Born to a farmer family in a small village, Biroke Kalan in district Mansa, Punjab, Gurmail Biroke completed his MSc and worked in a pesticide company in Punjab. He was not happy with his job not only because he was more interested in literature than selling products, but also because the job was underpaid. This led to his eventual migration to Canada where he mostly works as a truck and taxi driver now. He continued his passion for literature and writing alongside his work in Canada and has published two books, Battan Sarak Diyan and Agg Vich Sarde Phul. In the interview, he talks about his experiences while working as a driver in Canada, the myth of Canada as a place where life is full of enjoyment, his journey writing the weekly column Barfille Dollar, the decline of quality literature, and the importance of reading books.

Short promotional video:

How would you compare the life in Canada with that in India? ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਹਿੰਦੁਸਤਾਨ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੇ ਮੁਕਾਬਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਨੇਡਿਅਨ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਲਗਦੀ ਹੈ? تہانوں ہندوستان دی زندگی دے مقابللے وچ کینیڈین زندگی کویں لگدی ہے؟

Full interview

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Explore PUNJABI IN BC, for Interviews with K-12 EDUCATORS, ADVOCATES AND ACTIVISTS, STUDENTS, and WRITERS/JOURNALISTS.