DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 5

Happy Canada Day Didis! 

We wanted to start off by saying a big "Thank You" to all of you who came out to our first Didi Talks panel on Thursday night. And we cannot thank our wonderful panelists (Ishani Nath, Kiran Rai, V.T. Nayani, Shay Thiyagarajah and Roopa Cheema) enough for sharing their personal stories and providing all of the advice they did. It was an empowering evening, with an amazing energy in the air, and it wouldn't have been possible without all of you! 

We also made #DidiTalks the #1 trending topic in Toronto and #4 in Canada! 

Meet the Didis: 

This month we have a Q&A with writer Kiran Dhaliwal who is based in Vancouver. She received an Honourary mention at Room Magazine's 2017 poetry contest and had her first play premiere at the Tom Cone Festival in April 2016. 

When did you start writing poetry? 
I initially started with fiction in high school, but I felt unattached with what I was reading versus what I was writing. I had no one to look up to at that time, so writing felt like a dead end and just a hobby. After I graduated, I had more time to dive into different styles of poetry and writing, and have been in love ever since. 

Do you think that South Asian women still need more representation in these spaces? 
Is there a limit? There are so many different styles of writing, I would hope for endless representation. I feel there's such value in having someone to look up to or a mentor. What I saw and met people like Rupi Kaur, Damneet Kaur, Jasmin Kaur and Harman Kaur, I was reminded that we have a space and we have room to create more. There's nothing more empowering or gratifying than reading to a room full of people who look just like me. 

What do you think about the comparisons and criticisms of other brown women who are sharing their poetry via Instagram? 
I have noticed people question the amount of "Kaurs" who write. Which is ridiculous, although it's a sisterhood, we aren't the same person. We are thrown into a box of "Rupi Kaur wannabes" but no one complained about the amount of white men who wrote poetry on a typewriter way before Rupi Kaur. No two people are the same, and we are no exception. The term "Insta-poet" drives me mad. All the writers I know who share their work on Instagram are belittled into that term, including myself. What I share on my social media is merely a fraction of my writing. Usually they're just stanzas or snippets from a longer piece I condense to fit the small squares and fast-paced world on Instagram. Instagram didn't make me a writer. It gave me a place to share my writing and connect with other brilliant and amazing womxn. 

What is next for you and do you have any advice for other Didis wanting to start sharing their work online? 
I'm bad at long-term goals, I'm not quite sure what I'm doing tomorrow to be completely honest. For the while I think I'll continue at my regular writing pace, but I'm exploring other styles to test as well. To all my beautiful Didis, CLAIM YOUR SPACE! Share your work with the ones you love and if you're ready, share it with the world. Write for yourself first, always. If social media isn't for you, there are so many online and print magazines that accept poetry, fiction, non-fiction, prose, art, etc. Some of them pay if you're published, but if you're lucky, you get a critique or editing suggestions on your work. 

What we're reading: 

17 real-life would you rathers I, as a woman, have had to ask myself by Isabella Giovanni explores the questions women are faced on a daily basis. 

What's happening at the U.S. border has been heavy on our minds. In Brown Girl Magazine, Shivani Desai wrote a piece: We really should care: I'm marching because families belong together. 

What we're watching: 

For any of you who missed the Didi Talks panel, our stream is still up on our Twitter page! 

-- Nikkjit Gill 

Upcoming Events: 

We are laying the groundwork for our Vancouver launch! So Vancouver Didis, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us on Twitter, Instagram or at [email protected]. 
We are planning this launch for the end of the summer (think late August). So stay tuned and we can't wait to meet all of you! 

Issue 5

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