'Leave your heart on the line and take the risk': Rupi Kaur on poetry, success & hosting the Giller Prize

Rupi Kaur is one of the biggest poets out there right now. In 2020, she was named the writer of the decade by U.S. publication The New Republic. 

Hailing from Brampton, Ont., Kaur is a social media powerhouse — she currently has more than 4 million Instagram followers. Her poetry collections milk and honey, the sun and her flowers and home body all made the New York Times bestseller list and have sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Her performance film Rupi Kaur Live, is now available as a Canadian Amazon Original special.

Along with Kim's Convenience star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kaur will host the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize on Nov. 8.

Books by Miriam Toews, Omar El Akkad, Angélique Lalonde, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia and Jordan Tannahill have been shortlisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize. The $100,000 prize is the biggest in Canadian literature.

• 5 Canadian books make shortlist for $100K Scotiabank Giller Prize

"I think the judges had a very tough job in shortlisting the books, but I think all the authors on the list are so deserving of the recognition. I love the diversity in the narratives they tell," said Kaur of the five shortlisted books.

According to Kaur, books and reading have played a huge role in her life and career. She told CBC Books more about her favourite books, career success and shared advice for emerging Canadian poets.

Do you remember when you got the call to host the Scotiabank Giller Prize for this year? What was that like? 

Yes! My dear friend and manager, Rakhi Mutta, broke the news to me. She asked if I wanted to do it, and before she could finish her sentence I was like "Wait, but who's my co-host?" and when she told me it was Paul, I screamed, "Yes, yes, yes!!! Of course, I'll do it!!!"

Honestly, I'm such a big fan of his work, I couldn't wait to host alongside him. 

How important have books been in your life? What books did you cherish reading growing up? 

I always say that growing up, books were my best friends. I was extremely shy and quiet. English was my second language so I didn't make a lot of friends. Instead, I spent all of my time reading.

Books have allowed me to live so many different lives and have also introduced new perspectives and thoughts that have moulded me in so many stages of my life.

We might not have had many toys growing up, or were able to do extracurricular activities, but my parents always surrounded us with books. The local library is where we'd hang out. 

Books have allowed me to live so many different lives and have also introduced new perspectives and thoughts that have moulded me in so many stages of my life. Some of my favourite books growing up were the Robert Munsch books, the Junie B. Jones series, the Harry Potter series, Ender's Game and The Chrysalids. 

• 'Aren't we all just fighting to be resilient?': Rupi Kaur on womanhood, poetry and her new live show

What are your thoughts on the five books on the Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist this year?

I think the judges had a very tough job in shortlisting the books, but I think all the authors on the list are so deserving of the recognition. I love the diversity in the narratives they tell.

Some of the authors are seasoned nominees, and some are newcomers to the game. I think that's telling of the openness to change and the endless possibilities of authors in Canadian literature. I look forward to diving into these titles as my holiday list. 

Listen| Rupi Kaur on CBC Radio's Q:

Q21:00‘Aren't we all just fighting to be resilient?’: Rupi Kaur on womanhood, poetry and her new live show

Rupi Kaur has been able to reach millions of people around the world with her short, visual poetry on Instagram. She's now a New York Times bestselling author and was named "writer of the decade" by The New Republic last year. Kaur joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her new live show, Rupi Kaur Live, and how performing saved her life.

Your breakout book, milk and honey, is a collection of poetry and prose about survival and healing. Looking back, how important is that book to you?

milk and honey is my baby, and no matter how many years pass it feels so surreal what I've gotten to accomplish with that book.

milk and honey was so vulnerable, so raw. Truthfully, when I self-published it for the very few readers I had while I was still in university, I didn't think it was going to go anywhere. In fact, I was thinking about doing a master's or applying for law school after graduating, but the universe had other plans. 

Every time I look back on the poetry in it, it seems almost like a little sister of mine. This book was a piece of me, and I look back on her lovingly.

