Rupi Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian poet and author, who has quickly become a phenomenal and cultural sensation worldwide. Born in Punjab, India in 1992 and eventually immigrating to Canada, Kaur released her first collection of poems, ‘Milk and Honey’, in 2014. This collection of poems, which is has now won the Goodreads Choice Awards in the poetry category in 2015, gave Kaur international recognition and made her a household name.
Kaur’s success was largely due to her unique way of writing and sharing her work. In an age of the digital revolution, Kaur stands out, as her debut collection was published and distributed independently via her own website, an effective yet risky move. Kaur’s name quickly started to spread throughout the digital space, and was eventually picked up by bookstores nationwide, including familiar big names such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
In addition to digital success, Kaur has garnered international recognition through her captivating performances at various events and conferences. She has presented her work at notable institutions such as TEDx, and has spoken on issues such as gender equality and feminism. With her work being translated into thirteen different languages, Kaur’s rise to stardom has been impressive and swift.
Kaur’s passion for writing is evident and her poetic works have resonated with many. Her words compel others to see the beauty and power in rawness and vulnerability, inspiring many, particularly women, to break out of conventions and flourish, in spite of being restricted by culture, faith and gender. It is this attitude and approach, which have made Kaur’s works have international success and have resulted in some 700,000 copies of her book, ‘Milk and Honey’ being sold in over 20 countries.
Kaur deserves her success, as she has worked extremely hard, investing her energy and efforts into making her works available to a wider audience. She joined hands with other creatives and renowned companies to publish, promote and market her work to a much larger audience. From her very humble beginning to her international status, Kaur hasn’t forgotten where she started and always makes sure to show her love and appreciation to her fans. This has also contributed to her immense success.
Social Media & How it Helped Rupi Kaur Become Famous
Social media has become an instrumental tool to communicate and spread information in the 21st century. Rupi Kaur is a prime example of how powerful online platforms can be. Kaur used her social media presence to engage with her fans, gain feedback, and stay connected with them. She also used her posts and online presence as a way to promote her writing and reach a much wider audience than she would have been able to reach otherwise. This further increased her fame as her over 1.7 million followers on Instagram creates an echo chamber that amplifies any new material she posts.
Kaur’s success was also enhanced by the fact that she is the first woman of color to own her work. This provides a platform for her to express herself unrestricted. As more people got to know her and her work, her fan base started growing to a point where her work made it to book stores and universities across the world.
Kaur has also used social media to host readings and events, adding an element of mystery. She held her first book tour ‘The Universe of Us’, in 2016 with five cities in Canada and US, through Facebook and Instagram.This further incredible engagement between Kaur and her fans.
Social media was also an important source of inspiration for Kaur as she networked with various writers, poets, and artists — thus allowing her to hone her skills and gain more awareness of her work. The visibility of her work on various platforms helped her get book deals, sponsorships, and more importantly, it enabled her to create an empowered community of people sharing her love of poetry.
Rupi Kaur’s Body of Work Continues to Impact Lives
Rupi Kaur’s body of work continuously impacts the lives of many.Her writing style gives her fans a chance to connect with themselves on a more intimate level which is often unspoken, but resonates deeply. Her work revolves around the topics of femininity, love, heartbreak and family. With her prose, she creates a space for her readers to break the taboos surrounding these topics, and feel safe to share their own stories.
Kaur’s bold approach to writing, of trusting the flow and letting emotions speak, allows many to find comfort in what they know they feel, but could never find the language to properly express. Kaur’s highly celebrated books, ‘The Sun and Her Flowers’ and ‘Milk and Honey’ provide her readers with a legitimate way to revisit emotions they once faced and explore them, without worrying about public opinion and judgment.
It is through her words and visuals that Kaur has been able to create a safe space deeply embedded with tenderness and understanding. She uses her words to not just comfort herself, but her readers as well, using her creative ability to provide strength and hope.
Kaur also focuses on empowerment, and encourages her followers to reach out if they ever need help. In her words, ‘just because you’re struggling does not make you weak, it makes you human’.
This combination of a no-filter approach when dealing with difficult feelings, and an empowering attitude towards her peers, is what inspires many to find solace in Kaur’s work and continues to spread her fame.
The Importance of Diversity in Literature
Rupi Kaur’s undeniable success is due to her celebration of diversity in literature. Kaur is a prime example of how different voices can be appreciated and appreciated, even in a mainstream medium like literature. By writing from the perspective of an immigrant and a woman of color, Kaur has been able to use her words to break established gender and racial stereotypes.
Kaur’s work has also highlighted other marginalized voices, giving them a platform to express themselves, as she usually writes about overlooked subjects such as mental health, self-love and gender equality. Her inclusion of traditionally unspoken topics sets a necessary example that encourages others to explore the same.
Furthermore, by bringing the audience up close and personal to the previously unheard stories, Kaur provides an alternate platform in which readers can question, relate and appreciate her work — allowing her works to cross the boundaries of cultures and language.
Through her work, Kaur has greatly influenced diversity in literature, leading the way for other authors to break boundaries, and enabling the underrepresented voices of our society to be more visible. By doing so, she also reflects her own journey as a woman of color, allowing readers of all genders and backgrounds to explore themselves through her work.
How Rupi Kaur’s Work Influences a Global Audience
Rupi Kaur’s work has become a sensation for its simple yet powerful themes. Her words have broken language and cultural borders to inspire a global audience, encompassing people of all genders, race, and social backgrounds
Kaur’s books have become an anthem for some of the most important topics discussed today, such as reproductive rights, female equality, mental health and self-love.
Kaur’s journey of transforming herself from an unknown artist to a global sensation has also been inspirational, demonstrating the power of determination and dedication. Kaur has been able to single-handedly spread the message around the world that anything is possible, no matter how dark the road may seem.
Furthermore, her use of social media to interact with her fans and promote her work has been an incredibly effective approach. This direct connectivity with her readers, no matter where they are from, has been essential to Kaur’s success. By responding to the people who had read her work and shared their thoughts, Kaur has been able to inspire more people to start writing and sharing their stories.
Kaur’s work is unique in its diversity, discussing topics relevant to millions of people. It was undoubtedly this accessibility that has allowed her to become an international sensation.
Celebrating Successes Across the Globe
Kaur’s success has been celebrated worldwide, and continues to amplify the conversation around empowerment and diversity in literature. Her book tours around various cities, such as San Francisco and Mumbai, have allowed her to engage with audiences in those cities, exploring the nuances of these topics from different perspectives.
Kaur’s debut novel was sold out in Canada and the United States, and her second book, which was released in 2017, has also sold out in major bookstores globally. This international success has been a testament to Kaur’s poetry, demonstrating the potential of success by creating honest and captivating content.
It is clear that the combination of her honesty, vulnerability, and her effective use of social media has been instrumental in making Kaur an international phenomenon.
Kaur has since become a spokesperson for female empowerment, as she continues to use her words to spread her message, as well as create an empowered community of readers and writers who are fearlessly pushing the boundaries.
