Interview Special!
Interview with Henrietta!
Henrietta .O is an accomplished poet and author. Her debut collection, "What the Silence Gave Me", broke all sorts of records, climbing to the summit of the Amazon Bestsellers Charts. "Ce Que Le Silence m'a Offert" has followed in the footsteps of its English counterpart by also topping the Amazon Bestsellers charts, becoming Henrietta's second consecutive Number 1 bestselling book on Amazon.
Henrietta also holds the unique position of being the 21st and 22nd consecutive bestseller of her global writers group, "The Collab Tour" where she ranks as an important member.
Below are excerpts:
1. “Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert” charted at Number 1 on the Global Poetry Bestsellers list on Amazon, alongside being in the top 5 of the Motivational and Inspirational categories and the top 10 for Poetry for Women categories on Amazon and other charts too numerous to mention. How are you feeling?
I still can’t believe the positive reception my second collection has received so far. I am truly honoured that my French collection is meeting the world. I feel like it was only just yesterday that What The Silence Gave Me, my editor/publisher, and I were talking about possible other adaptations. I decided to go with French because I have experience writing in French and I wanted to be as involved as possible in the adaptation. To see how far my creative journey has taken me is, at times, hard to fully grasp. My goal is to keep the momentum going and work on making sure the book receives as much love as it deserves. The sales are coming in since the book launch last week,, and I am happy with the numbers so far. The book is stunning and feels more intimate than the first collection. I am learning and improving with each new poem and book release. It’s been incredible so far
2. ” Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert” is your second consecutive bestselling book after the hugely successful “What The Silence Gave Me”. Was there any pressure on your part to replicate the success of “What The Silence Gave Me?
I don’t feel any pressure when it comes to writing and engaging with my creative process. It is where I feel the most at peace and free to let my imagination run wild. I already knew that my second book would be just as successful as the first because I don’t place too much importance on validation from others. It’s nice to receive the congratulatory messages and occasional comments on my work, but I remind myself that doing this work is its own reward. As someone who has been writing for almost 20 years, I never imagined the level of success that would befall me. I wrote simply to express myself and forgot about most of my poetry until I decided to take my work (and in turn myself) seriously. I think that’s why I don’t feel as much pressure; I was already doing the work well before it was seen as actual work
3. You are a two-time bestselling author and the 21st and 22nd Consecutive Amazon 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?
I have finally come to terms with the titles. It took a while for the feeling to set in, but I am more than ready to add it to my list of accomplishments. I am grateful to be part of the Collab Tour and to contribute to the track record of success. I never knew that such a group existed back when I released “What The Silence Gave Me” in November 2025, but on some level I knew that my efforts and my work would not go unnoticed. I guess it also helps that I am an optimist; I don’t let setbacks from my past define my present and my future. Setbacks can be a stepping stone to something greater, beyond what we can imagine and comprehend. Collab Tour is what emerged after many setbacks and moments that are too many to list. I want to thank Spencer, Boma, Paul and everyone on Collab Tour for the opportunity to showcase my work on a larger scale. It’s been life-changing
4. What was the writing process for “Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert”?
“Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert” is the French adaptation of “What The Silence Gave Me,” and the process was somewhat more organized than the first collection, to put it plainly. Before I started translating the poems, I translated the titles of all the chapter headings and the poems within each chapter. I’ll admit that I revised some poem titles once the actual translation work and adaptation work began because it felt right. Next, I started translating the work by hand, writing the French translations next to the poem in English in one of my author’s copies. I then transferred the translated poems to my notes app on my phone and did a spot check for spelling and grammatical errors. I rinsed and repeted this process until the manuscript was fully translated/adapted. I also added three poems written in French (one was translated from Italian to French, actually) and did a write-up of all the sections that are in this collection.
The final stage was the editorial process and the review of the adaptation for cohesion and language flow. This was done by my chief editor, Morticia Lewis. She came up with suggestions in passages, corrected the grammar and sentence structure and suggested titles for poems that didn’t quite sit right. I took all of her suggestions, went back to work to ensure the corrections were applied, and modified some to fit my writing style. Once that was completed, we did a final review of the manuscript before formatting and book redesign were carried out.
