Born in village Philware in Punjab in 1945, Harchand Singh Bagri has been living in Canada for the last fifty years. He initially started writing in the fifth grade after he lost his mother. By the time he was in College, he had already written few short stories, poems, and a novel. When his father also died in 1964, Bagri decided to leave the college and enroll in a machinist trade course. Learning this technical skill allowed him to migrate to Canada and support his family.

While working as a machinist and welder after migrating to Canada in 1971, Mr. Bagri did not let his passion for writing die. He would always keep a pen with him during work and write down any shalok or verse which would come in his mind. The tragic events of 1984 forced him to start writing more regularly. In his autobiography, he has written about the difficulties and poverty he had seen around while growing up in Punjab. He also participated in the Punjabi Writer’s Forum (Punjab Lekhak Manch) and Kendari Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (The Central Punjabi Writers Association), two of the oldest Punjabi literary organizations in BC, which have brought Punjabi writers together for decades.

Short promotional video 1:

Why do you write literature? ਤੁਸੀਂ ਸਾਹਿਤ ਕਿਉਂ ਲਿਖਦੇ ਹੋ? تسیں ادب کیوں لکھدے ہو؟

Short promotional video 2:

Did you face any discrimination when you came to Canada in the 1970s? ਤੁਸੀਂ ਜਦੋਂ ੧੯੭੦ ਦੇ ਦਹਾਕੇ ਵਿਚ ਕਨੇਡਾ ਆਏ, ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਕਿਸਿ ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਨਾ ਪਿਆ? تسیں جدوں ۱۹۷۰ دی دپای وچ کنیڈا  آے، تہانوں کسی وتکرے دا سامنا کرنا پیا؟

Short Promotional Video 3:

How has the status of Punjabi in B.C. changed over time? ਬੀ ਸੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਦਾ ਪੱਧਰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਬਦਲਿਆ ਹੈ? بی سی وچ پنجابی دا رتبہ کس طرح بدلیا ہے؟

Full Interview:

Part 1:

Part 2:

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