TONYA Greig is a 26-year-old Guyanese poet who reclaimed her story with the release of her debut collection, Love did not break me, you did, a book chronicling her personal mental trauma, betrayal, and her choice to prioritise herself.
Greig establishes herself as a raw and necessary voice in contemporary Caribbean literature and was recently featured in the Caribbean Entertainment Magazine.
Her work isn’t just poetry; it’s a “body of truth” that explores the complexities of trauma, betrayal and the ultimate power of choosing oneself.
She writes for the woman navigating the space between brokenness and healing—proving that while love can hurt, it doesn’t have to define you.
Greig is a Guyanese-born creative writer who resides between Guyana and French Guiana.
She is a poet, painter, and writer, passionate about bringing ideas to life through words and art, and deeply fascinated by the idea of writing books to inspire others and, at the same time, tell her stories.
As a young self-taught writer, she published her first book, a nonfiction collection that began as a personal testimony that somehow materialised into a solid book in French Guiana recently, which has gained some traction after she was featured in the Caribbean Entertainment Magazine.
Greig is exploring the possibility of launching the same here locally, as it is only fitting, given her place of birth.
She was born and raised in Georgetown, Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Greig comes from a multi-ethnic heritage, and her roots are here in Guyana, where many of her relatives still reside.
Greig’s mother is Indo-Guyanese, so with both Indian and African roots, and on her father’s side, she is of African ethnicity, with her grandparents originally from Barbados.
She explained that her father was born in Guyana and later migrated to French Guiana in search of a brighter future, for work basically, and that is how she ended up there to reside.
Greig attended school in Georgetown through high school (Richard Ishmael Secondary) in the city and later began college, but due to personal circumstances, she did not complete her formal studies.
However, her creative journey continued outside the formal education system, which eventually led her to write and publish her first book.
It was through her connection to French Guiana that she aspired to become a writer, and with her knowledge of French, the native language of French Guiana, she knew she had what it took to accomplish that personal task.
Greig is currently focused on her in-depth personal writing and art.
“I paint on canvases and create custom pieces, which I’ve sold internationally in the United States of America (U.S.), Canada and French Guiana. I’m also in the process of starting an Airbnb in Guyana, as part of building independent projects as an entrepreneur,” she said.
About the Book:
The book, Love did not break me, you did, is a poetry collection that explores healing, self-discovery and the moments that shape who we are.
Greig said that, through honest and reflective writing, the book invites readers to connect with their own experiences, find comfort in shared emotions, and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.
Tonya Greig is redefining how we talk about love and heartbreak. With her debut poetry collection, Love Did Not Break Me, You Did, she challenges the romanticised narratives that equate chaos with passion and suffering with devotion.
Instead, Greig offers something more introspective: a thoughtful examination of emotional maturity, generational wounds, grief and the courage it takes to remain soft in a world that often rewards hardness.
With Love Did Not Break Me, You Did, Tonya Greig offers more than poetry — she offers perspective. Her words remind us that heartbreak does not have to harden us, that accountability is a form of growth, and that love, in its purest form, is never the enemy.
Through vulnerability and emotional truth, she creates space for healing conversations that resonate far beyond the page.
