Rajwant Raj was born in Kapurthala in 1971, in the state of Punjab in India and he immigrated to Canada after his marriage in India. He faced numerous challenges as most educated immigrants do when they are required to do labour jobs below their standard of qualifications. In 2008, Rajwant was invited to a poetry event by a friend and this sparked his interest in poetry in the ghazal form. He learned ghazal techniques with Ustaad Krishan Bhanot, and this gave him the wings to fly in his own right. He has a natural talent to recite the poem in such a way that it brings the audience to their feet. Rajwant is a versatile writer, in addition to ghazal, he has written numerous short stories and blockbuster novels that bring you to the edge of your seat. His five published books are: Rangshala (2013), Raagaania (2015), Peondh (2019), Tutte Sitare Chugdhian (2021) and Varole Dhe Joon (2023).
Rajwant is also a prominent and respected member of the Ghazal Manch group of Surrey. This organization has successfully presented a number of outstanding poetry events. Furthermore, he mentors and provides support to other poets around the world, and has thus acted as a pillar in the Punjabi poetry world internationally.
Short promotional video (with English subtitles): Can you recite any of your Ghazals/poetry? ਤੁਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਕੋਈ ਗਜ਼ਲ/ਕਵਿਤਾ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਸੁਣਾ ਸਕਦੇ ਹੋ? تسیں اپنی کوی غزل/شاعری پڑھکے سنا سکدے ہو؟
Full interview, Part 1:
Full interview, Part 2: