Seedel: The 20-Year-Old poet speaking truth to power

Seedel is a young Nigerian-American poet whose work bridges cultures and inspires change. At just 20 years old, her work rate is incredible; her poetry has garnered recognition from global figures like Michelle Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She has used her platform to advocate for youth empowerment and social change. Recently, Seedel delivered a powerful performance at the 79th Session United Nations General Assembly (79UNGA), highlighting themes of resilience, bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights. Marie Claire sat down with the young poet as she shares her passion for writing poetry and the change it can drive in the world.

Could you share the moment you realized you had a passion for poetry? What inspired you to start writing? 

I’ve been writing for literally as long as I can remember — since I was 2 years old. Back then, it was songs, screenplays, scripts… pretty much anything that let me get my thoughts out. Writing has always been this safe space for me, where I could say everything I couldn’t always say out loud.

Poetry, however, happened by accident. My first “real” poem was “Now I Determine My Title,” and it started as a college essay. I didn’t even mean for it to be a poem, but when I read it again, it hit me that I had written something completely honest—without overthinking it.

When I shared it with my family, my teacher, and my guidance counselor, they were all like, “This is something special. You need to keep going.” Their encouragement meant everything because, honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was even any good. But hearing that from people I trusted made me want to dive deeper into poetry.

What I love about poetry is how free it feels. There are no rules—it’s just you and whatever’s in your heart. It’s like this blank canvas where you can pour out everything you’re scared to say anywhere else. Writing poetry feels like finding a version of myself I didn’t know was there. It’s messy and emotional and totally mine, and that’s why I love it.

Seedel Q&A with Marie Claire Nigeria
Jacket, boots, skirt and bag by Coach. Photo credit: Dorothy Ozidane

 

 

How have your Nigerian and American heritage shaped your perspective and poetry

My heritage is everything, it’s the backbone of everything I write. Being Nigerian-American is like living in two worlds that are both so rich and wild in their own way. My Nigerian side is where my love for storytelling comes from. My family talks like they’re narrating an epic movie or reciting Shakespeare, even if it’s just about what’s for dinner. That’s where my obsession with words started, it’s in my DNA.

On the American side, I’ve learned to embrace individuality and push back on things that don’t feel right. It’s like, “Okay, we’ve always done it this way, but what if we didn’t?” That mix, having this deep sense of culture and tradition, but also this freedom to question and explore—that’s where my poetry lives.

I love that I can pull from both sides. It’s like I’m building this little bridge between them with every poem I write. It’s me saying, “Hey, here’s all the messy, layered, beautiful parts of who I am, take it or leave it.

Were there any particular mentors or figures who encouraged your artistic journey

Seedel Q&A with Marie Claire Nigeria
Photo credit: Oliver Zapata

Oh, absolutely. My grandma in Nigeria was like a walking library of stories. The way she could spin something as random as peeling yams into this epic life lesson—I was hooked. She had this magic where her words didn’t just tell stories; they painted entire worlds.

And then I got into writers like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Shakespeare. Honestly, I’ve always been obsessed with how sharp and clever their storytelling is. It’s like, they weren’t just writing—they were speaking directly to human nature in this timeless, totally genius way. It made me realize how much power there is in words.

Then there are people like Michelle Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose belief in what I’m creating has been so grounding. Their support isn’t just validation—it’s this powerful nudge to keep going, to keep pushing boundaries. It’s like they’ve handed me this quiet confidence that says, “Your voice matters.” That’s probably the best kind of mentorship, honestly—when someone’s faith in you makes you feel capable of inspiring others.

How do you aim to evoke emotions and inspire change through your poetry?

Honestly, I think poetry is this incredible universal language. Like, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what words you use, emotion doesn’t need a translation. We’ve all felt frustration, and hope. Poetry is just the shape those emotions take when you give them permission to exist out loud.

For me, poetry comes from this raw, unfiltered place, like the moments when words and feelings collide, and suddenly everything makes sense. I always say, poetry starts in the heart before it hits the page. That’s what makes it so powerful. It doesn’t ask for perfection; it asks for honesty.

I like to think of my poems as little messengers. They’re not just talking to you, they’re talking through you, to the world around you. If someone reads my work and feels something, anything, then I’ve done my job. And if it inspires them to look at their own life, or maybe even the world, a little differently? That’s where the beauty really is.

Your poetry often addresses important social issues. How do you balance personal expression with a broader social message? 

It’s definitely a balancing act, but I think the personal and the bigger picture are always linked. A lot of the issues I write about, like mental health or the pressure to define who you are, are things I’ve either lived or seen up close. I think starting with something personal makes it feel real, and when it’s real, it resonates. From there, it’s about zooming out and connecting that story to something larger, like how so many of us are navigating the same struggles, just in different ways.

For me, it’s like laying down a thread that ties my individual experience to a collective one. That’s how I try to balance it, staying true to my story while inviting people to see themselves in it and, hopefully, feel inspired to spark change in their own way.

Seedel QnA with Marie Claire Nigeria
Photo credit: Dorothy Ozidane

Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you transform personal experiences and societal observations into powerful verses? 

My creative process is a mix of spontaneity and structure. Sometimes it starts with a single word or a line that randomly pops into my head, like, “What does silence want from me?”, and I’ll scramble to jot it down before it disappears. Other times, it’s more intentional. I’ll sit with a feeling or an observation, something that’s been circling my brain for days, and let it unravel on the page.

Music is like my creative partner in all of this. I’ll pick up my guitar and start playing around with chords, and somehow the rhythm tells me what kind of tone the poem wants. It’s almost like a conversation between the words and the melody, and they shape each other as I go.

Editing is where everything really comes together. It’s not about perfection, it’s more about letting the words find their shape. I try not to overthink it; I just want the final version to feel real, like it came from a true place. Everything else, how people interpret it or what they feel, just kind of happens on its own. I’m just creating because it’s what I love to do.

Honestly, once it’s out there, it’s not even mine anymore, it belongs to whoever finds something in it – the eye of the beholder.

What was it like receiving endorsements from influential figures like Michelle Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? 

Surreal. When Michelle Obama shared her thoughts about my poem for “The Light We Carry,” it felt like one of those “pinch me” moments. She’s someone I’ve admired for so long, for what she’s accomplished as the First Black American First Lady, and also for how she carries herself with such force, grace and purpose. Knowing my work resonated with her on any level was incredibly humbling, like a quiet nod that said, “Keep going, you’re on the right track.”

And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is such a force of nature, and an outstanding role model and personality to reckon with. I’ve looked up to her for years. Being the youngest woman and youngest Latina ever to serve in Congress is so inspiring, and just cool. Having my poetry woven into the Juneteenth conversation she was championing felt like being part of something so much bigger than myself. Those moments remind me that poetry isn’t just about the words, it’s about creating something that reaches across space and time, connecting people.

How do you engage with your community and use your platform to uplift others, especially young people like yourself? 

Seedel Q&A with Marie Claire Nigeria
Photo credit: Oliver Zapata

Poetry feels like this safe place where there’s no pressure to be anything but real. It’s not about fitting into someone else’s idea of what matters, it’s about finding your own voice and realizing it’s enough. For me, sharing my work is like saying, “I’ve felt this too, and maybe you have as well.” It’s about creating that moment where someone feels seen, even if it’s just for a second.

As young people, especially, we’re often told what to do, what to think, how to be. But when they’re given a space to just express themselves, it’s like watching a spark catch fire—it’s so powerful. That’s what I try to do with my poetry and the spaces I help create: hold up a mirror and say, “Look, this is yours too. Your feelings, your thoughts—they’re valid. You’re valid.”

And it’s not always formal, you know? It could be a workshop where we’re all just throwing words around, seeing what sticks. Or it’s a conversation sparked by a poem I’ve written that someone resonates in their own way. It’s not about me having answers—it’s about opening the door for others to step through and find their own. That’s where the real beauty happens.

At the end of the day, it’s about connection.

What are your aspirations for the future? Are there specific projects or initiatives you’re excited to work on? 

I don’t like to plan too much. I just take things day by day and see what excites me in the moment. It keeps things fresh, and I feel like the best ideas come when you’re not trying to force them. So, honestly, I know just as much as you do!

What advice would you give to young poets who may face self-doubt or obstacles?

I’d say, don’t overthink it. Poetry isn’t supposed to be perfect—it’s just supposed to be real. Some of my favorite pieces started as random scribbles that didn’t make sense at first. Self-doubt is kind of part of the process, you know? But I’ve learned that those messy moments are where the magic (or whatever you want to call it) happens.

Also, don’t feel like you have to share everything you write. Write for yourself first. Let it be messy, let it be yours. And don’t forget to take breaks—sometimes the best ideas come when you step away for a bit. Your voice matters, even when it feels quiet. Trust it.

How has reading poetry and literature influenced your writing? 

Literature has taught me that storytelling is just as much about what’s unsaid as what’s written. A good poem or story doesn’t follow rules, it finds its voice and trusts it enough to speak. Reading, for me, feels like stepping into a hundred different perspectives, seeing the world through new eyes, and feeling things I didn’t even know I could feel. It’s not just about the words on the page; it’s about the spaces in between, the ones you fill with your own thoughts and feelings.

Writers like Chinua Achebe, and Shakespeare, have been huge for me. Achebe’s stories feel like you’re living inside a world he built, and Shakespeare? The way he played with language, his wit, his cleverness, it’s like every line is daring you to catch up. Then there’s Jane Austen, who made the smallest moments feel massive, and Alba de Céspedes, whose words are so raw and unapologetically real that they feel like a shock to your system. They’ve taught me to embrace layers in my poetry, and to not shy away from the messy, complex, or uncomfortable.

What I love most about literature, though, is how it holds contradictions. It can be sharp and soft, heavy and hopeful, all at once. That duality has shaped the way I write, I want my poetry to feel deeply personal but also hold layers I might not even fully understand yet. It’s like leaving space for the words to grow with me.

The biggest thing I’ve learned through reading is that there’s no ‘right’ way to tell a story. It’s about being brave enough to put your feelings out there, messy and imperfect, and letting the words find their own lane. That’s the beauty of it for me, creating something honest and real, and then letting it exist however it’s meant to

How can aspiring poets find support and connect with other writers?

Community is everything when it comes to writing. I’ve always felt that the best connections happen naturally.

Honestly, the writing world can feel intimidating at first, but I’ve realized it’s full of people who just want to share stories and connect. Sometimes it’s as simple as showing up. There’s something so grounding about knowing you’re not doing this alone.

Writing can feel lonely sometimes, but I think the act of creating itself is already a way of finding connection, first with yourself, and then, eventually, with others. It’s funny how putting words on a page can feel like reaching out, even when you’re just sitting in your room.

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    Author

    • Oluwatobi Afolabi is a writer and editor passionate about shaping African narratives, particularly those pertaining to women. With experience at media houses like Document Women, TechCabal, and Zikoko, she specialises in content strategy, storytelling, and editorial leadership. Her work spans features, digital media, and brand storytelling, crafting impactful content that resonates with diverse audiences. She's currently the Content Editor at Marie Claire Nigeria.

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