Companionship follows a man in Estonia who works as a paid companion for women who need dates, reassurance, or someone to just listen. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?

It was a culmination of factors. The first one was a short piece I wrote on something unrelated, based in Japan, for a writing group. I remember hopping between videos for research, and one of the men’s faces lingered in my mind while he was filmed during one of those paid dates. I couldn’t help but think about what he must be thinking. The second was the workers in Amsterdam’s Red Light District; I only visited for the first time last year, and at first I didn’t notice it, but afterwards I thought about all the security measures they have in place to protect the employees. It’s very European in that regard. The third was several books I had read; the most influential of which is probably Luster by Raven Leilani. I hated the emotional withholding while reading that, but two years later, it still lingers in my mind. I was curious what that kind of restraint would look like in my hands.

The novel treats loneliness with remarkable nuance rather than melodrama. Was that emotional restraint something you consciously aimed for while writing?

Yes. My writing usually teeters on melodrama, and I have to remove a lot in editing, whereas in trying to write Toomas, I actually had to add more. It was my first time writing a full-length story from the POV of a man, and I tried to embody modern stoicism into it. It’s how I see men, I suppose—there’s a quiet loneliness in having to perform the role within societal expectations. I tried to subvert the stereotypes that men aren’t emotionally versed or that anger needs to be this explosive thing; every emotion exists through Toomas’s body, but he doesn’t linger on why they exist to begin with.

Several clients leave a lasting impression, each revealing a different kind of loneliness. Was there one supporting character you particularly enjoyed writing, and why?

The overall favorite among early readers was Helene, and I’m happy about that because I haven’t written anyone like that before, either. Helene was the conduit for Estonian history, and I’m glad she comes across as a likeable character with a rich history rather than someone old who happens to ramble. I liked writing their dynamic. To me, it was the most authentic relationship Toomas had in the whole book.

What do you hope readers take away from Companionship about loneliness, intimacy, and the ways we seek connection in the modern world?

I hope they see similarities in their own experiences and draw conclusions about their own defense mechanisms. Despite the perceived cost of being emotionally vulnerable with someone, they still do it anyway. If they are chronically online, there are still people in the real world who feel exactly as they do, but it takes courage to put yourself out there. Courage takes many forms, and whichever resonates with them, I hope this is their sign to do it.

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