KU graduate quits law to write books about self-love

A former Kingston graduate has quit her legal career to write self-help books and poetry to support others to heal from heartbreak.

Tene Edwards graduated in 2014 with a 2:1 in law but decided to pursue writing in 2016 following a difficult period in her life.

Edwards was inspired to write by her uncle, who was dying of lung cancer and told her not to live with regret.

She said: “I remember he was saying ‘I haven’t even had the chance to go skiing yet or sit in a Lamborghini,’ and I just couldn’t get the picture of his distressed face out of my mind.

“This seriously inspired me to re-evaluate my life, and it was then that I decided to walk away from my legal career and make writing my full-time job.”

Edwards has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram and often receives messages from women who are inspired by the relatable stories in her book Walk With Wings, which was published in 2018.

The driving force behind Walk With Wings was heartbreak, and she divided the collection into five chapters to take readers on her journey of falling in love, heartache and picking up the pieces.

She also believes self-love should be taught in schools.

The 26-year-old said: “If you don’t know your worth, you will forever settle for less than you deserve in every aspect of your life. I had no boundaries set, which allowed people to walk all over me.

“I remember agreeing to be paid a salary way lower than my colleagues even though I had a lot more experience than some of them due to not knowing how to negotiate my value.

“This is why the practice of self-love is so important because it helps you to cultivate a more loving and supportive relationship with yourself, which in turn keeps your energy focused on nourishing and building your own path.”

Even though Edwards encourages self-love, she understands that it is human to feel doubtful and struggle to accept yourself.

She does many things to practice positivity about herself, including listening to podcasts, reading self-help books, self-talk and surrounding herself with things and people that make her feel worthy.

She said: “In Walk With Wings, there are a number of affirmations which I wrote to serve as reminders of my worth, help me maintain a positive mindset, stay focused on my dreams and empower myself during difficult times.

“However, self-love is a never-ending journey and not a destination.”

Now, Edwards is writing a children’s book which she believes she would have benefitted from as a child.

She is also building an online store to expand her products into items of positivity and plans to write more books similar to Walk With Wings that “includes deep and raw poetry”.

Speaking of her time at Kingston, Edwards emphasises that university taught her a lot about herself.

She said: “I learnt that I am quite a self-disciplined person and work well under pressure which is probably the reason why in my third year of university, I really gave it my all. Also, I found that the lecturers were really supportive when they saw how driven I was.

“Kingston was a blast.”

Edwards will be the guest speaker at Vision Board and Vegan Lunch in South London on February 22 and tickets range from £25-50.

Walk With Wings is available to purchase on amazon from £2.33 on kindle or £9.30 for a paperback copy.