Canadian author and performer Rupi Kaur’s first illustrated book of poetry, milk and honey, began as a series of Tumblr posts that migrated to Instagram and were then self-published as a book in 2014, when the author was 23 years old. The rights were picked up by Andrews McMeel in the United States, and the book was republished, going on to become a mega-hit. This year, Andrews-McMeel rereleased the book in a limited 10th anniversary edition. Together with her subsequent collections, The Sun and Her Flowers and Homebody, Kaur has sold over 11 million copies of her poetry, which has been translated into more than 43 languages.
PW spoke with Kaur about her decade of international success and the work that still inspires her.
When did you first decide to become a writer? What was your route to publication?
It was never a decision I consciously made. I didn’t think or imagine myself as an author—but I did see myself as an artist. Performing poetry and writing was a hobby that I was really passionate about. It was my readers on Tumblr who actually planted the idea of publishing a book into my mind. They kept asking, “where can I buy your book?” or, “do you have a book out?” To which I thought, “wait…should I have a book out!?”
I then began to explore the idea of publishing. A professor of mine told me that no one published poetry so I was better off submitting my poetry to anthologies and journals. That didn’t lead to much success. When I asked the same professor about self-publishing, they said, “no one in the industry respects that.” And so I self-published, because I wanted to connect with my readers. I wasn’t concerned about the industry gatekeepers. I finished writing milk and honey, designed the cover, and eventually released it on my own in 2014
Which authors do you particularly admire? Do you feel any influence your writing style?
I really admire Khalil Gibran, Louise Glück, Audre Lorde, Sharon Olds. I think the authors I’ve read and loved have probably influenced my writing style.
Your events for the public and tour dates are more like those of a rock star than a poet. Can you tell us what is special about them?
When I meet my readers, so many of them ask, “How do you write so specifically about my life!? How do you know how I feel!?” I think that’s why the connection is so strong. When people find words they feel so specifically relate to their deepest experiences—and they feel seen by those words—then they’re empowered to come to see my shows and be on the journey with me. People in the West have this idea that poetry is not entertaining, or that it is not relatable. It’s not a genre that’s a part of mainstream culture. That’s not the case in other parts of the world, where poetry actually takes center stage in a lot of places.
I love performing. It’s where I’m the happiest and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to reach audiences around the world. And I put on a show. It’s not me on stage doing a reading. My live shows are more of a one-woman theatrical performance, through poetry, music, visuals, and storytelling. Sometimes it’s absolutely wild to digest that I tour the world to perform my poetry.
Is there an international market in which your books sell particularly well?
The international markets are actually some of my favorites. Countries where my books do particularly well include Brazil, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain.
