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- DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 78
Happy Diwali Didis! And welcome to November.
Somehow 2024 is about to be over in two short months, and we can’t believe how fast the time has flown by. We loved seeing everyone’s Diwali celebrations this past week, and the fun and creative fusions of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas with Halloween!
This past month, we did a giveaway on Instagram for author Kuljinder Kaur Brar’s new book, Mandeep’s Cloudy Days. And this month, I have the pleasure of introducing Kuljinder to all of you as our featured Didi.
Also as we think about the holiday season, if you’re a local creative or business owner interested in doing a giveaway with our audience, reach out to us at [email protected].
Meet the Didi
Kuljinder Kaur Brar is a B.C. Didi who currently calls Abbotsford home. She started her career in teaching in 2011, though she always had a dream of writing children’s books. After two major events in her life—starting a family and a global pandemic — she finally took the plunge to make her dream a reality.
When did you first get into writing and storytelling?
After my son, Saajin was born I felt like I needed something for myself. I loved my new little family but I also needed a creative outlet for myself since the mundane diaper changes and feedings were not very…exciting. I’ve always dreamt of writing and since I didn’t have many distractions, I decided to finally start.
You pursued a career in teaching, what made you take the plunge into writing children's books?
I love books and as a teacher, I was always reading picture books and integrating them into lesson plans. I’ve always dreamt about writing my own book but didn’t really pursue it — it felt unattainable and life always got busy. It wasn’t until I was pregnant with my first child that I was really invested in finding picture books with Sikh representation. I soon realized there weren’t many on the market. When the whole world shut down due to COVID-19 and with the uncertainties of what was going to happen next, I began to ask myself what I really wanted to do with my life and the answer was: writing.
Why was it important for the stories you were writing to feature Sikh children?
Representation is huge. I grew up reading books with characters and stories that didn’t represent me or my family. I couldn’t really make many connections to these books. Through the lens of an elementary school teacher and a mom of two, I believe it’s so important for children to see themselves and their families in the stories they’re reading to feel seen, make connections and to ignite a passion for reading.
You've released two books, the most recent one being Mandeep's Cloudy Days. Tell us about these two projects.
My Name Is Saajin Singh is my debut picture book about the importance of pronouncing names correctly, celebrating cultural identity and taking pride in who you are. I grew up with people constantly mispronouncing my name and I recall the discomfort with that. I’ve even witnessed it as a classroom teacher. This book helps encourage children to use their voice and have the confidence to politely correct others when their name is mispronounced. Names are a part of our identities and it is so important that people get it right.
Mandeep's Cloudy Days is about a close father-daughter relationship: they do everything together from cooking butter chicken and having cha parties, putting on bhangra shows for Mom, and writing and sharing funny jokes with one another. When Dad starts a new job as a truck driver, Mandeep begins to have big emotions.
This book explores themes of mental health — a topic that isn’t really discussed in the South Asian community — and the importance of finding healthy outlets to deal with big emotions. Mandeep’s Cloudy Days comes from my experiences growing up as a second-generation immigrant, my classroom experiences working with children whose parents were working long hours and watching my children be away from their dad. I hope this book will open up the conversation around having big emotions and help parents and children in finding healthy ways to cope with loss or change.
What were some of the challenges you faced in getting your first book published?
Finding the time and energy to research the publishing industry and contacting agents/publishers while fighting the struggles of lack of sleep as a first-time mom with a six-month-old was my biggest challenge. I was so determined to get My Name Is Saajin Singh published, that I knew I had to keep going.
What are you working on next?
My writing process is a little strange. I start one project and then start something else that comes to mind and then another topic simultaneously. So right now I have a couple stories going on about the farm and family dynamics but don’t have anything completed yet.
What advice do you have for other Didis that are looking to pursue a creative career like yours, whether it's full-time or something they want to pursue on top of their full-time career?
I recommend spending time researching the industry and market. Get online and find communities of people in the same field pursuing the same goals. There’s so much free information online. Another thing I would say is do not get discouraged with rejections. My first book was rejected many times by agents/publishers but that did not prevent me from pursuing my goal of getting published. Believe in yourself (I was my biggest cheerleader) and keep going until you reach your goal. You got this Didi!
What we’re reading:
What we’re watching / listening to:
— Nikkjit Gill
Issue 78
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