Interview Special!
Interview with Henrietta. O!.
Henrietta. Odiete is an accomplished poet and author. Her debut collection, "What The Silence Gave Me" broke all sorts of records; topping the charts on Amazon bestseller lists with reckless abandon. Henrietta has leapt in status, from a rising poet, to now becoming a bonafide Superstar and the 21st consecutive bestseller of her global writers group, "The Collab Tour" where she ranks as an important member.
Below are excerpts:
1. “What The Silence Gave Me” has charted at Number 1 on the Prestigious bestsellers list on Amazon, in multiple categories. It’s also your debut book. How are you feeling?
It’s been a surreal experience so far. I am still trying to come to terms with it. I poured so much of my heart, mind and soul into this collection, working on it for months on end while holding a full-time job and navigating a lot of major life changes. I started working on the collection in early June 2025 after going back and forth for years. The collection itself holds pieces of my story and my becoming. I spent a lot of time selecting the poems and building up the sections piece by piece, and sometimes rewriting poems that I had not revised for years.
At the time, the collection didn’t have a title and only contained thirteen poems. My idea back then was to publish it in a magazine or submit my poems to various poetry competitions and publications. I had no idea back then that the collection would blossom into what it is today. It wasn’t until July 2025 that I decided I was going to publish a full collection. Once I came up with a title, a synopsis and expanded the collection from thirteen poems to twenty-eight poems at the time, I started working with an editor in mid-July 2025. Once the first editorial process was done, she advised me to expand the collection even further and suggested a structure that aligns with the story and themes that I wanted the work to convey.
When I look back on how things started and how things are going, it’s hard to believe how fast everything came together. I worked so hard to ensure every detail of the book was refined, even making revisions several times after publishing on Amazon. It’s truly gratifying to see all that hard work pay off months later.
I am truly honoured for the opportunity to share my words with readers and dreamers alike. I am excited for what’s to come with more releases.
2. You joined the Collab Tour this year. What has the experience been like so far, as regards growth in your career? Has the experience been worth it as a member of the tour?
It has been a life-changing experience. I am truly grateful to be part of such a prestigious and supportive ever-growing community of writers. I joined Collab Tour about a month ago. Since joining, I have been featured on two articles on Poet’s Digest, my follower count on all my social media accounts has more than tripled, my book reached number one on Amazon, and I have connected with many talented writers whose work inspired me.
Collab Tour has been incredibly impactful for my career as a writer and creative. Boma, Spencer and the rest of the Collab Tour team have been very patient, supportive and integral in ensuring that my work reaches the right audience. I feel truly blessed and honoured to receive so much support from the team. It’s only the beginning, and I am excited for what’s to come.
3. You are now a bestselling author and the 21st Consecutive Amazon Number 1 Bestselling Poet from the Collab Tour. How do you feel about being a member of such a prestigious writers’ group with a track record of success?
It still doesn’t feel real; I got the news two days ago while I was in the city wrapping up my evening classes. I continue to remind myself that my book is sitting at the top of the charts before I start my day. The success truly mirrors what I have always felt deep inside to be true about this work. I am incredibly honoured to be the 21st Amazon Bestselling Poet from the Collab Tour and to contribute to the outstanding track record of the Collab Tour. It feels like it was literally yesterday that I released my book and embarked on my journey with Collab Tour. I am so thankful to Joseph and the team; they have been very welcoming and immensely supportive of my work. I have never worked with such a remarkable and talented group of writers. Being part of a prestigious group of writers means the world to me, especially at this stage of my career as a writer.
Collab Tour is very passionate about ensuring that up-and-coming writers get the platform and literacy success they truly deserve. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I am excited for what the future holds with Collab Tour. Thank you .
4. What was the writing process for “What The Silence Gave Me”?
The process was structured at first, then it became a bit scattered as I built the manuscript and started working alongside the freelancers I hired to bring my vision to life.
As I mentioned before, I started with thirteen poems; most of these poems were written over a decade ago, and others were written in the months leading up to the publication date. I selected them from my diary (I call it The Green Book), my phone and my laptop. As time went on, I began to expand the collection, adding two dozen more poems and building up the latter parts of my book, especially Part Four and Part Five. Once I hit my stride, I found it almost impossible to stop myself from writing, even stealing a few moments here and there at work to make time to write in my work notebook and on my phone when no one was watching.
