It is Wednesday evening and I am waiting at St Pancras International to meet Tene Edwards. She taps me on the shoulder softly and the first thing I see is her cloud-like hair that makes her look even tinier than she already is. She is dressed head-to-toe in black and carries a small suitcase. Even though our interview is after an “intense” meeting in her full-time job as a domestic abuse officer, she keeps on smiling, radiating positive energy from within.
When I first read Edwards’s poetry and prose collection, Walk With Wings, I delved right into it. I was blown away by the honesty of her short, poignant verses and by the emotion-packed themes of self-love, healing, resilience and freedom. With its minimalistic, warm-toned cover, it seemed to make poetry a world in which we could all take refuge. Edwards writes to empower herself. Her journey began in 2014 with a law degree in hand and the wish to make her parents proud. However, after four years in the corporate world, she felt like an outcast - not fitting it, feeling lost in her career path. She began writing to hide away and build a more loving and supportive relationship with herself. Edwards has now found her forte in comforting these feeling lost and alone, mainly through her words. They are now shared by her 36.8k followers on Instagram, including Khloe Kardashian, Wesley Snipes and Dascha Polanco. We find sanctuary in a coffee house and begin our conversation about the importance of sharing your journey with others and her second book. MS: Your book, Walk With Wings, is divided into five very personal chapters: “Monsoon Love, Winter Sorrow, Autumn Grace, Spring Resilient and Summer Freedom”. They take us through your life story while offering advice, empowering notes and affirmations. Was it hard for you to share these raw feelings and private moments of your life? TE: I’d say it was harder to share with family than with strangers. I see my family almost every day and it can get a bit embarrassing. There are some raw pages in that book, and it was hard to open the doors for them to know what I did and what I went through. But, when I started posting on Instagram, the messages I was receiving really encouraged me to do more, to want to help more. The feeling of knowing you have changed somebody’s life… nothing can compare.
MS: You are changing people’s lives not only with your writing but also with your workshops. You usually collaborate with organisations such as Incredible Brilliant Youth and teach about writing as self-care or give spoken word performances. Why are these workshops important? TE: With these workshops, I want to encourage people to journal and be more open in their daily lives. The workshops are magical - many share personal traumas, there are tears, but I feel like the support from everyone in the room really helps to comfort each other. I had three book signings in New York. In the next two weeks, I will be having performances in London and Amsterdam. I feel like when I give spoken word performances it brings a different energy to my poems. MS: Your verses are a guiding light for so many people. Which poet inspires you? TE: Najwa Zebian was a big inspiration in my journey. I discovered poetry again after stumbling across her writing on Instagram. I saw the level of deepness in her poems and that is when I started playing around with words and creating poetry myself. MS: And what inspired you to start working on your newest project - a children’s book? When will you be publishing it? TE: I think I was missing a book of affirmation and positivity when I was in school. The book will be about practising gratitude, gratefulness and understanding that happiness comes from you. I also want to get across the importance of understanding your words and how to use your gifts and talents. I have three pages left and I am hoping it will be out next year.
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