{"id":2625,"date":"2023-08-20T11:13:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T18:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/annemurphy\/?page_id=2625"},"modified":"2023-12-19T18:20:26","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T01:20:26","slug":"surjeet-kalsey","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/annemurphy\/research\/punjabi-in-bc\/writers-journalists\/surjeet-kalsey\/","title":{"rendered":"Surjeet Kalsey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Surjeet Kalsey, an accomplished South Asian Canadian author of poetry, short fiction, and drama, came to Canada in 1974 with a background in broadcasting, as a News Anchor of \u201cPradeshik Samachar<\/em>\u201d Regional News for All India Radio Chandigarh. \u00a0Kalsey writes both in Punjabi and English and is the author of 25 books of poetry, short stories, drama, and translations, and has edited several books. Her poetry books include \u201cPaunan Nal Guftagoo,\u201d \u201cAurat, Shabad te Shakti,\u201d \u201cRom Rom Vich Jagdey Deevey,\u201d \u201cNaam Tiharey\u201d;<\/em> and the latest, \u201cRung Mandal\u201d; <\/em>and her poetry books in English include \u201cSpeaking to the Winds,<\/em>\u201d \u201cFootprints of Silence,<\/em>\u201d \u201cSand-Scape<\/em>\u201d, \u201cColours of My Heart and the latest \u201cReflections on Water\u201d.<\/em>\u201d She has written 4 books of short stories\u2013 \u201cSat Paraiyan,<\/em>\u201d \u201cIk Parvasi Aurat di Diary,<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 \u201cKatha Teri Meri.<\/em>\u201d and \u201cMehndi Ratey Hath<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Graduated from the UBC in Creative Writing in1978, and got an M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology in1997, Kalsey was a pioneer to introduce Punjabi literature to English speaking audience through her translations, and her edited and translated anthology, Glimpses of Twentieth Century Punjabi<\/em><\/strong> Poetry<\/em> in English Translation <\/em>includes works of 55 Punjabi poets living in Canada, India, USA, England, Kenya and Sweden. Besides, she has translitrated from Shahmukhi to Gurmukhi and edited a number of books including Urdu poet \u201cFaiz Ahmed Faiz\u2019s Kav Sagar<\/em>\u201d,<\/strong> and Zahid Laeeq\u2019s \u201cAkas Barmla<\/em>\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a social activist, Kalsey has worked intensively in the community to raise awareness about violence against women and children. Her three-act play \u201cMehlin Wasdiyan Dhiyan<\/em>\u201d (Daughters Behind the Palace Doors), for example, was the first play which established theatre for South Asian women in Canada in the late seventies to address the unspoken issue of violence against women in the Indo-Canadian\/South Asian Community in Canada. The mother of a daughter and a son, she has worked as a Family Therapist for the last 35 years along with her creative writing.<\/p>\n

Kalsey has been an active member of the Punjabi Writers Forum V<\/em>ancouver previously known as Punjabi Literary Association Vancouver in the early seventies and has been a member since. She is also a founder member of Samaanta<\/em> (1982), Women\u2019s Sahara Group Abbotsford<\/em> (1996), and Punjabi Literature Society Abbotsford<\/em> (2008).<\/p>\n

Short promotional video (with English subtitles): Can you recite any of your poems? \u0a24\u0a41\u0a38\u0a40\u0a02 \u0a06\u0a2a\u0a23\u0a40 \u0a15\u0a4b\u0a08 \u0a15\u0a35\u0a3f\u0a24\u0a3e \u0a2a\u0a5c\u0a4d\u0a39 \u0a15\u0a47 \u0a38\u0a41\u0a23\u0a3e \u0a38\u0a15\u0a26\u0a47 \u0a39\u0a4b? \u062a\u0633\u06cc\u06ba \u0627\u067e\u0646\u06cc \u06a9\u0648\u06cc \u0634\u0627\u0639\u0631\u06cc \u0633\u0646\u0627\u0633\u06a9\u062f\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u061f<\/strong><\/p>\n