Using his cultural influences from the West Indies as a source of inspiration, author and Georgia State student Richie “Raafeke” Perry published his first book, “Radiance Lost.” This tale is a part of an upcoming series that encapsulates the meaning of family, mystery and adventure.
Perry has always had a love and passion for reading and writing but never saw or read about characters who looked like him. Using this as motivation, he started creating characters for himself and other Black children to see themselves in.
“My goal is to diversify the things that we see in literature,“ Perry said. “That’s why most of my work is based around connecting our diaspora like the islands, African Americans and Africans.”
Just like many authors, Perry chose to use a unique pen name that would set him and his work apart. Finding inspiration from “The Lion King” character Rafiki, he created the name Raafeke for himself and has loved it ever since.
“I didn’t want to use my legal name just because I wanted something that would really stand out,” Perry said. “With Rafiki, he was a storyteller, eclectic and spiritual, and that is my lane of interest, so I felt very attached to that kind of persona and wanted to make my own.”
Hiccups, technical difficulties and roadblocks are normal during any writing process. For Perry, one of the most complex struggles he faced was rewriting his story after his computer crashed unexpectedly.
“It was around Christmastime when I had to start over, and it got to a point where I wasn’t sure if I could do it and wanted to quit,” Perry said. “But my mom just told me to ‘keep going; you already know what you’re writing.’”
Another challenge Perry is still working to overcome is incorporating the natural language and culture of his characters.
When it comes to Perry’s writing style, he chooses to use the native tongue of his family and other cultures to create a “melting pot” of dialects and sounds for his readers.
“I was very nervous about writing it a certain way and having Caribbean people saying ‘that’s not how we sound,’” Perry said. “But ultimately, I had to realize that I was doing it for me because no one else can write it for me.”
Remembering one of the many reasons he continues to write, Perry expressed how impactful it is to read diverse stories like his growing up.
“I would have to fight with my siblings over who gets to be the one Black character in a show,” Perry said. “Everyone wants to see someone who looks like them, but I shouldn’t have to settle for one character just because they look like me.“
Speaking more on his plans, Perry is working toward finishing another book that would complete his current series.
Outside of writing, he has goals to raise more awareness in the Caribbean about the LGBTQ+ community and focus on education.
“If I had a lot of money, I would see myself giving how I want to, at home and abroad,” Perry said. “I just want to build a community and build something that will last.”
