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Kelly Kaur

@kellykaur3

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Educator, Writer, Speaker, Traveller

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Thanks, Tony King, for a fun chat about My Love is a Durian, which comes out October 15, 2026

https://ondemand.ckua.com/search/shows/Thoroughfare/15321?timestamp=00%3A52%3A51 by @kellykaur3

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Mummy sits in the corner of the room
dupatta over her head
hands in clasped obeisance
murmuring verses from the Adi Granth

—from “Birthright” by Kelly Kaur, My Love is a Durian (University of Calgary Press, October 15, 2026)

📸: Asha and Tegan Asha, July 3. Two hours old. Foothills Hospital, Calgary. Photo courtesy of Kelly Kaur.

To read the full excerpt, click our bio link and head to our blog at RiverStreetWriting.com.

About My Love is a Durian:

Immigration, rebellion, and family drive this uplifting and inspiring debut poetry collection.

In My Love is a Durian, Singapore and Canada twine and intertwine, the places adopted and left behind bunch and twist. Kelly Kaur leads readers through markets in Singapore and up mountainsides in Kananaskis. These poems enliven the senses, from the taste of durians eaten fresh to the chill of snow melting on the cheek, as they dance the insider-outsider dance.

My Love is a Durian seeks belonging without judgement, a place to rest, a place to work, and a place to grow. It shares the easy happiness of time with friends and family, the tension of coming of age, the fear and joy of making a life. These poems tangle with ideas of colour and race, freedom and acceptance. These are poems that reach out to readers to create empathy, connection. My Love is a Durian lifts up the voices that sing in the margins of the world.

Kelly Kaur is a writer, author, and speaker. Her poems, short stories, and nonfiction have landed on the moon, published on beer cans, danced on stage, and travelled to galleries and museums. She was awarded the South Asian Inspiration Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture, nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and won an honourable mention in the Creators of Justice Literary Awards. She was also awarded The Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in 2024.

♥️: @kellykaur3 @ucalgarypress

#durian #calgary #poetry #gratitude #readmorepoetry taken in Calgary, Alberta by @kellykaur3

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Fun Interview! https://robmclennan.blogspot.com/2026/09/12-or-20-second-series-questions-with_02026152181.html?m=1 by @kellykaur3

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Thank you, Sara Hailstone.

https://www.sarahailstone.com/book-reviews/my-love-is-a-durian

Arranged into four parts, “Singapura: Lion City,” “Papa,” “Bedi Rebels,” and “Rising up,” Kelly Kaur’s poetry collection, “My Love is a Durian,” comprises roughly 83 poems. “My Love is a Durian” is Kaur’s testimony to her own life, experiences of the oppression of women as well as the experiences as an immigrant within Canada. In completing my reading of her work I feel that the collection resonated to me as a call to action for women. “Give a woman audacity/ plunk her in a classroom/ watch her tongue/ unfurl across continents.” That is exactly what this collection of poetry accomplishes. by @kellykaur3

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“My Love is a Durian by Kelly Kaur is a powerful, stylistically diverse exploration of what it means to be a daughter, a rebel, and an activist. Like the durian, the poems are sharp-edged; they are also soft-centred, fragrant, and memorable.”
—Leesa Dean, THE WOODLOT: CANADIAN POETRY REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS & ESSAYS

To read the full review, go to the-wood-lot.ca or click our LinkTree bio link. 🔗

More about My Love is a Durian (University of Calgary Press):

My Love is a Durian seeks belonging without judgement, a place to rest, a place to work, and a place to grow. It shares the easy happiness of time with friends and family, the tension of coming of age, the fear and joy of making a life. These poems tangle with ideas of colour and race, freedom and acceptance. These are poems that reach out to readers to create empathy, connection. My Love is a Durian lifts up the voices that sing in the margins of the world.

Kelly Kaur was awarded the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, the Calgary South Asian’s Outstanding Arts and Culture award, nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and won Honourable Mention in the International Human Rights Art Movement in New York. Kaur’s poem, “A Singaporean’s Love Affair,” landed on the moon in February 2024 — the first historic library and an Artemis Accords Heritage Site. Her novel, Letters to Singapore, will go up in 2026. Kaur has a passion for human rights and is a creative writing instructor and Special Projects Editor for the International Human Rights Art Movement, New York. She has a children’s book, Howdy, I’m Singh Hari. Her creative works have been danced to on stage, displayed on beer cans, at museums and art galleries, placed outdoors at Leighton Art Centre, and is on a permanent display at the Little Museum of Poetry, il Piccolo Museum Della Poesia, Chiesa di S. Cristoforo, in Piacenza, Italy. She is a speaker and an educator. She loves the Rockies in Calgary where she lives and plays.