In all, it took us about 6-7 months to work on this collection. I did all translations with the help of my French dictionary and online thesauruses; Morticia took care of the rest. So much work went into this adaptation, and there were times when I had to step away to breathe and work on other things, so I didn’t get too narrow-minded. I also started reading a book by an Italian English translator, Jhumpa Lahiri, called “Perché L’italiano”, written in Italian for some inspiration. The book was given to me by my Italian tutor at the beginning of the year, well before I dove deep into my own translation work. It never ceases to amaze me how certain things that seem mundane end up being exactly what we need at the time.
5. Did you expect “Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert” to be so successful, seeing how ambitious the project was, being a French book?
I already knew the book would be successful even before it was published. But the level of success it reached was beyond my expectations. I am a firm believer that belief usually precedes results. Once we do the work, and I mean really do the work, set the right intention, take aligned action and let it breathe once it comes, the results usually follow. The project itself was ambitious; there were times when I’d pause and ask myself,” Am I really about to drop a poetry book written entierement en français? This can’t be!” I had the idea, the right vision and the know-how; all I needed was to take aligned action (follow through). I hope that the book reaches the right audience and maybe it inspires my English audience to learn some French.
6. What has the reception been so far since “Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert” dropped?
It’s been well received so far; I haven’t had the time to meet with friends and family and discuss the specifics of the book. My parents, brother and sister have been very supportive throughout my publishing journey. I also presented the book to one of my French conversation groups. The reception has been mostly positive so far; I still have to make separate announcements to the other language groups I participate in.
I was thinking maybe it will be worthwhile to do a formal book launch with friends and family sometime later this year to really mark the occasion. It’s going to be a busy next few months for sure
7. If you had to choose from two of your Number 1 bestselling books, which would be your favourite and why?
I am not one to play favourites, but if I had to choose between both collections, I’d choose the French one simply because it made me realize how special the English version truly is. Being able to rewrite and adapt my own words written so long ago was such a surreal experience. It was like stepping back in time to meet the versions of me that wrote those texts down in ink and paper, reading the words from my current perspective and breathing life into them but in a different language. I’d say that both collections, together, tell the complete tale of finding oneself after silence. They complement each other in ways that make the work feel like one beating heart.
8. What inspired the title “Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert“
I tried not to do a direct word-for-word translation of the book, which includes the title and chapter headings, titles and even the poems.
The title translates directly to “What the Silence Offered Me” and not “What the Silence Gave Me”. This choice was deliberate as I wanted to frame silence here as an offering akin to a gift or something sacred, we receive once we have the capacity to receive it. I brainstormed other titles with my editor, Morticia, but I kept circling back to Ce Que Le Silence m’a Offert because it just felt right. In the end, I chose the title to emphasize the healing quality of silence to remind the reader that these poems (even the ones in the English version) are offerings and food to the soul.
9. It’s been a journey so far. What would be your advice to upcoming poets who see you as a Role model and want to publish their own books and be as successful as you?
My advice is to stay curious, keep writing, reading and learning. It is important to show your work without fear; there is always someone out there who is waiting to see it. It is also important not to compare yourself to other poets and other creatives; everyone has their own unique style, influences, experiences and limitations. Remember to celebrate your wins, learn from your losses and celebrate the wins of others; it won’t diminish yours. I saw a quote the other day that says, “The sky is big enough for all of us to fly,” and I think it’s fitting
The only person who is ever truly in competition with you is yourself; other people can be inspirations, but not the goal. It is also important to believe in your work and in yourself; even if there are poems you don’t like as much, there is someone out there who is waiting to see it. I have some poems in both collections that I don’t feel are the strongest, and some are even a bit cringy (like To Love and Priestess), but somehow, they resonate with people. I wrote them without having the highest of expectations, but somehow, they have stayed with readers long after the pages were turned. Your work deserves to be seen as much as you do.
And finally, make sure to spend time doing the things you love with the people you love the most. I personally like to go on long walks without listening to music or checking my phone; walks without my phone are the best
10. Parting words to your fans and supporters worldwide
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone. I know I keep saying this, but I am grateful for the opportunity to do this work. Thank you so much for your kind words, for supporting my work and for believing in me. Each like, comment, and share is a reminder that this work has found its rightful place. Thank you so much, everyone. I hope you stay a while to see where this journey takes us. Thank you also to Collab Tour for the amazing work and for giving creatives like me the opportunity to share our passion and work with the world.
