Inside Cover: Rupi Kaur
Get the scoop on the Instagram poet’s surprise visit to the Strand!
It was in the afternoon on a Wednesday like any other at the Strand Book Store. Customers were joyfully browsing through the stacks, chatting about the books they were looking forward to reading next — like Rupi Kaur’s brand new book of poetry. Then, we received a surprise tweet from the poet herself:
Thirty minutes later, the day before her 25th birthday, Rupi Kaur stopped into the Strand to gift us with a tall bouquet of sunflowers, greet her adoring fans, and answer a few questions about her life. Below, the best-selling poet reveals insight, from her best advice to the top three books on her shelf.
What is your latest book?
First thing you ever wrote?
a poem
a speech
a love letter for a boy
a really mean email
more poems
a poem on a drawing
no idea!
What did you edit out of this book?
Lots of poems about me and my body. Lots of poems about family. Lots of poems I’m saving for book 3.
What was your dream job as a child?
Artist
Fashion designer
Astronaut
Human rights lawyer
Psychiatrist
Best advice?
Practice, practice, practice. Be kind to yourself. DEDICATE YOURSELF. Give to your family. Smile, it’s okay.
Top three books on your shelf?
- What Happened, Hillary Clinton
2. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, Azar Nafisi
3. Anything by Rebecca Solnit
See it in Rupi’s handwriting:
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