She was so brave and I couldn't have been more fortunate enough to have her the centre of the community I've built with my readers.

milk and honey is my baby, and no matter how many years pass it feels so surreal what I've gotten to accomplish with that book.

milk and honey was the foundation of my journey, and being my first book, she was the catalyst for everything I've done since. 

• Rupi Kaur on home body, depression and the viral photo that changed her life

Your latest work, home body, explores themes of love, acceptance, community and facing change. What inspired you to write it?

I completed and released home body in the middle of the pandemic, when the whole world was on pause. I was privileged enough to be able to isolate myself at home with my family, and I'm sure as with many people, I've gotten so much more time for introspection.

I familiarized myself with so many parts I'd silenced over the years. home body is the child of that time period, one that allowed my thoughts to speak freely because the rest of our lives became quiet.

I completed and released home body in the middle of the pandemic when the whole world was on pause.

All the themes I explored in this book found new depth since we were all forced to slow down. home body is the latest of my work and is the most reflective of the mindset and life stage I'm in right now.

A lot of the poetry extends beyond the self — I touch upon the environment and the community at large, and I think as I continue to evolve, I am starting to get more clarity by asking questions about my life in relation to all those around me. 

Your poetry has connected with a new generation of Canadians. Why is poetry important now, more than ever? 

I think poetry has always been important, but its significance hasn't been celebrated as it should be throughout the years. I'm so thankful for my platform and my readers, and it always makes me feel so warm inside when I hear that I was someone's introduction to poetry. I think poetry is symbolic of the times we live in, of understanding the human experience, and another form of self-expression that might inspire someone else, then someone else, then so on.

I think having high-profile poets in the main stage communicates messages that resonate more with people. We live in a world now where our attention spans are so minimal, that we need to "wow" in order to capture interest. We also live in a time where we are leading progressive movements, so documenting the changes we see and are a part of, and combining this with artistic delivery, is what makes poetry today so important to telling and moulding our collective narrative. 

• Rupi Kaur and Shelagh Rogers share their favourite books of poetry

What did you hope to achieve with your Rupi Kaur Live special? What themes do you hope audiences take from it? 

Re-imagine what people think spoken word is and elevate the standards of performance to make poetry accessible and in a way, mainstream. To show that like life, poetry doesn't have to be serious all the time. I really hoped to take the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions to invoke a memory, a lesson and honestly, to just have fun with me! Having Rupi Kaur Live stream on Amazon Prime is a dream. 

What advice do you have for upcoming Canadian poets? 

Create and put it all out there. Leave your heart on the line and take the risk. It is the love of the art and the passion behind your message that should guide you. There is space for you, and your voice is important and can impact lives.

Leave your heart on the line and take the risk.

It is all about just creating and releasing it out there. How can we appreciate your art if it's hidden? You have a gift, so share it. 

At this stage in your career, how are you defining success? 

Success for me has always adapted in relation to what I've already done. The fear of not being successful was the shadow that hovered over me for so many years. After being praised, it's always, "Can she do it again? And again? And again?"

I always felt like I had this pressure, internally, to level up and prove myself or I'd be deemed irrelevant. I've learned now how those thoughts robbed me of joy and contributed to depression and anxiety. If I can't feel joy at this stage in my life, then there is no point in working so hard.

The fear of not being successful was the shadow that hovered over me for so many years.

So that's what I try to put first: My mental health and joy, because I figure the rest will follow. Because of milk and honey, I learned at a young age that external achievements have no impact on internal happiness. So now, I try to think of success in terms of impact and purpose. I define joy through connection and community and look forward to sharing all these insights through future writings.

WATCH | Rupi Kaur on becoming a social media superstar:

Poet and artist Rupi Kaur on how she conquered Instagram with a photograph that challenged taboos around women’s bodies.

7 years ago

Duration 5:43

Meet the 23-year old poet and artist from Brampton, Ontario who caused a revolution on Instagram with one photograph.