"It is never too late. The right time to find your now' could be NOW."
Meet Kelly Kaur. Writer. Speaker. Leader.
Hometown: Singapore
Department: English, Languages, and Cultures
A member of Mount Royal University's incredible roster of educators has been recognized by being named to the nation's respected 2024 Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards list.
Kelly Kaur encourages anyone who wants to write to take the first step perhaps a creative writing course and find what gives them joy as a writer.
Those lucky enough to have been taught by Kelly Kaur, or who have taught alongside her, already know how fitting this commendation is. For those without one of her writing courses on their schedules, Kaur is one of the English department's and its students' secret weapons.
Kaur relocated from Singapore to the Great White North in 1985 to pursue academic studies. She joined Mount Royal's teaching staff more than 30 years ago when it was still a college, and in that time has helped shape the minds of thousands upon thousands of students. She's also an accomplished author and a captivating speaker.
She was recently nominated for the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award along with 499 other Canadians. How did she make it from the pool of nominees to the 75-person shortlist to the final list? Her impressive achievements alone were enough to catch the eyes of the judges, but her students didn't want to leave any room for doubt.
"Many of my students voted for me. They are supportive of my achievements and endeavours," she says. "Their votes made a difference to me and for me."
A star on the rise
Chair of the Department of English, Languages and Cultures Rob Boschman, PhD, knows first-hand just how engaging Kaur is, having attended one of her classes himself, and explains her expertise and talent shine through in every lesson.
"Students respect her," he says. "She's a seasoned veteran. She commands the classroom."
He says he was quick to share and celebrate the news of Kaur's latest achievement with her fellow educators.
"Kelly is a star on the rise," he says.
"I know that everybody in the department is just delighted she deserves it! She's written extensively, is a very talented writer, and she brings her extensive, deep knowledge to the classroom."
Shoot for the moon
There's a saying that goes, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
Shoot, Kaur did. And it turns out she has perfect aim.
Two of her pieces a poem titled "A Singaporean's Love Affair" and a book called Letters to Singapore were selected to go to the moon as part of two separate time-capsule launches. Her poem touched down with the Lunar Codex this past February and her book is slated to land with the codex's Polaris archive next year. Few others can say they have that kind of reach.
She hopes to impart the same shoot-for-the-moon mentality to her students.
"It is important for my students to see the possibilities of living their dreams and going for their passion," Kaur shares.
"Many of my students want to be writers. I started late in my own writing career. Perhaps, people will see that they can overcome any challenges that they feel may stop them not age, colour, race, citizenship," she says. "Anything is possible."
She encourages anyone who wants to write to take the first step perhaps a creative writing course and find what gives them joy as a writer.
"Little did I know that taking the first step as a writer would be my giant stride to literally get to the moon. I hope that my steps to finally living my passion will encourage others to just take a chance on theirs. It is never too late. The right time to find your now' could be NOW."
Next up for this galactic author is a children's book chronicling the story of someone a little closer to home. In Howdy, I'm Singh Hari, Kaur delves into the journey of another Alberta transplant, Harnam Singh Hari, who arrived in Calgary in 1910.
"He came as a penniless immigrant and became a hog farmer and one of the richest men in Calgary. His rags-to-riches life story is fascinating ... I love the fact that I am a Sikh writer, writing about a Sikh pioneer, and the illustrator is also Sikh. Sikh power!"
This will be the latest addition to Red Barn Publishing's Howdy series, which teaches kids about some of Canada's western pioneers.
Kaur says she likes to write about what she knows and experiences.
" As a BIPOC woman of colour who is an immigrant, my stories are tied together by intriguing threads of patriarchal expectations, societal pressures, the traditional roles of women in the past, the expectations of the present and the future," she explains.
"Everyone faces one or two or several of these expectations in life, no matter where you are from. I love the stories of people who face these challenges in the different, compelling, extraordinary ways that make their stories memorable. Some of these people are invisible and unheard their stories make them come to life: they then exist!"
Kaur also has a poetry collection, which was selected for publication by the University of Calgary Press and is expected to be released in late 2025 or 2026.
Boschman says he is excited to see what else is on the horizon for Kaur it seems there is nothing that can keep her down.
