Phillips for sentence and Siken for expression. I also go back to all of Arthur Sze’s work in my library and obsess over the minute moments he zooms in and out of his work.
And what’s the greatest poem you’ve ever read?
I have not arrived at the conclusion or conviction that a poem is greater or more impactful than the other but here is a timely poem I can recommend: Mimesis by Fady Joudah.
What’s the last book you recommended to a friend or loved one?
The last book I recommended was Ghostroots by ‘Pemi Aguda.
What is the most meaningful piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Although not directed at me, Aracelis Girmay mentioned something about outlooking and looking inwardly when transitioning from screen to page, which metaphorically explains how the poet sees the world, and then writes it.
What’s the worst thing/advice to tell a poet?
‘Show don’t tell.’ Please tell, if you want to.
Which poets working today are you rooting for?
I am rooting for African writers. I think we work extra hard on our craft, and for what purpose? We are writing and building structures for other emerging collectives, and it just has to work.
Imagine you’re starting a book club. Which three writers would you invite?
I admire many writers and would love to start a book club with Joseph Rios, Sarah Ghazal Ali, and Sophie Klahr.
Sometimes, my writing terrifies me, and that terror cannot be contained if the poems go into the world.
What are you currently working on?
I am not sure I have arrived at a definiteness yet, but I am trying fiction today. I am also writing new poems and exploring personal and craft essays. It will come together, but right now, I am just at work doing everything.
Question from Theresa Lola: Are there poems you never intend to publish? If so, what’s the relationship between what you reserve as public versus private?
Oh, certainly! I have poems that would never get out of my archive. There is a series of poems I wrote in Coralville, Iowa, that I consider a little too dark, too haunting for the public. Sometimes, my writing terrifies me, and that terror cannot be contained if the poems go into the world.
Bonus: Please suggest a question for a future author’s First Draft
Does music contribute to your writing process, if yes, how?
Which poet should we interview next?
Pamilerin Jacob⎈
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