害羞草研究所淢other / allow me to grow / and do not worry / about spoiled fruit.害羞草研究所�
That is the closing verse of , recently published in Phulkari: The Book, a 150-page collection of the 21-year-old Abbotsford native害羞草研究所檚 poems 害羞草研究所� and grow she has.
Kaur has developed a large online following of , where she posts some of her poems, and that following has largely gathered over two-and-a-half years, since she began posting her works publicly.
害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 until it really took off that I realized that this could be a book, and that people would buy it, which they are,害羞草研究所� Kaur said.
Phulkari was self-published in May and officially released in July, though she had originally intended to go through a publisher.
害羞草研究所淏ut there were too many changes they wanted to make, and I felt like it kind of compromised my artistic integrity in a way,害羞草研究所� Kaur said.
害羞草研究所淸Self-publishing] is a lot of work because you害羞草研究所檙e doing the marketing, the editing, the designing, everything by yourself. 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 a big investment as well, and there害羞草研究所檚 a lot of risk involved.害羞草研究所�
But that risk appears to have paid off.
害羞草研究所淭he response is really, really good. I had a successful book signing a few weeks ago at the Abbotsford mall, and since then I害羞草研究所檝e been offered book signings in Burnaby and Vancouver,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淲hen I first put out pre-orders, I put out 250 copies minimum, and the pre-order was sold out in less than two weeks. It was amazing, and it was far beyond anything I ever imagined.害羞草研究所�
Part of that payoff 害羞草研究所� beside her strong writing abilities and the extensive work spent on marketing 害羞草研究所� likely comes from Kaur害羞草研究所檚 identity, one she says isn害羞草研究所檛 well-represented in media but which influences her writing.
害羞草研究所淚 get so many messages online, as well, after people read my book, especially from Punjabi Sikh women, who say that it害羞草研究所檚 really refreshing to even just be able to hold the work in their hands of a Punjabi Sikh woman,害羞草研究所� Kaur said.
害羞草研究所淚 talk about universal themes as well, such as heartbreak and love and all that universal stuff, but with an added complexity of my identity.害羞草研究所�
That害羞草研究所檚 also reflected in the name of the book; 害羞草研究所減hulkari害羞草研究所� is the name for a type of flower work or embroidery in Punjabi culture, which appears in the design of the cover of the book. Each of the six chapters in Kaur害羞草研究所檚 book also comes back to that theme.
Read our sidebar to this story, Kaur pushing bast stereotypes in gang violence dialogue, below. If attachment does not work, .
She takes the name Kaur, which is given to all Sikh women 害羞草研究所� whereas all Sikh men are given the name Singh 害羞草研究所� and one of her poems defines her perspective of the name.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e had these girls that have messaged me and say that it is so surreal to be seeing a book with the name Kaur on it. It drives people absolutely nuts. They love it,害羞草研究所� she said, also pointing to one of her own favourite writers, Rupi Kaur. 害羞草研究所淲hen I first held her book in my hands, I felt like crying, that I saw 害羞草研究所楰aur害羞草研究所� on a bookshelf.害羞草研究所�
| Harman Kaur in a promotional photo for Chapter 1: The Fraying, "an exploration of that which tears us apart," in Phulkari, her recently published book of poetry. (Preet Sanghera photo/Instagram) |
Kaur didn害羞草研究所檛 always write for herself, saying she specifically wrote on universal terms, speaking in a broad voice to be identifiable with anyone who read her work. But that changed when she started her English degree at Simon Fraser University.
害羞草研究所淚 was such an English enthusiast, and then all of a sudden I hated it. And I just had to look back and say, 害羞草研究所榃hy? Why do I hate this so much?害羞草研究所� And it害羞草研究所檚 because I was literally reading works of dead white people from the Renaissance, and I didn害羞草研究所檛 care about dead white men from the Renaissance. 害羞草研究所� I guess that encouraged me to even write more. I felt this void from not being able to read what I wanted to, and I just filled that void by writing my own stuff,害羞草研究所� Kaur said.
害羞草研究所淭here are so many stories out there already for different types of people, and I just don害羞草研究所檛 think there are enough stories out there for people like me, so I害羞草研究所檓 just adding to that story.害羞草研究所�
Writing in a way that expresses herself 害羞草研究所� penning poems that fit her rather than a generic one-size-fits-all poetry for the broader culture 害羞草研究所� feels and looks better, too, Kaur says.
害羞草研究所淚 think that when you害羞草研究所檙e writing, especially in forms like this, if you害羞草研究所檙e not writing what the truth is, it害羞草研究所檚 not satisfying. 害羞草研究所� I just had this urge to tell my story, and when you害羞草研究所檙e telling your story, you tell the truth,害羞草研究所� she said.
The book can be found online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and signed copies of the book are . Phulkari is also being sold at Chapters and Indigo in B.C., as well as the Coles bookstore in the Sevenoaks Shopping Centre.
害羞草研究所淚 made sure that was the first place it was available.害羞草研究所�
