“I sat with myself one day and asked, 'Who is in those prestigious literary circles? Do they represent me? Do they appreciate the topics I write about and the style in which I write? Do those gatekeepers let a demographic like mine through the door?' And the answer was no.”

Indian-Canadian poet, illustrator, photographer, and author

Rupi Kaur is an Indian-Canadian poet, illustrator, photographer, and author. Born in Punjab, India, she moved to Canada with her family when she was young. She is known for her poetry and for the public presence that helped make her work widely read. She began performing poetry in 2009 and later gained attention through Instagram before becoming widely known for three poetry collections. Her work is often associated with spoken performance and the digital platform that first expanded her audience.