By Ezae Darby
Sidonie Clarke is a sophomore at Brooklyn College, majoring in journalism and minoring in psychology. Recently, The Vanguard had the opportunity to sit down with Sidonie and talk about her unique journey towards becoming a first-time author at just 21 years old; a career that was not remotely in her original plan.
To start, Sidonie first spoke about her early experiences as a BC student, which helped shape the person that she is today. Although she is on track towards becoming a future author, it was not always her passion to go into this field.
“It’s actually really funny, my journey with writing. Growing up, I decided that I really wanted to be a doctor. I love science and helping people,” stated Sidonie.
Following the start of her undergraduate journey, Sidonie maintained her goal of becoming a doctor. However, one particular relationship with a professor set the stage for her new journey. She counts this experience as being a major turning point in her life.
“I would say that my first semester in college opened up that avenue of writing for me […] one of my professors read a piece of my work and she said that I’m a really great writer and that I should pursue that,” stated Sidonie.
Shortly after this interaction, she began to further express her love for writing by creating a fan page in which she published several pieces of work that revolved around her love for the late, beloved singer, Amy Winehouse.
For context, Amy Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter that unfortunately passed away in 2011. Winehouse produced an impressive discography over the course of her career, winning six Grammy awards, and leaving her staple in history as a generational talent.
Sidonie began the fan page for Winehouse in 2021 to share her own unique perspective on the singer’s work as well as the deeper meanings behind many of her tracks. As of 2025, the page has amassed 40,000 followers on Instagram.
“Basically, I run a fan page or blog on Amy Winehouse. I use this as a stepping stool for me to write about certain aspects of Amy’s life. People liked that they could get a deeper insight on what went into her mind, and I was able to exercise my work,” stated Sidonie.
She spoke more on her adoration for the singer’s career and how Winehouse poured much of herself into the work that she produced. A craft that Sidonie aims to recreate.
“I want to get inside of her head a little bit […] to be an extension of her and really write about what her music really meant. She is someone I considered a very authentic person and I want to be able to express her writing in the way that she would want,” she stated.
Having poured so much of her passion into the blog, Sidonie’s work soon gained a ton of popularity. So much so that a publishing company reached out to her in July of 2023. She went on to talk about how the publishing company found her blog and what their conversation looked like between them
“A UK-based agency, Fonthill Media, reached out to me and said that I would be a great candidate to write this book. They have a series, and people write about different artists. It’s called ‘Song by Song’. I know a lot about the recording process, so it’s kind of along those lines,” stated Sidonie.
She continued to speak about her meetings with the agency and their willingness to support her craft in the best way possible.
“I had to send in a couple writing pieces and they told me to write about what I write about […] All I know how to do is write and that’s all they pushed me to do,” she stated.
Being that a career in writing was not always part of her plans, Sidonie felt a level of uncertainty when it came to her future. She spoke on how these negative feelings strengthened her dedication to the craft.
“It makes me feel fulfilled and it’s not practical. I was scared because it’s not a practical job like a doctor. It kinda put me off for a bit. My journey now has helped me realize how passionate I am about writing,” she said. “Regardless of it being practical and however I choose to explore that avenue, I know that it’s something I’m truly passionate about […] I’m doing something I really love.”
Having come to terms with her new reality, Sidonie provided some words of advice for other student writers who may be experiencing that same level of uncertainty.
“Let your ideas sit, and you never know how they can blossom into something more. Take things naturally how they come, nothing is ever going to be perfect the first time around.”