I was writing about two to three poems a week around the summer of 2025 while refining the poems that were already in the manuscript. I selected illustrations I wanted to add to the book. All illustrations were done by me; the book cover itself is inspired by a series of watercolour and pencil colour drawings I did in late 2022 during the Christmas holidays. I wanted to ensure that the collection felt as personal as possible. I saw it not only as a passion project but a literal part of my soul making its debut into the work. I spent a total of five months working on the book. What The Silence Gave Me inspired me to explore more themes in poetry, allowing me to create dimension and depth in my work. I also started writing poems in French and Italian during this time as I felt inspired to try my hand at new things, and I am slowly building a collection of foreign language poems that hold the same depth, imagery and dimension, even more so than my English poems
5. Did you expect “What The Silence Gave Me” to be so successful?
The strange thing is, I never doubted that this collection would be a success. In the days before the book was published on Amazon, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like for my book to be a bestseller. I experienced genuine joy, excitement, and glee at the thought of it, so much so that it felt real in my mind months after the book hit the market. I even have a photo on top of my desk with a KDP reports dashboard showing thousands of book sales in one month to remind myself that the book’s success was and is imminent. I remember telling my mum right after the book was published that I felt like a huge success after working on it, and she agreed. I never doubted for a second that the book would find the right people, even though it took months for reality to catch up to my inner knowing.
I felt a level of peace, joy and wholeness that no other project, aspiration or experience I had thus far could replicate. I even found myself writing letters to my past and future self on the success that my book had garnered, although my book sales on Amazon said otherwise. In a way, I knew that this collection was special because it really was and still is a part of the story of my becoming and how I finally saw myself as enough. In writing the word. In writing the pieces in my collection, I met myself again, and I truly love the person I have become after working on the collection. I knew it was only a matter of time until my feeling of success manifested in my reality.
6. What has the reception been so far since “What The Silence Gave Me” dropped?
It has been overwhelmingly positive so far. I have received many comments on how the writing is raw and honest. One of the most impactful comments I received was from my editor, who marvelled at my ability to convey so much in a few words, and she expressed how much she enjoyed working on the collection and was eager to see it reach the people it was meant for.
I have also received positive comments from readers; they have expressed to me how my words, tone and imagery convey so many emotions. I am always eager to hear from readers on how my poems sit with them once they have read them. I’d like to imagine that they feel seen and understood once the words settle long after they’ve turned the page to read the next entry.
7. If you had to choose any poem from your book as a favourite, which would be your favourite
I have a list of the top thirteen poems in the collections that are my favourites. If I had to choose one poem as my absolute favourite, I’d choose the poem “I’ll Tell You Someday” in Part Four: Becoming of my book. It reads like a parent talking to a child who is eager to hear the end of a tale that inspires and brings forth interest and intrigue. In truth, I wrote this as a promise to my younger self (at age twelve), the version of me who always had her head in the clouds. I was a big dreamer with vivid imaginations of what my life could be. Back then, I wanted to be a musician, live in a foreign country, speak multiple languages, publish a book, and start my mornings wandering through a meadow as the sun rose. In short, doing things that mattered to me (and still do).
I’ll Tell You Someday is a retelling of my journey so far. I am letting twelve-year-old me know that all the things she wanted are unfolding in truth and in due time, and that one day she will hear the rest when that someday arrives. Even after all this time, I still return to this poem as a reminder that dreams do really come true when we believe in ourselves enough. I have always had an unshakeable feeling, an inner knowing, if you will, that I was destined for something great, and I am so happy I finally listened to that voice and the whispers and guidance of my younger self. This poem is my favourite because it is not only a dialogue with my younger self, but it is a promise to keep moving forward even when things seem uncertain. I have learnt that life has ways of surprising us when we are open to experiencing them.
8. What inspired the title “What the Silence Gave Me?
The short answer is grief; the long answer is I wanted to create something that I truly believed in after going through so much change and transformation in the past two and a half years.
For years, I spent so much time writing in secret and wondering if my work was good enough. I reached a point in my life where I could no longer deny what I have always known to be true about my being. I was born to create art and leave a mark. It took me walking away from a career and losing someone very important, who always believed in my work, way before I saw its true value, to choose this path.
The title What The Silence Gave Me came from the full arc of emotion I felt as I worked on the collection, and I finally understood what the words meant to me on a cellular level. There were moments of loss, trauma, grief, longing, sadness and even love woven into each piece that I had to relive as I worked on each poem.
The collection itself is an answer to what all those years spent in the dark, wandering the labyrinth of one’s inner world, for what seems like an eternity, can bring when we continue moving forward, even when it’s hard, and there seems to be no sign of reprieve in sight. I think it is fitting that it encompasses fifteen years of my journey to selfhood through all the experiences that life throws as us.
What The Silence Gave Me has given me so much, not just the platform to share my work with people who are navigating their own becoming, but it’s reminded me of the wondrous things that happen once we truly choose ourselves. I feel confident and sure of myself as a writer and woman that ever before.
I believe I am a better person today because I finally allowed these words to see the light of day, beyond my notes, diary and the texts I once thought were too much and somehow not enough for the world.