🪶: @kellykaur3 @ucalgarypress @the_woodlot_reviews @leesadean

#durian #poetry #singapore #calgary #readmorepoetry taken in EARTH by @kellykaur3

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Thank you, albertaviews for publishing my poem, “The Hyphen” from My Love is a Durian in October’s issue. by @kellykaur3

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Kelly Kaur joins us to talk about bit about her collection, My Love is a Durian (University of Calgary Press, Oct 15, 2026).

In My Love is a Durian, Singapore and Canada twine and intertwine, the places adopted and left behind bunch and twist. Kelly Kaur leads readers through markets in Singapore and up mountainsides in Kananaskis. These poems enliven the senses, from the taste of durians eaten fresh to the chill of snow melting on the cheek, as they dance the insider-outsider dance.

My Love is a Durian seeks belonging without judgement, a place to rest, a place to work, and a place to grow. It shares the easy happiness of time with friends and family, the tension of coming of age, the fear and joy of making a life. These poems tangle with ideas of colour and race, freedom and acceptance. These are poems that reach out to readers to create empathy, connection. My Love is a Durian lifts up the voices that sing in the margins of the world.

Kelly Kaur is a writer, author, and speaker. Her poems, short stories, and nonfiction have landed on the moon, published on beer cans, danced on stage, and travelled to galleries and museums.

💚: @kellykaur3 @little_boat_house @ualbertapress

#durian #singapore #calgary #poetry #ireadcanadian taken in Calgary, Alberta by @kellykaur3

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🔊MEET KELLY KAUR, IHRAM’s Writer in Residence. If you had thirty minutes with an experienced writer, what would you chat about? Bring your poetry, prose, writing goals, or ideas, and spend time with Kelly in this FREE consultation.

🌱 WHO IS KELLY? Kelly grew up in Singapore and lives in Calgary. She was recognized at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton for honoring Punjabi Sikh heritage in her children's book, “Howdy, I’m Singh Hari,” which won the Children’s and Young Adult Book of the Year for the Alberta Book Publishing Awards2026. Her poetry collection, “My Love is a Durian,” published by the University of Calgary Press, is out in October 2026 and is on the CBC's "25 Canadian poetry titles we're excited to read this fall.”

Learn more about Kelly by visiting our website: https://humanrightsartmovement.org/ihram-press-writer-in-residence

✍️ ABOUT IHRAM’s WRITER IN RESIDENCE
This is a fun chance to share and get feedback on your poetry or prose with the Canadian writer and adjunct lecturer at Mount Royal University, Kelly Kaur. Whether you’re still finding your voice or honing your craft, this is the opportunity to think differently or move your writing forward.

WHY IS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU?
💻 It’s a FREE consultation. There are no application fees.
🕝 Lasts up to thirty minutes. More time can be secured by agreeing with Kelly.
🌎 Open internationally, to both emerging and more experienced writers.
📝 Applications open all year round.
🌟 Two writers are chosen per month

🖊️ For the full terms and conditions, submission guidelines, eligibility criteria, and how to apply, visit our website at: https://humanrightsartmovement.org/ihram-press-writer-in-residence

Applications have to be submitted by filling our online form. We will not accept incomplete submissions or those written, assisted, or edited using AI and similar softwares. Please also ensure to read the important submission information before submitting your application.
.
#Writerinresidence #Writingcommunity #Creativewriting #Poetry #Prose #Emergingwriters #Writingcareer #WritingTips by @kellykaur3

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My first children’s book enjoys a win at the Alberta Book Publishing Awards, 2026.

Thank you and congrats to Red Barn Books, Ayesha Clough, illustrator Ravina Kaur Toor and Harnam Singh Hari. by @kellykaur3

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Join us on November 6, 2026, for an evening of readings by Kelly Kaur and Aritha van Herk. by @kellykaur3

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Are you ready to take your writing to the next level?

We’d like to introduce our Writer in Residence, renowned Canadian writer and Mount Royal University adjunct lecturer, Kelly Kaur.

This is your chance to spend personalized time with Kelly, share your poetry or prose, receive thoughtful feedback, brainstorm your next piece, talk through your current project, or map out a wishlist of your writing goals.

Whether you’re an emerging writer or an experienced author, this FREE virtual consultation offers a welcoming, collaborative space to hone your craft, build confidence, and advance your writing career.

Only TWO writers will be selected each month on a first-come, first-served basis.

This consultation is open internationally to writers of all genders and identities. Writing must be in English.

Are you ready to put your words in motion? Apply for your chance to connect with Kelly and the IHRAM Press writing community!

#Writerinresidence #Writingcommunity #Creativewriting #Poetry #Prose by @kellykaur3

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Thank you to those looking to buy My Love is a Durian that is available October 15.

Call or email or buy online

Pages on Kensington is taking orders and delivery is three dollars locally, or you can pick it up at the store.
403-283-6655. mail@pageskensington.com

Owls Nest Books is also taking orders and has local delivery and pick-up.
403-287-9557. contact@owlsnestbooks.com

Thank you for your love. by @kellykaur3

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